How to Survive a 20-hour Flight—without a Laptop or Tablet

Reeling with the aftermath of the electronics ban on your next long-haul to the States or the UK? Wondering how will you ever survive that 20-hour flight without your laptop or tablet? Instead of being miserable on that flight, catch up on work and entertainment with these tips from UNIGLOBE experts.

Hacks for work

The analog option: Go for a smart notebook with the conventional pen-and-paper setup that allows you to save notes and memos to the cloud.

The digital option: If you prefer typing, you’ll need something bigger than your mobile phone screen. A compact keyboard which can be easily connected to your phone makes for a more agile, efficient and practical typing option. Apps such as Evernote and Google Keep will make it easy to seamlessly transfer your work to a larger device once you’re back on solid ground.

Hacks for play

Before you start exploring other options, check your carrier’s website to get a sense of its in-flight entertainment offerings. This will give you a fair idea of the free hours you’ll need to fill after exhausting the options available on board.

The analog option: While your Kindle is tucked away in your check-in baggage, it’s an apt time to rekindle your love for the good old paperback version of your favourite fiction. After all, nothing beats the fulfillment of the old but never out of fashion feeling of flipping your way through that intriguing plot.

The digital option: All those articles you bookmarked for future reading but never really got around, now is the time to put them to use. Apps such as Instapaper and Pocket help you migrate over all that good content. You can even throw in some podcasts you had saved for later. In case you like brain games, you might want to supplement your entertainment artillery with a few offline crossword and chess applications.

“After the US and later UK imposing restrictions on electronics in flight cabins in the wake of heightened security concerns, it may not be surprising for more countries to follow suit. No matter how the scenario shapes up, you can be rest assured to never run out of options – whether you need to work during those long hours or simply take control of your own entertainment,” concludes a UNIGLOBE expert.