Remember when you were younger and you went to movie marathon night at the local cinema?
I enjoyed many movie marathons in my time. You could wear your pyjamas and take your own food (way too much food), a pillow and a blanket.
While recently reminiscing about this post-drive-in 90s cinematic phenomenon, I started to see some parallels between a movie marathon and a long haul flight and I started to wonder why long flights can’t be as much fun as those old all-night movie sessions.
I am the first to admit that I find flying difficult, which seems weird considering I want to travel the world with my camera and laptop. I used to get sick on planes constantly when I was a kid. Each time I travel to a new destination, my mum recounts the embarrassing story of the time I threw up on the tarmac before the plane had even taken off. Needless to say, that memory is one of the reasons I don’t like feeling stuck inside of a plane for so long.
So, what are the similarities and differences between long haul flights and movie marathons?
Well, both certainly take a long time to get through. Although, one seems more about the destination and the other seems more about the journey. Ha! Perhaps reframing the flight as part of the experience of the destination instead of seeing it as a mundane means of getting there could help.
You’re in an enclosed space with a whole lot of people, although, granted, you can just walk out of the cinema, especially if the movie was too scary! So, no walking out of the plane, but perhaps semi-regular walks in the aisles could alleviate the gnawing feeling of not being able to leave. Let’s face it: technically, you should be doing some exercises for your physical wellbeing anyway.
What about those seats? Of course, it depends on the cinema and the airline and model of the plane. Or the class of ticket bought for either! Most of both types of standard seat feel fine, even great, at the start of the experience. But, something about sitting in the same seat for so many hours takes the shine off. Both get cup holders, but at least the plane seat can be reclined. Although, mixing up seat back position is probably not going to make the flight more fun. Perhaps this is, again, all about getting up for walks. That’s certainly part of the interval at the movies.
Now, I remember watching movies on the flight on a screen set into the nearest bulkhead, with everyone else in my section. That’s probably the closest you could get to the communal movie marathon experience. Still, it’s not ideal. I have a friend who disliked eye masks and couldn’t ever fully get to sleep because he was always compelled to check the screen every so often, especially when he heard people in his section gasping or chuckling together. These days, personal electronic entertainment systems set into the seat back in front of you make it easier to “switch off”. I don’t even want to imagine a future dystopia where systems like that are used in cinemas.
So, what else could be done to make flying more comfortable, more fun and break the monotony?
Maybe you could change into your pyjamas on the flight. Some people do. And let’s be honest: most travel/active wear is more casual and more comfortable than pyjamas anyway. Don’t turn up to the airport in your pyjamas, though. You’re probably not going to get a free upgrade in flannelette.
You could imagine you’re a teenager again, having a night away from your parents. They’ve dropped you at the airport like they might’ve done outside the cinema. And you’re free from homework and chores, man! If you’re travelling with your parents, then you’ll have to imagine extra hard, especially if your dad is right next to you, snoring.
Do you want some more rebellious fun? Pour a little alcohol into your cola and pretend you snuck it in there. It worked at the movie marathon. And it’ll be more of a rush if your dad is still snoring.
Travel with a large group of friends, book as many seats as you can in the same section and all pack popcorn into your hand luggage. Cue up the same comedy movie at the exact same time. Maybe you could achieve this last part within your section as a solo traveller if you’re very charismatic and persuasive.
If only there was an airline that ran its service like a movie marathon. And all the passengers just wanted to stay up all night, eat too much junk food, laugh at a big screen, throw popcorn and act silly. I know it doesn’t make any sense, but for this passenger, it’s a nice dream.
So, fellow travellers, how do you feel about flying? Love it, hate it? What are your strategies to make it more comfortable or even fun? I’ll write a future post detailing what I do to make it easier.
