How To Make That Long Airplane Journey Fly By

As an impatient, restless and easily-bored person, the idea of hours in a plane, car or train is not an attractive proposition. Planes are the worst for feeling restricted and confined, especially when you have long legs and aren't lucky enough to get an aisle seat or additional leg-room. So, as you prepare for the long journey ahead, take a look at the following list and ensure you are well prepared.

Remember, once you are on that plane, there is no getting off to buy those things that you wish you had packed. Trains and cars offer a more flexible system, but you should still follow the same rules. You never know when you will get the chance to fill your bags with these life-saving items, so always prepare before you even start that journey.

The most uncomfortable part of the plane journey is not necessarily the plane or the journey. As Jean-Paul Sartre exclaimed in his play No Exit - "Hell is other people." This famous phrase can often describe the feeling of annoyance as the noise, smell or constant nudging of your seat neighbour begins to irritate you to an almost psychopathic extent. There are many things that you can use to distract from this irritant, and you may need to use all of them.

The modern-day traveller has an endless amount of technology at their fingertips, and the aeroplane is the perfect place to take advantage of such great inventions. Mobile telephones are slowly becoming allowed some usage on planes, but until then, technology fans can make use of the other top inventions of the last century, the digital audio player and the handheld video game console.

The digital audio player or MP3 player offers a more convenient, streamlined and powerful version of the portable cassette player. Ten to twenty years ago, passengers would be carrying a brick-sized tape player, accompanied by a clutch of various cassettes with all their favourite tunes to keep them occupied and entertained. Today, the process is so much more simple.

A couple of weeks before your flight, download the songs that you want, put them onto your MP3 player and ensure that it is fully charged. Pack it in your hand luggage and prepare for a journey with the sound of decent music in your ears, rather than the horrendous screech of children or the monotonous drone of 'that' man that loves the sound of his own voice. If you don't know who that person is, then it is probably you.

For those people old enough to remember Tetris, Sonic and Super-Mario, the next item will provoke nostalgia and emotional memories. As a child, journeys would fly by with the simple friendship of the handheld video game. There are so many of these to choose from, with simple often being the most effective. Hours will seem like minutes as you become so involved in the games, that when you close your eyes, the scenarios reappear in your mind and you continue playing them until you eventually fall asleep.

If technology is not your strong point, or your budget doesn't stretch to these electronic saviours, there are cheaper alternatives that have been delaying boredom for hundreds of years. Magazines and newspapers can keep you interested for some time, with the additional bonus of a crossword or quiz to take up a few more precious minutes.

As a restless person, when taking magazines onto a plane, I often become annoyed with the magazine itself and regret wasting the money on purchasing it. You can buy a quiz-book or book of puzzles as these can help distract your mind for longer periods than celebrity-filled trash at three pound a go.

Facing hours on a plane and with early or late boarding times, a passenger may not have the opportunity to eat before their flight. Nearly all planes offer hot food when you travel now, but don't expect a michelin-star meal or you may be terribly disappointed. Pack a few snacks and treats into your hand luggage, and enjoy the foods that you love without paying the sky-high prices on board.

Hand luggage is becoming increasingly important and the planning and preparation stage should be taken seriously. With more restrictions and rules in place, what you take on board will be closely monitored. Adhering to the rules, but packing important items that will help you enjoy your flight, will ensure that long-distance plane journey will fly by in the blink of an eye.

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