In-flight entertainment: how to never get bored

Prepare an offline library before you leave

In-seat entertainment systems break down more often than you'd think, so downloading in advance movies, TV series and podcasts to tablet or smartphone guarantees a Plan B that doesn't depend on the monitor in front of you. This applies especially to flights operated by low-cost carriers, where in-flight entertainment is often absent or paid.

Noise-cancelling headphones: the investment that matters most

Isolating yourself from the constant engine noise reduces listening fatigue accumulated over hours of flight and allows you to follow a film or audiobook without raising the volume to levels harmful to your hearing. It's the accessory with the best perceived-benefit-to-cost ratio among all those designed for long flights.

Alternate passive and active activities

Writing a travel journal, using a language learning app or simply noting the schedule of the next leg breaks the passivity of the screen and keeps your brain active. Those looking for other ideas for managing travel time, not just on board, find useful ideas also among the apps for travel wellbeing.

The e-reader for those who love to read

An e-reader weighs as much as a notebook but contains hundreds of titles, solving the dilemma of which book to bring on an intercontinental flight. Mentally dividing the flight into blocks — reading, film, meal, rest — also helps you not perceive the hours as one long undifferentiated wait.

Before boarding, download at least one film, one series and two podcast episodes: this way a failure of the on-board system or lack of connection leaves you with alternatives.