CONQUER YOUR IN-FLIGHT BOREDOM IN 6 STEPS

Every trip starts the same. After all the planning, the saving and the counting down the days beforehand, there is only one thing in your way from seeing the world - your flight. As an experienced flyer, this part of my trip is the mundane part, especially if I'm booked onto a long-haul flight, but I think I have finally mastered how to conquer my inflight boredom.. it's all about breaking down the time into manageable sections...

1st section; (2hrs): During this time you will ascend into the sky as your plane heads amongst the clouds. I usually use this time to explore the in-flight entertainment system. Most aeroplanes will have one of these if you are on any long-haul flight. I try and shortlist about 2 x 1.5 hour long films to watch later on in the flight. I also look at the music they have and make a playlist for later too. After I have done this I will normally read through the duty free magazine and see if there are any items I want to buy from there, so I can get them later on too...

2nd section; (2hrs):Around 2 hrs into your flight you will probably start to smell food cooking and and you will receive your main meal. Most aeroplanes serve upper classes first, so if you're in economy class, it's worth noting that it may be a while before you get your meal if you see business class getting there's further up the plane. Your meal will take around 30-mins from start-finish. Normally during this time I'll watch a tv programme or something of this length to pass the time. I'll also take a walk around the plane to stretch my legs. Also don't forget to drink around 250ml of water every hour on a plane!

3rd section; (3hrs):After all that food you'll probably be stuffed and this only means one thing - nap time! All that crossing of time zones will mess your internal body clock up really badly, so sleep always a good idea if you are on a long-haul flight. On a 12hr flight, try and get at least 3hrs sleep. One of the tips I would recommend definitely is to invest in a good travel pillow! I found out the hard way that being on the end of a row with no arm rest or pillow makes sleeping very difficult. I'd also recommend taking some earplugs and an eye mask too if you're travelling in the daytime.

4th section; (3hrs):After having a relaxing nap, I normally take the time following that to watch the 2 movies that I have shortlisted earlier on in the flight. I will normally take a wander around the plane and grab some snacks or a drink from the kitchen area of the plane if it has one. This time will go relatively quickly I tend to notice...

5th section; (1hr):Around about 2 hours before landing, the cabin crew should start to give out the second meal of the flight. This will tend to be a smaller meal, but it will take the same amount of time to be given to you and taken away. I normally listen to the tunes I have made from the playlist I created earlier on in the flight while I'm eating this meal. Also I'll buy any duty free that I want etc...

6th section; (1hr):Woohoo! You're finally nearly there. The plane will normally start it's decent process about 30 minutes before it's due to land. At this time I normally check all the seat pockets and around my chair to make sure I have everything - a passport check is mandatory here! Most entertainment systems will have arrival information, so I check the status of the flight (if it is late/early/ landing terminal) and also check my visa information. Sometimes you will be given a form to fill out inflight if you are entering a country that requires you to have a visa - this applies when travelling to the USA from the UK for example.

And there you have it! Those 12 hours flew by didn't they! It's always a good idea to plan a flight. If you don't you will just end up bored with another 7 hours to go and trust me, that is not fun. By following my tips I'm sure you'll enjoy your flight instead of thinking of it as the down side to the amazing trip you're about to have...