Top 10 Things to do on a long flight!

I have been flying for more than 26 years. I’ve tried before to count how many flights I’ve been on in my lifetime but I really just can’t. Some of my longer flights include trips from Newark to London, Hawaii to Tokyo, Atlanta to Ireland, Atlanta to Paris, and Chicago to Switzerland. These are the things that have helped me to pass the time on long flights. I also recommend bringing along a few other items such as a filling snack, just in case the meal options are less than desirable.

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My Top Ten:

1. Sleep! Even if it means bringing Benadryl or melatonin like I did.  If your flight lands at bedtime in the new time zone you will still be tired enough to go to bed once you get to where you are staying.
2. Clean off the thousands of photos you have on your phone that are already saved to your computer but you never deleted. I truthfully need to fly more often just so this gets done regularly.
3. Get the puzzle app I use (its free) a couple weeks before your flight and make sure you “download” several puzzles. By download I just mean you need to start multiple puzzles and place a couple pieces on each one so that it saves to a section in the app of puzzles you have not finished. Otherwise when you put your tablet in airplane mode you will no longer be able to start a new puzzle. The app is called Jigsaw Puzzle and has a purple background with a gold puzzle piece in the middle.
4. Watch a couple movies! Every long distance flight will have an individual screen for every seat. Don’t be the person who sat next to me on the way home (not Tim) and ask to watch the movie on your neighbor’s screen. Everyone has access to all the same movies so there is no need to share. There have been flights where if Tim and I were sitting next to each other we would start the same movie on our individual screens to watch at the same time. That way you don’t accidentally catch a spoiler. Most airlines will have a selection of relatively recent movies as well as classics and tv shows. There are also some games and music as well. I just use my own ear buds but the plane should also have a basic set of headphones too. If ear buds bother your ears after wearing for a while think about investing in some nicer headphones that sit on top of your ear instead of inside them before your trip.
5. Bring a magazine! Not just any kind of magazine though. I may be alone in this but I love reading cooking magazines. I really enjoy reading new recipe ideas and seeing how I can put my own spin on them. However if this is going to make you very hungry you may what to choose a different type of magazine to bring.
6. Audio books. We love these! Tim and I both have 20-45 minute commutes and have found several audiobook apps that we enjoy. You can download a couple of different books before you leave and listen for as many hours as you want to on the flight. Tim prefers using Amazon’s audio book app called Audible. You can just buy the books out right or pay a set monthly fee and in return you receive credits that you use to purchase audio books. With this app you get to keep all the books you purchase even if you stop using the service. You can get two free books by using my link to sign up for a free 30-day trial of Audible.
7. Real books- This one is kinda obvious and self explanatory but before I discovered audio books I took a book on every flight with me.
8. Suduko- I love these and you can buy a book of them and other types of puzzles/games for pretty cheap. This can be especially nice if you get tired of staring at a screen after a while. 
9. Download movies and tv shows with the Netflix app that you can watch in the airport or on the plane in case you don’t like any of the movies and shows that are available. You know there is a series you’ve been dying to binge!
10. Make a list of new places you would like to travel to someday! I like to put mine in order of how soon I would like to go there. The first one is the next trip I want to take and the last is a cool place that would be fun but if I never make it there I’ll be alright.

I hope these tips help you whether your flight is 5 hours or 25 hours. Good luck and safe travels!