Being stranded on an airplane for several hours doesn’t have to put a damper on your productivity. Instead of letting work pile up while you’re in the air, use the time and the following tips to get some work done during your travels.
Prep Before Your Flight
Image via Flickr by Stacy Spensley
Do a bit of prep before you board the plane to make sure you’re organized and ready to work. The first task to accomplish is making a to-do list. Honestly consider the length of your flight and the tasks you need to complete. While you may wish to finish an entire marketing presentation during your 45-minute journey to the next town, this plan is not a feasible goal.
Instead, focus on a few items you know you’ll be able to accomplish. Make a to-dolist so that you stay focused and don’t allow your attention to stray. While you may be able to connect to Wi-Fi on your flight, load all documents or data you’ll need beforehand in case your plane doesn’t have this service.
Invest in Helpful Tech
Many planes don’t have outlets for you to charge your devices, although this feature is becoming more popular. In case your plane isn’t equipped with outlets, be sure to bring a portable power bank to charge your phone, tablet, or laptop.
Planes can also be boisterous, especially if small children are on board. Block out sounds with a quality pair of sound-canceling headphones. The hum of the jet engines, the loud chatter of the couple next to you, and the annoying coughing from the man behind you will all cease to exist once you slip headphones over your ears.
If you’ll have a long layover at an airport, you may also want to invest in a mobile hotspot. Many airports do have free Wi-Fi these days, but these services are often hard to connect to and have lackluster speeds. Prevent those problems by having a dedicated network for your devices only.
Connect With In-Flight Wi-Fi
One new trend taking to the skies is in-flight Wi-Fi. This service allows you to connect to the web while your plane is cruising along at 30,000 feet.
While many wireless service providers can charge you a fee to access the internet, you can stay connected while airborne with Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi through T-Mobile. These two service providers have paired up to provide you with an hour of free Wi-Fi during your next flight. As long as you’re a customer on the fast 4G LTE T-Mobile network, you’ll have access to this feature. All you have to do is connect to the network once on board, and you’ll have instant access to email, Wi-Fi calling, text messaging, visual voicemail, and more.
Gogo Inflight is now available on Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Delta, United, and Virgin America. Other airlines offer various Wi-Fi services through different providers, but they all work in basically the same way.
Stay Hydrated and Nourished
Image via Flickr by Rubbermaid Products
Traveling is known to having a tiring effect on the body. Even if you’re only catching a quick flight across the state, the journey can still take a toll on your well-being. To stay energized and awake so that you can do quality work before, during, and after your flight, drink plenty of water and bring some snacks.
Staying hydrated will hopefully keep you from getting sick, and having snacks to munch on will give you a burst of energy and productivity.
Focus on Thinking Work
Being on a plane is a good time to think. You’ll be completely isolated from distractions such as annoying coworkers, nagging spouses, or barking pets. Take a deep breath and start to brainstorm ideas for your next project. With your mind free, who knows what great ideas you’ll come up with?
Whether you’re flying across the world or across the country, use the above methods to stay engaged in your work from the comfort of your airline seat. Getting tasks done while you’re in the air decreases your stress, which means you can relax once you get back on the ground.