In partnership with WOW Air. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
I spent a lot of time flying WOW Air (unfortunately the airline no longer exists), so I had gotten pretty adept at passing the time in ways that don’t involve the Internet.
While being on a long flight without wifi can feel impossible, trust me, it can be done!
I’m as guilty as anyone in my addiction to my smartphone but just think way back to the days of no WiFi.
What did you do then? Whether you’re traveling alone or looking to entertain kids on a long flight, here are 7 things to do on a plane without WiFi.
1. Read or listen to a book.
My list of books to read is ever-growing because it’s a luxury I just can’t afford these days. I’m insanely over-committed and busy, and I’m sure it’s the same for you.
Before your flight, buy or borrow paperback books for your trip. Or download e-books
to your phone. Downloading audiobooks ahead of time (you should try Audible
) is another great option!
2. Download Your Favorite Shows and Movies via your preferred streaming platforms app.
I have the Apple Tv, Amazon Prime and HBOMax apps downloaded to my phone.
Before I catch a long flight, I download the latest episodes of my favorite shows and movies to my phone.
I do it while I’m still home that way I can download them quickly while I still have wifi access. It’s been a complete game-changer when it comes to long flights!
3. Listen to hours of music using Spotify Premium.
If you create and download your playlists before you board, you’ll have unlimited music at your fingertips without the need for WiFi.
You can download Spotify Premium here.
4. Journal.
A long flight is the perfect time to finally spend some time getting your thoughts out of your head and onto the page! It can be cathartic to write your thoughts down outside of just your apartment.
Are you unsure of what to jot down?
Write out all the things you hope to see, do and eat on the trip your currently going on! Write down what has you excited about your trip and what parts have you a little stressed out.
It will be therapeutic- I promise!
5. Work.
You might think you need to access your email, but really, that’s just an excuse.
You can save any information you need before you hop on the plane.
Often the Internet distracts me while I’m working, so if you’re like me, open up a Word document (or whatever program you use) and get some work done so you’ll have less on your plate when you land.
6. Enjoy doing nothing for a few hours.
How often do you have that option?
Whether you want to flip through a magazine, write an old-fashioned letter to someone you ought to catch up with (or even better, send postcards from your trip) now’s the time to do it.
You literally have nothing better to do! On my flight from NYC to Iceland to Copenhagen with WOW Air, I decided to do nothing when I couldn’t sleep on the flight.
15 minutes into my doing nothing, I looked out the window and couldn’t believe what I saw- it was the Northern Lights!
I’d been wanting to see the Northern Lights since I was a little girl, but never expected to be able to actually see them in mid-air. I was able to watch them for a solid 45 minutes and it was hands down one of the most amazing things I’ve experienced so far!
7. Catch up on much-needed sleep.
Some people need sound machines to sleep.
Others zonk right out with the subtle rocking motion of any transportation vehicle. If you’re one of these people, catching a few z’s won’t be difficult.
If you have a hard time sleeping on planes, bring a neck pillow, don a sleep mask, pop in your earbuds and relax.
Put on a meditation soundtrack
and you might just be snoring a few minutes later!
If you’re dreading being on a long flight without wifi, I hope this list made you realize it’s possible to enjoy yourself on a plane, even without internet access!
