by Amy Huang

Created on: March 07, 2009   Last Updated: March 08, 2009

We all love to travel, however not too many of us enjoy the hours spent on long haul flights on the way to our destination. To avoid unnecessary stress and anxiety when on a long haul flight, forward planning is always the best solution. Knowing how long your flights are going to be as well as the hours it'll fly through can give you an idea on what you can do to pass those long boring hours, and having a couple of back up plans will ensure that you can still enjoy your time and the services on the flight once you run out of channels to play with on the in flight entertainment system.

When purchasing your tickets, check what the choices are in terms of flight times and hours of the particular flight. If available, choosing a flight that flies over night can be beneficial as you can sleep through most of the flight, and arrive at your destination at a reasonable hour to start exploring.

For those who are unfortunately travelling during the day time or cannot sleep well on a plane, other options are available for passing your flight time. Firstly, work out how long you have to fly and check your own entertainment options. Always leave the in flight entertainment system as a last resort as every airline is different and they may not offer the shows and games that you particularly like. Bring several options with you, don't just rely on one thing. For example, those with portable devices such as MP3 players, DVD players and gaming consoles will get bored of these within a couple of hours into the flight. Books are always a great way to pass time, but reading continuously for more than 6 hours can be stressful on the eye and your general health. It is always better to have a combination of options at hand.

Travelling with a companion is always a lot easier, as you can play cards, have a conversation or play a game of chess or backgammon on a travellers game board.

Solo travellers can consider bringing along some of your must do assignments or homework to work on. Time always pass fast when you do not attend to it, so if you happen to be working on a problem, an essay paper or if you particularly like to draw, these will simply allow the time to fly as well.

Once you've exhausted your own options above, turn to the in flight entertainment system. This is when your mind and energy is at the lowest and you just want to get there, so tune into a movie and allow that to just pass through your time. If you turn to this system too early, you risk getting bored too early and suffer from fatigue from watching the screen, resulting in you not even wanting to read or play games and engage in the other options you may have brought along.

Different people have different ways of passing time, some simply doze into day dream land and allow the time to pass by themselves. Using the above suggestions and find the more efficient and effective way that suits your lifestyle and personality and you're sure to enjoy these long haul flights as part of your travel experiences!

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