10 best things to do on a plane to pass time

Whenever I’m anticipating a long-haul flight, I know one thing: I’ll get tons of work done. It may sound like an unappealing prospect to many travelers but hear me out. On a plane, I’m captive in my seat so I can’t turn to all my regular diversions. Science tells us that white noise, like the drone of airplane engines, can enhance people’s cognitive performance.

Even when I’ve been flying on a plane that has Wi-Fi, I purposely haven’t connected it during my flight to avoid going down my regular internet rabbit holes. Treating the friendly skies as your office is not an appealing prospect for many people, especially if you aim to leave work behind. With a few good ideas, you can plan activities on your flight to maximize your productivity, fun, and relaxation.

1. Plan your next trip

There’s no better time to plan a trip than while you’re already in travel mode. When I’m traveling, I love checking the back of the in-flight magazine to see where that airline flies. Seeing routes on a map can inspire you to discover a city you’ve overlooked. If you’re using Wi-Fi, you can use KAYAK’s Explore tool to see all the places you can fly within a given price range. Or filter by flight time, exact dates, or lists based on your interests.

2. Plan your current trip

I like to allow for a little kismet when I travel, so I don’t plan my trips minute-by-minute. But even if you are a super planner, there’s always something new you can learn about your destination while en route. You can research over 800 cities in KAYAK’s City Guides, including insider tips from local experts and don’t-miss activities and restaurants.

3. Go on a movie “date”

I love to lose track of a couple of hours with an in-flight movie when I’m traveling alone. But when I’m traveling with my significant other, we like to synchronize our in-flight entertainment and go on one of the movie dates we’re always too busy to indulge in at home. There are a couple of ways to do this: if you’re using the seatback entertainment system, just start your movie at the same time.

When there’s Wi-Fi but no seatback system, we sync our Airpods to a single iPhone or iPad and watch together. You can do the same thing if you’ve downloaded a movie to watch without Wi-Fi. Remember that if you’re using wireless earbuds with a seatback entertainment system, you’ll need to invest in an adapter, or “dongle,” to wirelessly transmit audio.

4. Learn a language

Okay, you’re not going to learn an entire language on your flight. But learning a few words – especially “thank you!” – will at least demonstrate your respect when you’re in another country. You can download one of the many language apps and spend your flight time learning keywords and phrases. Some apps are subscription-based (some sell single courses). Some are free, such as Duolingo and Drops. If you have the basics or are conversant, watching a movie or listening to an audiobook in your destination’s language can serve as a useful refresher.

5. Read (and gift) your magazines

I love my Kindle, and I’m rarely without it, but I also love the tactile quality of a magazine or five. If I’m lured into the airport newsstand on the way to my flight – and I will be – I’ll dive into the magazines, but I’ll make sure to offer them to someone sitting nearby or a flight attendant when I’m done. We can all use a little good magazine karma.

6. Catch some z’s

Yes, I am painfully aware that telling people to just go ahead and sleep their flight away is easier said than done. Invest in a few comfy sleep aids and you can make the job a little easier. I’m always cold on a flight, so I bring a large, soft alpaca scarf that doubles as a blanket – but still looks good draped around my shoulders in the evening. An eye mask and earplugs or noise-canceling headphones can work wonders. (I don’t bring a plane pillow because I don’t love the extra bulk, but some travelers swear by inflatable travel pillows.)

7. Exercise

Killing time on a flight can be good for you if you take a few breaks for some exercise. Sitting for long periods of time, dehydration, preexisting health conditions, cramped seating, and other circumstances can raise the likelihood of forming a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that typically forms in a leg vein and can be life-threatening if it travels to your heart or lungs.

Compression stockings don’t need to remind you of Grandma’s nude hose; many companies make fashionable compression socks you’d want to wear even if they didn’t boost your healthy circulation. Bonus: If your legs swell on a flight, you can remove your socks when you get off the plane, and no swelling!

8. Make big plans

There is something about being high above the earth that, for me at least, inspires me to think a little bit bigger than I do when I’m on the ground and surrounded by the daily grind. A long-haul flight is my favorite place to make big life goals, and long-term plans, and think creatively about the next moves. I carry a favorite little notebook I use daily for short-term goals and to-do lists, and I like to create a page at the back of the book with creative ideas or longer-term goals – then refer to it later when I need a reminder of my Big Ideas.

9. Play some competitive crosswords (and other games)

I’m not sure how I ever lived without the Scrabble app, and I will challenge any travel companion to a game or seven with me. I am also competitive about crosswords, which I’m happy to do on paper or an app; in fact, you can find several competitive crossword apps that are great for long plane rides. Word searches, sudoku, solitaire – all are great to pass the time. Or look for games of strategy you can download, in which you get virtually dumped into an unforgiving wilderness and must keep yourself alive.

10. Whip out your coloring book

Get out your Crayons or colored pencils. Coloring is a great way to reduce anxiety and stress, improve your focus, and even increase your focus so you can solve problems more easily. No wonder coloring books have sold like gangbusters in recent years. Anxious fliers might try an adult coloring book—especially if you want a natural alternative to anxiety meds on a flight.

How was this guide created

I spent 20 years traveling for work and learned lots of trips and tricks for managing my workload, sanity, and circadian rhythms during the several years I lived between Atlanta and Kuwait — a 16-plus-hour flight.

There’s no need to get bored even on the longest of flights. If you’re worried about it, you can make an entertainment plan for yourself before you leave, or just bring enough options that you have something to do when the mood strikes. For new ideas and to help you on your next travel, check out our blog articles on how to find cheap flights, tips for flying, and how to get cheap last-minute flights.

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