Travel 2.0

Prior to my recent jet-sets from Cleveland to Hawaii (9 hours) and Beijing (13 hours) I had only travelled relatively short domestic distances by plane. For a flight lasting longer than the average person's workday, I couldn't imagine the lengths passengers would go to avoid muscle pains, trapped-in-an-aircraft-for-a-day-with-a-bunch-of-strangers-aphobia and, perhaps worst of all, boredom. 

Thanks to a new generation of journey-friendly products and services I refer to as Travel 2.0, and a few calisthenics exercises, a long flight in coach can turn out to be a surprisingly positive experience.

In-flight Entertainment

My under the seat carry-on bag contained the usual self-entertainment items -- a book, magazine, iPod, headphones, cards, snacks, etc. -- but I barely read a page.   Thanks to the mini TV screen mounted directly in front of my face, I was thoroughly entertained by movies (I Love You, Man; Marley and Me; Eclipse; Wizard of Oz; 40-Year-Old Virgin; Cars; The Proposal), TV shows (The Office; Curb Your Enthusiasm; Project Runway; History Channel selections), music (a dozen channels of different genres) and games on demand.  Time flew by (no pun intended) just as quickly as if I were sprawled on out my own comfy couch watching TV on a Sunday afternoon ... except, I was sitting upright, surrounded by 100s of strangers in a dimly lit cabin of a Boeing 747.  Just like home!

Bonus: Regular headphones with a standard connector work just fine in the arm rest plug -- no need to purchase the flight-specific set like the old days. 

If you book a flight with touch screen options, you can easily select music, videos and flight info channels; and the trivia games allow you to play against fellow travelers on board.  You're goin down, lady in 28B! 

When you're ready for a snooze, set your screen to the map of your flight route.  It was surreal to wake up and realize that we were directly over the North Pole on our way to the opposite end of the world.  High-fives to Santa and all the penguins!

iPads

I was amazed to see how many iPads were popping out of the overhead bins.  Mostly surprised by the fact they didn't belong to adults -- kids ages 4-12 were the ones with the $499 toy!  Parents smartly loaded them up with kids' games, coloring apps, videos and Dora eposides before making the trip.  I found myself wishing I had one of my own, and also relieved that the kids were being so calm and quiet while we were in the air. 

Muscle Stretches & Seating Tips
On both of my flights there were people who stood up most of the trip.  Parents walked up and down the aisles with their babies, older couples stood together and chatted in small groups and many passengers did ankle lifts and lunges to keep the blood flowing.  When I wasn't sleeping, I made it a point to get up at least once an hour (try to get an end seat if you can, for easy exiting), to stretch my neck, legs and back. 

For extra back support in your seat try using the blanket or pillow provided by the airline for a lumbar roll.  Wear comfortable, breathable shoes, and layer up for better temperature control.  The air tends to get stale, so even if you're getting chilly, you might want to switch on your air vent for some circulation.  Bring your own blanket and neck pillow if you're able, and an eye mask and ear plugs are helpful for a more comfortable sleep.

Food Service vs. No Food Service

My flight to Beijing was 4 hours longer than my flight to Hawaii, but felt much shorter.  How could that be?  Food service makes all the difference.  Try to find a flight that serves a meal and/or snack every few hours.  Eating makes the time go by much faster by breaking up the trip into smaller chunks.  If no food is provided, make sure to bring substantial snacks for yourself and eat every 3-4 hours.  Drink plenty of water and avoid concentrated sugar drinks (like cranberry and tomato juice) toward the middle and end of the flight. 

Many International flights offer complimentary beer and wine, which can help you sleep and calm your nerves. 

What are your long flight travel tips?