How long does it take you to get bored on a flight? 2 hours, 3, 8? At some point, especially on long haul flights, that boredom really does kick in, and you are going to need something to make sure that you stay entertained. My buddy Captain Alexis Fecteau often has this trouble when he flies back with the passengers from his shift, and he has gotten the entertainment side of things down to a tee. Alexis gave me some great tips when I went to Australia last year, and I thought that I’d pass them on to all you bored fliers out there.
Start With Nothing
When you first get on the plane there is a temptation to hit the movies, listen to music, play games, and take advantage of the entertainment system which you have, but this may not be a great idea. Normally you can easily pass the first hour of the trip without anything, just wrapped up in the excitement of heading to the skies. If you do wait then when you do hit the entertainment, you are going to enjoy it much more. If you watch a movie right away then afterwards you try to watch another it’ll be boring, if you have waited however, you may have more desire.
Sleeping
A great tip which Alexis shared with me was to ensure that I was pretty tired ahead of boarding the flight, as this would mean that I could sleep far easier. For anyone who cannot sleep on planes I would absolutely recommend a pillow, it is a real game changer. The more you sleep, the less time you will have to be bored, and the quicker you will arrive.
Drawing
It is easy to watch movies or TV shows but a far more cognitive and fun way to pass the time is by drawing, even if you are no good at it. Think of a project, something detailed and interesting to draw, and then keep practicing until you get it just right. Drawing has a way of taking your mind completely off what you are doing and focusing instead on the paper in front of you.
Planning
Instead of just looking at this time as hours that you have to fill, why not really make the most of it and aim to plan things whilst you are there, put that time to good use. Perhaps you have been thinking about launching a business, this would be an ideal time to sit down and really work out how the business will run and all the necessary details. This is not just idle time, there is in fact plenty that you can be doing in order to make sure that you use this time very wisely.
Sitting and watching something for multiple hours can get boring, so why not try flying a little differently, and see if that helps you stave off that boredom.
