What do you do on long-haul flights to keep yourself busy?

In the next two months I'll be going from London to Seattle, twice. This is around a 10hr flight each way. I'm use to these long flights but I've never found a good way to pass the time. It's like I can't distract myself from the fact I'm flying. Even when I'm playing games/watching movies it feels like time is moving so slow. Also the time of the flights means sleeping isn't an option.

So what do you guys do? I would also take any book/comic/documentary recommendations.

Depends if there's a free bar or not.

Keep yelling about there being a horrible creature on the wing of the plane.

I listen to music and read books.

Fuck with your sleep schedule enough to where you can sleep through it.

Yeah, the only thing that I can do without the hyper-awareness of being on a flight is sleep.

If I get a window seat I can be distracted forever as my mind wanders and be totally content with it. You better have a window seat or you're a maniac.

I like start reading/playing something when I get on a long flight. I played through Lone Survivor on my last long flight. Usually I start reading a book, or listen to a new podcast (I would download a bunch of episodes before the flight). It makes the flight a bit more exciting, I guess.

I can't even Imagine being on a plane for 10 hours. I was on a plane to Las Vegas for 3 or 4 hours. I wanted to get off so fucking badly, and looking out the window only made things worse. Seeing that I'm off the ground, knowing I could die a painful death was unsettling. Anyway, I just listened to music until my battery was drained.

I am one of those lucky people who can sleep on planes.

Alternatively, 3DS or a book.

Noise cancelling headphones make a big difference to tuning out the fact that you are even on a plane.

You want a game such as civilization where the hours disappear that you can just zone into.

I dunno maybe try to stay up a long time before you fly so you will be so exhausted you sleep. Take a neck pillow.

I fly from the west side of AUS to Portland OR like twice a year so 10 hours sounds like a freaking picnic.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf - sorry just couldn't resist.

I'll recommend the following comics:

• DMZ
• Fables
• Hellboy
• Transmetropolitan
• Y: The Last Man

All are very straightforward to start reading, just start at volume 1 of the trades (or digital equivalent) and your set.

EDIT - Also the book Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution.

I'm assuming there's still no wifi on those flights.

Books. My ears always freak out from the pressure changes so I can't use headphones on a plane. And honestly, even books kind of don't work since I have a hard time focusing with the crippling headache and nausea...

Fuck planes.

I don't go on a whole lot of long-haul flights, but for the last one I was on the schedule pretty much swapped between trying to sleep, failing, chatting it up a bit with my neighbors over some blah airline wine (it was pretty awesome that on two 14 hour flights I ended up being seated with some cool people), listening to podcasts, watching one of the in-flight movies, and playing Civ 5 and another run through The Walking Dead (which I never did get around to finishing...).

Oh, also yes on the window seat. As long as there's a clear view of the ground, it takes awhile to get bored with just gazing at the scenery below.

I read a book. Sometimes I pull out a book of Sudoku puzzles.

@development said:

I'm more of an aisle seat man. I want that extra side leg room, plus I hate climbing over people.

I would love to play something like Civ but I could only bring my Macbook Air. It can't really handle most games and even then the fans kick up something fierce

@skrunch@tobbrobb I think books are my best bet. I've picked up these so far:

@matt: I'll quickly recommend the following then:

• Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution
• Masters of Doom
• Mort by Terry Pratchett

@rowr said:

I used to fly out to Seattle from London semi-regularly as I did a degree in Portland. Nothing helped me zone out on the 9hr body-clock ravaging west to east journey as much as noise cancelling headphones.

Suggested reading: BK Vaughan's Private Eye or Brian Wood's The Massive

@matt: Last time I flew I figured out how to download quick looks from the site. On top of that I have a 64GB ipad I loaded up with whole seasons of shows including Band of Brothers, Doctor Who, BSG and Leverage.

On top of that I recently invested in a DS and a Vita for different reasons. I recommend a healthy mix of movies, reading, audio stuff, games and sleeping. Then again, I'm the kind who only gets one day off a week so I've mastered not leaving the house. The same principle applies to being stuck on a plane.

@matt: I think about you, Matt.

Lol, definitely this.

@james_hayward said:

I have a pair of in-ear earphones I use that do a decent job of blocking out the noise but I think a proper set of over ears is necessary. Any recommendations? Also, Private Eye is so good! I need to catch up on the latest issue.

I spent most of my 12 hour flight to Japan thinking about anime.

read a book or two

Podcasts and Audiobooks.

Having done a New Zealand to London flight numerable times just one non stop flight is pretty easy. Which airline are you flying with? Some have started offering wifi & charging points now.

@hone_mcbone: Air Canada

Last i checked the bose ones had the best noise cancelling.

I have a pair of PSB m4u2, pretty expensive though.

Bose QuietComfort 15 work super-well.... although they are kind of pricey.

I load my kindle with books.

Reenact the entirety of Airplane! with the crew and other passengers, surely time will fly by.

In a weaker time of my life, I had access to pills that made those hours disappear, if you catch my drift. I suggest loading up on comics and/or chatting up the nearest old British man. They have the coolest stories.

I put my eyes on various items of interest until time achieves the desired length of passage and I disembark the flyer.

get really really drunk and make inappropriate comments to the flight attendants

I really suggest to try to sleep, nothing is more refreshing than to only remember you boarded and the next moment is of you landing.

One Word: Drugs.

I've got quite the routine now when flying. It usually goes in this order: listen to loads of music, read a book, 3DS, try and sleep, failing that chat to a travel companion or stranger if they're up for it, stretch them legs, 3DS, back to book, listen to music till the end of the flight.

Kind of cyclical now that I think about it. Also if free booze are offered I never refuse, great way to kill some time on a long flight.

I couldn't agree more about the window seat; good to have the view to occasionally distract oneself and the plane's wall to lean on when trying to sleep.

My body now has a learned-response to go to sleep whenever I sit on a plane. Even a morning flight: I'm dozing before take-off.

Read a book or download some stuff to my ipad for viewing consumption.

I explain my manifesto to my fellow strangers around me and how I should rule the world with an iron fist!

Pray to the airplane gods that you end up on a flight with them TVs in the back of the seats in front of you. If not, pray a bit harder for at least a USB port somewhere to charge a tablet or laptop while you watch a few movies or shows to bring along with you. I'm preparing for a lengthy flight myself soon and it always seems like I get stuck on a plane with nothing to watch and have to look down at my tablet for 8 hours.

@matt: I just got a set of Bose QC20i in-ear noise cancelling headphones, the sound cancellation is amazing compared to any others I have used before. I am off on a long haul flight from China to New Zealand tomorrow, so they will get a good testing :)

Bring a carry-on with an iPod, 3ds, Vita, notebook & pen, kindle, and a deck of cards. Keep it at your feet for easy access and enjoy the riiiiiiiiiiiide maaaaaan.

Exactly. I always try and upgrade to whatever level or seat that includes free drinks, if there is one. Domestically in the US I fly Delta a lot so I get free Sky Lounge access, which have free bars, showers, private meeting areas, things like that. Plus drinks on the plane. Really takes the edge off.

On long international flights, I just take an ambien and say goodnight. I like taking my ambien about an hour before I even get on the plane, that way I don't even remember driving to the airport or going through security. That's normal...right?

I fly quite a bit, and I do a lot of perth to Sydney to LA, more than 20 hours in transit, if you do it enough you will learn to sleep on flights, even in economy.

It's got to the point that even short flights, like to bali or melbourne in the middle of the day put me to sleep. My body goes "on a plane, time for sleep".

Read and listen to music. Sometimes a little bit of writing.