What to do during a many-hour flight

Immediately after takeoff: use your initial energy

In the first hour, when attention is still high, it's the best time for a demanding film or to start a book: concentration gradually declines as hours pass, so it's best to use it right away on content that requires it most.

Midway through: alternate rest and movement

When fatigue begins to set in, alternating brief rest breaks with a few minutes of leg stretching, standing or sitting, helps keep circulation active and prevents the numbness typical of long-haul flights.

In the final part: prepare the transition to landing

Returning to lighter activities like music or podcasts, instead of deep sleep interrupted abruptly by the landing announcement, makes waking up less disorienting and helps you arrive more alert.

Alternate screen and paper

Writing a travel diary or reading on paper for part of the time reduces eye fatigue after hours of continuous screen use, and breaks monotony more than just switching from one film to another. For more details on tools to bring onboard, the article on onboard entertainment goes into detail on headphones, e-readers, and apps.

Decide on the ground how to divide your time between the three phases of the flight — takeoff, midway, landing — instead of choosing activities randomly hour by hour once onboard.