What keeps you occupied during long airplane trips?

Laptop screens have gotten so unwieldy, they're almost impossible to use once the guy in front of you pushes his seat back into the mandatory full-horizontal position. Most of the concerns voiced earlier, however, are prevalent even without planes offering internet access. Shoot-em-up games, the possibility of the guy in the aisle seat looking at porn, etc. So far, common sense and decency have mostly prevailed. But in the future?

I fly a lot in my job and I find that the most productive things I can do are read and sleep. I apologize to all the people I've offended by not talking to them. (Although when someone tries to start a conversation, I can usually nip it in the bud by responding that my occupation is ''IRS agent.'' It isn't, but it's a very effective answer.)

I always take my PSP on the plane with me. It's nice to have the choice of watching a movie, playing a game, or (if someone's kids are being noisy) just turning up the volume and listening to music on my headphones.

Come to think of it, it would be even better if they get wireless access up there too.

A Creative MoVu (one AAA battery) and Bose QuiteComfort headphones (another AAA battery) - a six pack of AAA gets me to Japan and back with juice to spare.

I like listening to Audio books.
I am an Attorney and Realtor on Maui so I am always reading and my eyes get so sore; so I really enjoy having the books read to me whenever possible: in the car or on a flight; whether fiction or non-fiction.
www.audio-to-go.com is a great website for complete audio books on CD or tape and they send them to you via express mail.
Works great! Try it! Enjoy!!!

Just think about it, they rush people off the plane, then rush people in. Who was in that seat before me, someone coughing up the latest virus with a chunk of his lung from smoking?,or was it the mom, with her little tot, yacking and pooping---and you ALL have gotten this one--crying all the way. I'm not afraid to fly, I hate it. The 3 or 4 hour trip, I lay off the coffee,get up a little earlier so that when I get into that flying sub, I fall asleep. Now, if I'm flying to Cairo, I wait for the first feeding, pop a sleeping pill(don't forget your earplugs)and pass out. I wake, in time for the morning feeding, wash up, ready for the day. This works rather well for me, the "jet lag" is reduced to a minimum. I've been doing this for years now, and it makes my trip feel like minutes.

Sudoku baby.... if u havent heard of this game... check it out... it really keeps u occupied at all times...

Isn't it bad enough with blabbermouths yakking on their cellphones three inches from your head? You sure you want Internet connectivity during a flight?

No thank you!

Although I also watch the movie (if it's any good), the thing that most keeps me from doing all the "useful" things that I'd planned, is the food and drink that keeps coming and occupying my tray.

Although now retired, I spent a 37-year career in a series of high-stress jobs that involved lots of travel - sometimes just around the city, sometimes around the world. I quickly learned to value my travel time as a time to relax, decompress, organize my thoughts, or whatever. Good music on the car radio or earphones in a plane, browse a magazine, look out the window, think. I had an early laptop but never used it to do the work I should have done before leaving. I had a cellphone, always turned off until I was ready to make calls and answer messages. I also used to start work at 6 or 7 am with the phone turned off, and could get about 6 hours work done in 2 when there were no interruptions. I think I realized early that being available 7/24 (or even worse, WANTING to be available 7/24) is a dangerous pathology.
So I just shake my head when I see people walking along (don't get me started about idiot drivers!) in a fog with a Blackberry in their hand and a bluetooth stuck on their ear, chatting with G** knows whom. Even worse, overhearing conversations like ''hey I'm on Yonge Street and it just started to rain and I'm thinking of going to the HotJam concert tomorrow'' makes you think people left their brains behind when they graduated from kindergarten.
Getting too old, I guess. </rant>

Perry B

Sleeping. I've been known to not only miss meals (no big loss for the most part there); but to sometimes miss take-offs; and sometimes have to be woken up to "prepare" for landing.

I drive my car instead.

I am fully confident that I will never again board an airplane. Fly my own? Maybe. but never will I board a commercial airline. It is just too much hastle.

Since today's lifestyle leaves little time to be alone and reflect back and frowards, I use plane trips to do this. I imagine myself looking down at my life and stopping to reflect on stresses and look forward to how I can handle the possible new stresses coming to me.

With so little time to do this on a daily basis, it is amazing how much I learn about myself and how I can develop small game plans to jump future hurdles!

I fly every week and right now I use my laptop to play games and watch movies. Other than that I usually sleep.
It will be very nice when there is internet access available on the airplanes so I can get some work done. Being a programmer all I need is internet access to get to the servers!

Other: Holding steady on course, navigating and watching out for other aircraft/weather.

Some fun collection of action, puzzle, RPG, and adventure games. Emulators fill the void. Otherwise, i go through Office documents or watch movies/TV shows I've transfered on there.

Sleep and sampling the airline's "diverse" selection of wines also hits the spot

I'm usuall careful to make sure I've got some older magazines packed up.

I've also had a chance to try out valium on the plane. Half a hit helped somewhat to put one to sleep

The searing pain in my ears is what keeps me occupied. I had a lot of ear infections as a child and changes in altitude are murder on me. I get pain on tall bridges (seriously).

Parents: second-hand smoke causes increased rates of ear infections in children. Trust me, I know.

The only flights which are really long, in my way of thinking, are internatinal flights (sorry New York to L.A. is less than a car drive across many states). Since there are time zone changes, and day/night changes during the flight, what else is there to do but sleep?

My PocketPC. I listen to music on it (through a Bluetooth headset, NO WIRES!! YEAH!) while I'm reading e-books, working on Excel spreadsheets or going over my Powerpoint presentations. I can also do Sudoku or crossword puzzles or even watch a movie on it. Not to mention checking web sites, listening to internet radio, or making Skype calls with it at airport hotspots or the hotel. Combined with the Bluetooth mouse and keyboard from ThinkOutside, I'm good to go and I do travel very light.

Listening to music, using my iPod mini 6 Gig.

I fly Jet Blue a lot and enjoy the Live TV. They have a pretty good selection of stations.

I spend time listening to music on iPod. But internet would be a nice idea.

Mostly sleeping due to over feeding food by airlines,
and will not allow to move around except going to wahs room. I try to read but as soon I open reading metrial
after few minutes eyes blinks and goes to sleep mode.
Now a days the airline company do not provide any reading
meterial exept shoping cataglog. I fly in average of
6000 miles in every two years.
Bazle

I've recently discovered the joys of the portable media player they rent on flights now. For only $5 more than renting headsets for the two of us, my wife and I can each enjoy one of about a dozen movies, plus a selection of recent television, music videos, et cetera.