Figs,
Maybe it's your first time, or maybe you have done it many times before, or maybe each time you just don't enjoy the experience.
What to do? What can be done to make it a more pleasurable experience?
What in the world am I talking about? International Travel!
OK ... so now that the suspense is deflated and the drama is over, let me give you some Big Fig pieces of advice on "How to plan for & what to expect on your next International flight". Actually, these tidbits apply to any flight that is over a few hours long ... or, for that matter, for any flight which lasts longer than your attention span can handle!
Airlines will often provide some sort of in-flight entertainment -- especially on international flights (e.g. a movie, some magazines to read, and other mind-sapping activities). The most important things to remember on a long flight is planning your own activities since you may not be the least bit interested in the movie or magazines that the airlines have provided for your entertainment for the next 12 hours (yes, that is about the average time for international flights from the US to Asia, the EU, and abroad).
Time management: Perhaps you have some homework to do? Or, you are working on a project for your internship, or you have to pay bills for the past month? I could go on with the possibilities -- but, my intent here is to demonstrate that if you have detailed a short list of things you want to get done on the flight, the time will pass more pleasantly!
Focus on catching up in your Chemistry course (or whatever course is your tough course this semester). Read the last two chapters of that novel you've been meaning to finish for the past three months. Read a chapter, take a nap, and then read another chapter ... then save the worst for last: Chemistry Homework. Point is, have a plan for your flight. The longer the flight, the more you'll need to plan. One note of caution here: Don't bring 3 text books from school thinking you'll get 12 hours of homework done on a twelve hour flight. This is a bad idea for two reasons. First, you don't want to carry 50lbs of books on your back through the airport ... and second, on most flights you'll probably gaze out the window a lot and catch up on some zzz's too. So, a rule of thumb is that for a flight that lasts for 6 hours, bring about 3-4 hours of work to do. A twelve hour flight, bring ~6-8 hours of work.
As long as you have some stuff to do to pass the time, you'll have a much more enjoyable flight.
So, bring a small list of personal things to catch up on. Start with your list of things to do, then catch a catnap, and then when you wake up -- if you have still not arrived -- perhaps you can break down and watch that in-flight movie which is playing for the third time since you took off.
Planning your time for your next international flight is just as important as planning what you will do and where you will go when you arrive.
Enjoy your flight.
- Professor Gary
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Gary Plourde is an independent author. He writes about Traveling, Sailing, Inventions and the Patenting process. Patent your new idea and explore an opportunity to generate revenue for your business, scholarship, study abroad, or sabbatical.Labels: airlines, international flight, International travel, Planning, time management |
