Good morning everyone

Sorry if this topic has been gone over before. I find that I'm not so great at using the search feature on these boards.

So, like many of you, I have a flight of 17 or so hours coming up, and I'm a little disturbed about trying to think of things to do to occupy that time during the flight.
I was planning to bring an mp3 player, and a book, but.... 17 hours... jeez louise!
I don't think I'll be able to sleep that well, if at all, though it seems like that would be the best solution to quickly pass the time.

So what did you all do while flying for so many hours? Any suggestions about fun things or ways to make the time pass quicker?

Thanks

Lots of books, lots of cds (don't have an MP3 player). Depending on your flight, there may be a good selection of movies to watch. Once I played computer games on my laptop, but Amsterdam didn't have any plugs, so I ran out of batteries and couldn't recharge during my 8 hour layover.

Buy some easy to read magazines- you know the ones that you indulge in but never admit to reading. Guilty pleasure reading. Get up and walk around a lot. Try to sleep. I downloaded some podcasts on my I-Pod - entertainment, language lessons, etc. I always journal when I travel so that helps past time too.

On a 17 hour flight...a good sleeping pill or two (or Nyquil) would 'occupy' a lot of that time and help with jet lag at the same time.

Agree with that

I brought my mp3 player and a good book (The Kite Runner). I also watched all the movies and TV shows that were shown on the plane. That occupied me. I can't sleep on planes so that was out of the question.

Yep, if you can sleep it is probably a good idea . . . the more the better so you aren't so blasted tired when you arrive in Egypt, LOL!!

I can't sleep for long so I bring a book, load up the MP3 player (used to take the CD player/CDs but that takes up too much space in carry-on, hehe), watch the movies if I can actually see them (sometimes the angle is bad), stand up in the aisle, go to the galley area or where bathrooms are located (where ever there is some space) and do some stretching for the back/legs/etc. Sometimes, if I am lucky, I get an extra seat next to me and can stretch out a bit.

I like the suggestion about the "easy to read" magazines . . . something mindless to use up some time and be entertained. One thing I do not like to do is serious work on the plane . . . like bring a laptop and try to work, yech!!! LOL, I don't make a good travelling consultant, do I??? but my eyes get so tired from staring at those little screens anyway . . . so I like to rest my eyes when I am flying.

Haha I am a veteran of many of those long (NYC-Asia) flights!

I agree with everything that's already been suggested, and would add, it's good to bring a long, epic paperback with lots of juicy sex and violence (Gary Jennings' Aztec comes to mind) and read just the first chapter or two before you get on the plane, that way you are already into it.

Also if you are going with a good airline(Continental or Singapore for example) even in coach they have those nifty seatback video screens with tons of movies and video games.

If you're the lucky type who can sleep on a plane(I can't) then you've got it covered.

This is the MENA forum. Prepare for the stoning.

I guess I'm an odd duck. My airplane ritual always includes getting a copy of the economist

Well, rahma, you are a better person than I am to be reading the economist on the plane.

LOL, for awhile I was reading Egyptian history and books on Cairo and the Valley of the Kings . . . . my trip to Luxor was a big highlight for me in 2005 (lol, not to mention I got married right before I went). I keep pulling those books out to read but I forget to bring them on the plane now.

British Air has those tv's in the back of the seats and offers tons of movies.

I don't plan on watching them though since I"m downing an Ativan before getting on board so that I'm not a total freaked out nutcase focusing on the fact that this large metal thing that weighs tons is able to stay in the air over a HUGE body of water where no one will be able to find us for months on end if we crash.

Make that two odd ducks. . .

I take books on tape about the language (so I can surprise my fiance with new phrases that I can speak in Arabic and French) and the culture of Morocco as well as my favorite inspriational/spiritual reading. Books on tape/CD ROCK as far as I'm concerned. I listen to them in planes, cars, at home, at work; just about anywhere!

I can't sleep AT ALL in any mode of transportation and definitely not in those cramped airplane seats. Hence the use of sleeping pills. They work wonders for me in airplane seats.

My Flight took 20-22 hours....But the actual longest one was 10 hours in the air.. I took a book... plus we watched two movies..
I had a lay over in Frankfurt for 6 hours..and another in San Francisco for 2 hours..

Can a Jet stay in the air 17 hours..without refueling ? hahahahhah if so...I don't think my butt could..

I think my desire to read "dumbed down" material has to do with my "travelling consultant" life. Things get quite intense with the computer and programming stuff . . . so my work life of coding and problem solving/debugging leads to a huge desire to relax in my off time. This got particularly acute when flying back and forth to Hong Kong this past summer. I even got to the point where I didn't want to watch any movies on those little screens in the seatbacks because my eyes were tired after hours of sitting in crapped conference rooms with too many ppl and staring at the small laptop screen for waaaaaaaaaaay longer than I wanted to.

Hmmmm, now why am I on VJ when I should be doing some more coding?? Oh, well, back to work!

Books, magazines, music, a laptop if you have one, foreign language studies, in-flight movies -- these are all very good suggestions. Boning up on the tourist info or culture/history of your destination is also time well spent. Puzzles or games can really come in handy, or even a deck of cards if you care to play with other passengers in your row.

You might plan to do some shopping if you have enough time during your layover -- duty free can get you some nice bargains on perfumes, etc. And it's the perfect place to pick up those last-minute gifts of candy and chocolate.

I also have a hard time sleeping on planes -- the best I can do is just lightly doze, but I am jolted awake by any tiny noise or movement in the seat next to me, or the slightest bump in the ride. And I ususally can't sleep much the night before a flight. Never tried a sleeping pill -- makes me nervous even to think of being asleep while travelling

Do remember to get up and walk around a bit on the plane, or you can even do simple leg stretching exercises while sitting in your seat. Long flights and immobility in a small confined space, combined with a pressurized cabin can increase the risk of forming deadly blood clots -- so DO remember to move those legs, at least for 5 minutes every hour.

Have a safe flight, and a wonderful trip !



-MK

Thanks everyone, you've had some great suggestions!!
I wish I took drugs (boy does that sound wrong!), I'd be more than happy to take a sleeping pill or even some nyquil, but I just don't take any of that kind of stuff.
I wonder how irritating it would be to all of the other passengers if I listen to a language tape and I'm trying to pronounce words over and over??

So lemme ask ya..since you read the junk stuff that I glance at while I'm waiting in line at the checkout:

1) Is Farrah Faucet really dying of cancer?
2) Is Pres Bush really getting a divorce?
3) Is Tom and whatshername really splitting up and was their baby an alien?

My previous job had me doing hemisphere dancing … globe trotting … etc. quite a bit (100k+ per year). (DC to Singapore … ATL to Dubai … etc … etc … God what long trips). The suggestions given are all good. A few good paperback books (captivating and/or mind expanding … yes even the classic books I didn’t read in school are now read) always works. Also for me, Unisom (OTC) takes the edge off so I can sleep.

Just find something that works for you. Keep it relaxing. Being in the plane is like being a little kid again … riding in the back seat … letting the parents drive. Also, sleep makes the trip faster … and there is nothing you can do to help fly the plane … so .. relax.

Some important tips:
Be careful with alcohol. At altitude, the alcohol hits you harder unless you live at a higher elevation. Consider one drink on the plane equal to two on the ground. Alcohol also may dehydrate you … so beware.

Drink water. Don’t be afraid to get up … visit your appropriate galley (class of service) and ask for a cup. Don’t hang out in the galley … share a few brief words with the flight attendant ... drink up … toss the cup … and walk back to your seat. (Always remember and respect current security regulations … especially for US based carriers).

Wear comfortable clothing (especially shoes) and relax. For me … on long international trips my feet swell a little (no .. I’m not overweight or have blood circulation problems). About 15 minutes on the ground … and my feet are back to normal.

For layovers, try to stay awake. Its safer, you won't miss your connecting flight, and you just might be tired enough to sleep on the plane.

Hey, you know as much as I do . . . lol, I really only read these when I am sitting in the hair salon and forgot to bring a book!! I am trying really hard to bring a good book for times when I am waiting since I am trying to keep my brain functioning . . . regardless of my comment about the "dumbed down" reading.

So I read murder mysteries . . (interesting series of books that I devoured recently with a police inspector in Shanghai - now I want to visit there) . . . science fiction (4 volume series by George R.R. Martin and I am on Vol 2 of the re-read to get into Vol 3 then 4). Recently got some books by a Turkish author that won a Pultizer prize I believer . . . he has an interesting auto-biographical book about growing up in Istanbul . . . love this city!!! Just finished an interesting read about life in Cairo (fiction), The Yacoubian Building, got it on Amazon.com but it is a publication of the American University in Cairo. speaking of which, they have a great bookstore - I went to both the one in Zamalek and the one on the main campus. bought some great maps of Cairo and other parts of Egypt . . . love to look at maps and know where I am going.

Sorry for the long blurb about books . . . I really am a book-aholic!!!!

Thanks Doodle..Just what I wanted to read mere days before MY flight I had just convinced myself all would be ok...now you owe me some fast paced therapy!!!

okay i am flying home in a few weeks and was wonderin a few things.......i was gonna take royal jordanian cause i like how small the airport is and can navigate it.......but the planes kinda suck with no tvs in the seats....................what airports are small enuf for an idiot like me to naviagate during a layover?? help me out yall!

Frankfurt is easy to navigate. Whatever you do...don't go through Heathrow. Too huge.

Jess..I'm happy to hear you'll be spending Christmas with your little man. That's wonderful!

im not seein an option for lebanon on Lufthansa's thingy. grrrrrrrr

You know I remembered last night that you said it's hard to navigate through Heathrow but then I looked up my flight info and I'm both arriving and departing in terminal 4, so even with that will I still get lost??




Hmmm....I'm not a therapist but you can have some ativan or a valium if you'd like. I actually have a panic disorder so I'm a weirdo case when it comes to stuff like this. He had to talk me into flying there for months before I agreed 'cause I would literally make myself sick just *thinking* about it!!!

You won't get lost it's just a lot of walking to do. You'll get off the plane and have to take the tram to terminal 4 then walk way the hell across to your gate. Since you have such a long layover I'm sure you'll be fine. There is so much in that terminal to do as far as places to eat and shops that you can just hang around there all day. Start walking to your gate about an hour before your plane leaves.

I'm so happy to see this thread, because this is one of the hardest things for me. I don't even know how I got the time to pass when I went to Jordan.

I have terrible Motion Sickness and I can't even read on a plane. My Ipod was ok for like an hour, then I got bored of that. I watched a couple of movies but that also made me kinda sick. I couldnt sleep at all. I found myself staring at the back of the seat most of the time on the way there.

The way back was worse beause I cried most of the time. To this day, it is beyond me how I survived that flight.

Is there anyone else here that gets bad motion sickness?

ME!!!!!

I usually take bonine before flying or going on a cruise and so far so good.


I REALLY hope I don't get stuck with a middle seat between two smelly people. That's one of my biggest fears. I'd rather have an aisle seat or a window. Unfortunately I can't choose until 23 hours before my flight.

That's weird that you couldn't choose when you bought the tickets. I chose when I bought mine and I got all window seats and close to the front of the plane. Of course I did get that upgrade on the way there.

I always take dramamine before a flight but it doesnt help me sleep and I still can't read. I went on a cruise last May and I had a form of Vertigo for 3 weeks after the cruise! I prefer a Window seat because I don't get up alot during the flight and somehow always get stuck next to a person with a small bladder.

is olympic airways anygood? with a 6hr layover??

Go to www.airsafe.com, You can check the safety record and other stats about the airline.

when your eyes are dried up and red from the lack of mositure in the cabin and you been humming along for 8 hours..how do you stay focused on the Economist??????

I like to take a good book to read. If I get bored with that I try to find a cute flight attendant to have sex with.

mile high club?

I would watch TV, sleep, and read.




kbyenow!

tabloids for the first 3-4 hours (cant get enough of celeb gossip) and an OD of benedryl for the last 10....lol

Star magazine has the best crossword puzzles!

I like those word puzzles where you find the word and circle it. I dunno what you call it but I actually found a site where you just input the words you want included in the puzzle and it makes it. I used to use it to keep the girls busy all the time using themes like Haloween, food, Thanksgiving, etc.

Maybe I'll do one for me for Egypt!

ok dunno why i can't edit all of a sudden but here's the make your own word puzzle site:

http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/co...dWordSearch.asp

So lemme ask ya..since you read the junk stuff that I glance at while I'm waiting in line at the checkout:

1) Is Farrah Faucet really dying of cancer?
2) Is Pres Bush really getting a divorce?
3) Is Tom and whatshername really splitting up and was their baby an alien?

Britney Spears has (FINALLY!) filed for divorce.

Im a craft nut so I brought my knitting project along. I checked out the security do's and don'ts ahead of time and knitting needles are on the okay list. If you're wanting to knit and dont want to fuss with the needles, try the Knifty (nifty?sp?) Knitter by ProvoCraft. Ive got 5 of their looms and I looooooove them. You can be the most inept person on the planet and still make some badass knitted stuff. By the time I got to Morocco I had made a hat and scarf for Ahmed.

As many others have pointed out, word puzzles are good. My faves are Logic Problems. Get some good tabloids and one of those big fat thick bridal magazines (unless your a guy, I guess). Even if you're already married, those bridal magazines are so much fun.

If you're lucky, your plane will have those little monitors in the back of the headrest (Air France has good ones) to keep you occupied with movies, games, music, etc.

And as everyone else has metioned, sleep. Benadryl, Vicodin, Phenergan, NyQuil, Tylenol PM, etc. Just dont take 'em all at once.

Okay maybe this will make both of you feel better...you are more likely to have a serious accident in your bathroom than on an airplane....feel better?







Ginger is really good for motion sickness. Buy some ginger snap cookies (read the ingredient list to make sure it has ginger and not flavors- If you can get imported ones from Scandinavia those are really good) or candied ginger (from Whole Food). It really works.

I'm having a hard time with this. I think I need examples.

fatal diarrhea.

Leave it to our residential acturary to want details and statistics

I was thinking slipping on the wet floor, serious burns with the water tap

or fatal diarrhea.

What can I say? You piqued my curiosity. I love bathrooms.

You could electrocute yourself in the bathroom by having a curling iron that is plugged in fall into the bathtub.

You could bonk your head against the porcelain tub or tiles and crack your skull open.

You could faint from heat of the shower/tub and lose consciousness.

You could scald yourself.