Ask HN: What to do on a 14 hour flight? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What to do on a 14 hour flight?

4 pointskarangoeluw17 comments

Hey. So I'll be on a plane for over 14 hours today. Without Internet. I know!

I'll have my tablet and laptop and I was wondering what to do on the plane to not die of boredom. I have a few ebooks I plan on reading but only for a few hours.

Any pro-tips (also general travel advice welcome)

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Things I do, may or may not work for you:

1. Bring a comfortable pillow. For some reason planes put me to sleep almost instantly. I can be asleep before the plane takes off in most cases. 2. Dress casually and light. I hate being hot. I like to be able to stretch and move around comfortably. I don't mean you have to wear your pajamas on the plane, but a comfortable pair of pants and light shirt can make all the difference. 3. Normally I like a window seat, but on a longer flight I usually try to get an aisle seat. It makes getting up and down a lot easier to stretch and walk the aisle from time to time. 4. Bring snacks. 5. Depending on how much you fly and if you have elite status, go for the upgrade if you are able. 6. I usually try to bring an assortment of things to do (i.e. work, movies, books, etc..). That way if I get bored with one thing or finish something I can move onto something else. 7. Depending on your flight, you can try to hack your way into getting the seat next to you empty. There are several ways to do this and really depends on the airline, the flight, the time of flight, the type of plane, etc.. You can Google different hacks you can try.

1. Taking a pillow

2. Pants + tshirt

3. Will try for aisle seat

4. Snacks

5. Too expensive to upgrade

6. Movies, books, articles, music all on my tablet now

7. ...

Personally I don't like the aisle seat because the carts that the flight attendants push sometimes bump into my foot or knee (my legs are relatively long). This might depend on how big you are and whether you want to keep a bag under the seat.

I'm sure "window or aisle" is one of the most perennial debate topics -- I could imagine thousands of posts about it on FlyerTalk.

Yea, I am pretty stuck on my window seat myself. However, after flying several times on significantly long flights in economy (8+ hours) I have grown to like the convenience of an aisle seat. It's nice to be able to get up anytime you want and just stretch without having to worry about inconveniencing the two other passengers beside you. I'm not a big person and am not claustrophobic, but being squished in a window seat for 8+hours in an economy seat just doesn't make me comfortable. Flights under 8 hours window seat all the way for me though :)

* Sleep (ideally closer to the time zone of your destination) - often useful to have a neck pillow, eyemask, earplugs, and sleeping pills (which are all far cheaper in a local pharmacy than in the airport)

* Talk to your neighbors if they seem friendly (sometimes people really enjoy this and end up unexpectedly talking for several hours)

* Bring a variety of different media or tasks like different genres of books, different problems or puzzles, etc., perhaps movies or music, so you can switch around from one to another (... including creative tasks like writing a letter, an essay, or a computer program)

* Maybe try meditation, or thinking about particular problems or questions that you've thought were interesting or worthwhile for further reflection

> and sleeping pills

Although check the laws of your destination country. A few people are arrested for being in possession of controlled drugs because they took something for the flight - possession by bloodstream.

http://diytravelexpert.com/dubai-danger-medicines-drugs-and-...

I have some melatonin I was thinking of taking with me. But this is just stupid (My transit is in Dubai):

> Cat Le-Huy was arrested in Dubai for carrying Melatonin jet-lag tablets, which are sold over the counter in the US and Dubai

I don't think most countries would arrest you for carrying something that isn't a controlled substance there!

Sorry, I didn't see that you wrote that you're connecting in Dubai, so "most countries" might not be relevant here. :-(

In that case it seems to make sense to do more research or leave it at home.

I was going to say "I was thinking of OTC sleeping pills, not prescription", but then I read the article you linked to. Yikes!

(Though that describes Dubai in particular -- I don't know if there are similar concerns elsewhere.)

Get a white-noise generator. I use https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=noise&fdid=n... on Android. I find it more effective than earplugs for drowning out engine noise and crying children.

Don't drink alcohol if you want to be productive - although if you're just going to be watching in-flight movies, knock back as much as you can ;-)

If it is not too late, request a special meal. I usually choose vegetarian (because I am), but you can go for Kosher, Halal, Vegan, etc. You usually get served first and the meals are generally of higher quality.

Same-day will be too late for a special meal request (I suppose depending on the airport, but it would be very rare for it to work). I've tried this when getting unexpectedly rerouted and it's never worked out.

I've heard great things about "Asian Vegetarian" in-flight meals, but I think many airlines only offer them on flights to Asia, something I haven't done yet.

Once you pass security you can probably grab a decent sandwich and a couple packs of snacks from a food stand/court, too.

I like this strategy because the airport restaurant meals are usually better quality than the in-flight meals, at least for me flying in coach.

If you have a preference for a hot meal, check if the specials are heated. I've had a couple of cold (they were supposed to be cold) meals that I didn't really like.

I agree about the alcohol. If I'll need to start working as soon as I arrive, I drink and snooze to pre-adjusting my internal clock.

Best advice I received: imagine you're going to be on the plane for the rest of your life. Don't watch the clock.

I constantly underestimate the temporary IQ loss from altitude and jet lag. Bring light entertainment. Comedies, tell-all or humor books, documentaries. Do not attempt to read Douglas Hofstadter on a plane. And don't bring Game of Thrones in case the person next to you (a) isn't into it or (b) is trying to avoid spoilers.

Played correctly, I am mildly disappointed when I have to put things away for the landing.

get hammered, then go to sleep

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