What do you do to pass the time on a plane?

[ncbyrne]

Can anyone give this white knuckle flyer some ideas on what you do to keep your mind occupied on a 2 hour flight with no meal being served? I'll be sitting in an aisle seat specifically so I do NOT have to look out the window!

 

[Eeyore1954]

Welcome to the White Knuckle Club! I travel on business a lot -- I always bring a book, preferably one I just started with lots left to read. Or magazines (notice - plural -- one won't last for the entire flight). Bury your head in reading material.

I would suggest a nap, except that I can't sleep on planes.

I've been surprised that most flights I've been on lately have been quite smooth rides. Takeoff and landing I can handle by closing my eyes. But bumps in flight -- that's when my knuckles get really white.

(If you think you'll get hungry, bring a sandwich or snack on the plane with you.)

 

[westcliffemom]

Read!

 

[n2mm]

My husband and I share the word find book. This works great for us. We always try to see how many we can do before we touch down. We date every finished puzzle and put the flight number on it. We actually finished a book a few trips ago and are several puzzles into our current book. It passes the time quickly and find it a great challenge. Works for Us!

 

[Bildmouse]

A good book - hand held games (with the sound turned off) such as Yahtzee, poker etc or even gameboy.

 

[phillybeth]

Trashy novels and magazines like Cosmo work for me! I only read these on planes, they are my dirty little secret
Crossword puzzle books are good, or word jumbles. Ask the FA for a deck of cards and play solitare. A coworker saves up all her mail-order catalogs to look at while she is flying. I would say knitting or crocheting if you are crafty but I don't know if knitting needles or crochet hooks will get through security. A walkman with headphones to drown out engine noise helps me too, I get nervous when the engines surge and then 'die'.

 

[CarolA]

Airlines no longer supply playing cards, bring your own. And unless you like Latin Business or other strange magazines, bring your own. (Where do they find those magazines!)

 

[Tara8595]

I may be in the minority, but I really like looking through those 'Skymall' catalogs they always have on SW planes. Do other planes have these? They have really unique items at ridiculously high prices, but they're fun to browse.

Crossword puzzles are my latest thing though. I bought a big book of *easy* crosswords at the $1 store and even though they're easier than the NY Times, they're still somewhat challenging without being depressingly so.

Also, portable CD players or walkmans are great especially if you buy or rent books on tape/disc. You can even check these out at the library. It's great for me because I get motion sick and have to glance out the window a lot to orient myself. It's hard to do this when reading, so being able to enjoy a book and look out the window too is a cool thing.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Humm, during my flights, I sit there, look thru the SkyMall and Attache magazines, and just kinda look out the window or look around the plane. I guess for a white knuckle flyer that might not be a good thing to do, as it doesn't keep your mind off of anything.

Bring a snack, a book, and a pillow. RELAX!

 

[atigeg]

I took am a white-knuckle flyer...the only reason I'll get on a plane is that it's the fastest and easiest way to get to Orlando from Chicago. I don't think I'll ever get used to the idea of flying at several hundred miles per hour 35,000 feet up in a cigar tube! To help me stay relaxed, I make a customized CD of all my favorite soothing songs. Customized is so much better than listening to an album, as there are generally only a few songs I like on any given album...the custom CD can be filled with my favorites. The music calms me and also blocks out sound such as crying babies etc. I also bring lots of books and a computer game in case I want to do soimething a bit more "active." It really helps the time to fly by.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[poohsdoodle]

I really like the audio books! My son ALWAYS has his Gameboy (I think it has actually become an apedage!)

 

[Jeanny]

two hours is nothing!! by the time you get up to the flight path, you're half way there... at least that's my way of looking at it.

I have approximately 3 hour flight and plan on bringing a few magazines to catch up on.. and figure I can always leave them in the seat pockets for the next passengers going back...so they'll have something to do too!

the word circle puzzles are great and the TV Guide crossword puzzles are also great ... I like to get the easy puzzle books, that way I don't feel so dumb when I can't complete them or have to cheat by looking in the back!!!

 

[ncligs]

Read a lot!!!!!

 

[Jinnyboom]

DRINK

 

[ncligs]

Originally posted by Jinnyboom
DRINK

 

[anniet]

I have to warn you to be cautious with what you read though. I was readingThe Shipping News right after takeoff and the author used the description of the character feeling like he "was trapped into a mistake like a passenger in a plane that briefly rises, then crashes on the runway"

I thought I was going to be sick!!!!!

I listen to music now.

 

[sammi]

I'm a "nervous" flyer too....especially take-offs and landings!

After nearly squeezing the blood out of my DH's hand......I usually listen to the music stations that the airlines provide, with my headset and that keeps the engine noise at bay! LOL

I also enjoy reading the booklets with things to purchase that's always on the back of the seat in front of me. Our trips to Florida are about 2 hours and the time seems to fly by just thinking about where I'm heading!

Hope your flights are "calming"!

 

[eellis88]

Night time medicine works good for me.
On an empty stomach.
Night Night.

 

[aide4]

DRINK!!! My hubby said to some friends one time who were afraid to fly "Well, you have not flown with my wife, and if you did you would totally change your mind!"

 

[aide4]

DRINK!!! My hubby said to some friends one time who were afraid to fly "Well, you have not flown with my wife, and if you did you would totally change your mind!"