Going on vacation or business trips frequently involves flying. While a short-haul flight is typically over in the blink of an eye, a long-haul flight may have you feeling bored and restless as you soar through time zones eagerly awaiting arrival at your destination.
If you’re like most busy people, you may feel there’s not enough time in the day to engage in your favorite pastimes. Luckily, sitting on a plane can give you much-needed downtime to focus on the things you enjoy. There are many ways you can entertain yourself during a long-haul flight, not all of which require access to Wi-Fi.
Explore the Inflight Entertainment
Commercial airlines know just how boring and tedious long-haul flights can be. To counter the monotony, many airlines offer passengers a versatile selection on inflight entertainment options, such as movies, TV shows, flight maps and games. Passengers can kill plenty of time onboard by watching movies and shows on their seatback screens.
Connect to Inflight Wi-Fi or Pre-Download Content While Connected to Free Wi-Fi
Inflight Wi-Fi is becoming an increasingly popular feature on commercial flights. It’s not uncommon for airlines to offer internet access either for a small fee or entirely free of charge. Accessing inflight Wi-Fi from your smartphone, tablet or laptop allows you to communicate with family and friends, binge watch your favorite show, listen to a podcast and even get some work done.
Many streaming services, podcast and audiobook platforms also allow you to download content onto your device so you can watch or listen to content without Wi-Fi access. Pre-downloading media prior to boarding is a good way to maintain access to the same types of content without needing to pay for inflight Wi-Fi.
Calm Yourself with Mindfulness Activities
Sitting on a plane can be an excellent opportunity to take a break from social media, checking emails and electronic devices in general. A digital detox can have several mental health benefits, including reduced stress and improved sleeping habits. You can replace electronic devices with mindfulness activities to calm your mind and enjoy your time in the air. Examples of simple and pleasurable mindfulness exercises include:
- Creating a gratitude list.
- Mindful eating: Paying close attention to the smell, colors, texture and flavor of your food without any distractions.
- Coloring: This exercise isn’t just for kids. You can bring an adult coloring book on board and use it to practice mindfulness.
- Body scan: Turning your attention inward by focusing on different parts of your body.
Move Around
Sitting for several hours can get uncomfortable and put a strain on your body. To avoid an achy back, “sleeping” limbs and swollen feet, be sure to stay active during your flight. Some simple inflight exercises include:
- Walking around the cabin
- Rolling your neck
- Stretching
- Rolling your shoulders
- Bending forward
Plan Your Trip
Sitting on a plane creates an opportunity to do some last-minute trip planning so you can get the most out of your vacation.
Even if you’ve already arranged transport and accommodation, there are still likely other things to think about to make your vacation enjoyable. For example, consider making a list of things to see in the area you’re visiting. You can also make a budget to estimate how much money you’ll need to spend versus how much you can afford to spend.
Lastly, create space on your phone or camera for new pictures and videos by deleting photos you don’t need.
Catch Up on Work
If vacation isn’t on your mind and you’re traveling for business, consider getting ahead of the game by being productive. Sitting on a plane is a great way to catch up on work tasks, especially if you can access inflight Wi-Fi. With a limited number of distractions, you can get plenty of work done during a long-haul flight, including answering emails, working on projects and organizing your schedule.
Create a Rich and Exciting Private Flying Experience
The cutting-edge cabin display technologies designed and produced by Rosen Aviation take the private flying experience to the next level. We’re committed to creating sophisticated aircraft cabin solutions that exceed the needs of our clients.
To learn more about our world-class products, call 1-888-668-4955 or send us a message.