How to Spend 24 Hours in an Airplane

I’m an aviation geek, which means I love all things related to planes (even if I’m terrified of flying). Planes fascinate me. They have like 8,000 parts and weigh multiple tons but still manage to stay up in the sky without falling apart! I mean have you ever seen one of those bolts holding up a wing? It boggles my mind how such a tiny thing can hold so much weight. Thank you, aerodynamics, engineering, and the workers at Airbus and Boeing!

In March, I was invited to the Boeing plant in South Carolina for the delivery of Singapore Airlines’ new 787-10, the first 10-series Dreamliner plane. As part of the invited media crew (including some other AV geeks, like Brian Kelly, Ben Mutzabaugh , Zach Honing, and Kendis Gibson), we spent a few days at the plant (in my next post, I’ll take ya behind the scenes at the Boeing plant and in the flight simulator) and then flew the delivery flight from Charleston to Singapore.

It was truly one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. For those other guys, it’s par for the course. They go on these all the time. But, for me, this was brand new! I mean, getting invited to the factory and then to fly on the first flight? Woah! So cool.

But South Carolina to Singapore is a long flight. The total flight time is 22 hours. The total time on the plane for us? 24.5 hours, as we weren’t allowed to leave the airplane during our refueling stop in Osaka.

That’s right. I spent a little more than an entire day inside an airplane.

And how does one spend a full day on a plane? Here’s how:

Hour 1
We board the plane (Boeing has their own gateway at their plant), where we are greeted by the crew and Singapore Airline executives. I sit down in my business-class seat, get my pre-flight champagne, and marvel at the new in-flight entertainment (IFE) system. It was the best I’ve seen. The screen is huge and super sharp, and the system saves all your information and preferences so you can get back to your movies quickly. It also minimizes the back-and-forth between menus by keeping options open at the bottom of the screen while you scroll and loads them without having to toggle. Compared to the crappy IFEs we have in the states, it was like magic.

Hour 2
After takeoff, I start to watch Justice League. It’s terrible, so I move to the galley to get drunk…I mean sample the wine selection. OK, we got drunk. There’s no other way to put it. Those flight attendants pour heavy glasses.

Hour 3
Continue to drink in the galley.

Hour 4

After getting sufficiently toasted, I bid everyone good night and go back to my seat. While the other AV geeks pick apart the seat for length, angles, cubby access, and everything in between, I am just happy to be able to sleep in such a wonderful seat. The seat is 26 inches wide, which is plenty long enough for a guy like me. The padded interior muffles noise and is set back enough so that you can create a little cocoon hidden from the rest of the cabin.

Hour 5
Keep sleeping.

Hour 6
More sleeping.

Hour 7
Counting sheep.

Hour 8
Dreaming of Batman. Wait? Am I Batman?

Hour 9
Still out like a light.

Hour 10
Eventually, I come to and pound some water to get rid of my hangover. I feel pretty good for someone who got just six hours of sleep. I wander the cabin quietly as most of the other passengers on the plane are still asleep. I have the dinner I missed and begrudgingly finish Justice League (seriously, it’s terrible).

Hour 11
I spend an hour writing blog posts and working on my upcoming memoir about my decade as a nomad. (More on that in the future!)

Hour 12
Now, I’m going stir crazy because I’ve been in this plane for 12 hours and still have another 12 more to go! I drink another glass of wine and keep on writing. It’s pretty unexciting. I’m at the point where the novelty has worn off and start to fidget around.

Hour 13
Work some more while watching Geostorm (another terrible movie). I’m not sure what is with me and terrible movies but I seem to gravitate towards them on planes. I think it’s because it’s good time to just get lost and not think. I just want to see cheesy plots and stuff blow up.

Hour 14
Time for another nap!

Hour 15

I wake up and notice everyone is also getting up so I go chat with people. It was really interesting being on a plane with journalists. Here I am under no deadline (I mean this article is for something happened two months ago), and these guys are furiously filing stories for when we land so they can all be the first to report on the plane. Here are some of the articles they wrote:

Singapore Airlines New 787-10 in Photos (Flight Global)
Boeing Delivers the World’s First 787-10 Dreamliner to Singapore Airlines (The Points Guy)
The New Singapore Airlines Boeing 787-10 (Sam Chui)
That New Airplane Smell (USA Today)

Hour 16
The cabin lights finally come on and we get ready to land. There’s a light snack, I write some more, and then get to reading a book.

Hour 17
After 16 hours, we’re in Osaka. By now, you’re probably wondering how the plane made it so far? I mean this plane is only supposed to be able to go fly around 8,055 miles and Osaka is 7,255 miles away. Simple: without a fully loaded cabin of people and luggage, the plane was extra light and can make it very far on a very full tank of gas!

Hour 18
While on the ground, they refuel the plane, switch out the crew, and bring in some new food (catered by Singapore Airlines this time and not Boeing). I watch all journalists make videos and do interviews then chat with the CEO of Singapore Airlines, who gives me some sushi recommendations in Singapore (I never got to eat at them but he recommended Kuiiya and Chobei). The most I did was take some photos.

Hour 19
Takeoff time again.

Hour 20
After another breakfast (delicious eggs with spinach and seaweed), I move to economy class to see what it’s like back there while trying not to wake up all the Singapore Airlines employees trying to sleep. There’s a lot of legroom and the seat has a steep recline (which is good when you recline but bad when the person in front of you reclines since it cuts off a lot of your space). The seats are also really comfy and with a soft padding. After Qatar’s A350 economy, they might be my favorite economy seats.

Hour 21
I take advantage of having my own row in economy to go for another nap.

Hour 22
Dreamland.

Hour 23

I wake up and go back business class for breakfast. The sun is coming up and we’re getting ready to land. I’ve given up on movies and just started writing. Before we land, I take some photos, chat to some folks, and see who wants to get dinner. (We ended up a terrible place. It’s best not spoken of but let’s just say this person got their recommendation off TripAdvisor and it further cemented my view that TripAdvisor sucks!)

Hour 24

Time to land in Singapore. I’m always awed by the fleet of cargo ships off the coast of Singapore. As far as the eye can see, the denizens of global trade go to and fro as we land and pull into the gate, we are welcomed with water cannons and a celebratory event.

***Spending 24 hours in a plane was an experience I’ll (probably) never have again, but surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be. The Dreamliner is pressured at only 6,000 feet compared to other planes which are pressured at altitudes around 8,000 feet. feet. So, walking off the plane, I felt pretty refreshed and less fatigued. I never really noticed it before but after spending 24 hours in a tube, that science Boeing was talking about does really hold up to snuff.

Spending 24 hours in a plane was an experience I’ll (probably) never have again, but surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be. The Dreamliner is pressured at only 6,000 feet compared to other planes which are pressured at altitudes around 8,000 feet. feet. So, walking off the plane, I felt pretty refreshed and less fatigued. I never really noticed it before but after spending 24 hours in a tube, that science Boeing was talking about does really hold up to snuff.

I didn’t feel as jetlagged or that normal gross feeling I have after a long international flight. (Who else loves to shower right away after a long flight? Anyone? Makes me feel refreshed!)

This new Singapore 787-10 will be a regional craft so, at most, you’ll be in this plane for only about six hours. They are only going to fly it around Asia and Australia to start. I would say this will be one of the nicest six hours you’ll have on a plane, no matter what class you are in.

I have a new favorite plane to fly around Asia, which, thanks to Singapore’s partnerships with Chase, American Express, SPG, and Citi, as well their partnership with United means I can use points to do it for free! I already was a huge fan of Singapore Airlines and this plane just makes me love them even more!

But, the next time I get on this plane, I’ll be happy it won’t be for another 24 hours. That’s a little too long for me.

Note: I was part of the press core for the launch of this plane. Singapore Airlines covered my hotel, flight, and any meals I had during official events. I was not compensated monetarily for this.

How to Spend 24 Hours in Santiago

In this guest post, Kyle Hepp divulges some of her favourite off-the-beaten-path highlights in Santiago, Chile. Santiago is her home base for most of the year.

I’m not an ambitious traveler. Let’s get that out of the way before we even start this post. I’m sure plenty of people would try to see more in Santiago in a day, but after living here for seven years, this is simply my idea of an ideal 24 hours in Chile’s capital.

Please note: There are plenty of typically touristy things you could do that aren’t on this itinerary. I figure if you want the obvious stuff, you could find ten million other blog posts written on the subject. I’m not going to go there — you’ve heard it all already. This is my unique take on the city.

AM: Parque Quinta Normal

There are several massive parks in Santiago. The beautifully green Quinta Normal is my favorite for several reasons. It’s a lush oasis in the middle of the bustling city, for one. But the Quinta is part of the working-class neighborhood aptly named Quinta Normal. So in general, people who frequent this park live lives that are fairly representative of an average Chilean lifestyle. I love it because it’s a great place to people-watch and get a good feel for an average Santiago family.

The Quinta is also home to many of Santiago’s museums. There is a train museum, which is fun if you’re into that sort of thing. There’s the National History Museum, which I think is kind of boring, personally. Then the Science and Technology Museum, the Contemporary Art Museum, and the Children’s Museum are all located there as well — none of which I have been to.

Inside the Quinta is a public swimming pool, a football field and several other smaller fields for pick-up games, picnic tables and grills, a jogging or walking track, what used to be a greenhouse but it now just a cool, abandoned glass building, a pond with rowboats you can rent, statues, playgrounds, fountains, and more. I would advise anyone who visits to walk around and just observe.

LUNCH: Peluquería Francesa
This restaurant is absolutely my favorite in Santiago.

It’s also in one of Chile’s protected historical buildings. It was built in 1925, so I suppose by European standards it’s not that old — but when you consider how many massive earthquakes it’s had to survive, that makes its lifespan a little more impressive.

The décor inside is a very eclectic mix of antiques. Anything hanging on the wall is for sale, and I’ve heard that you can buy the actual furniture as well. There’s also a working barber shop! Old men in little white coats will give guys an old-fashioned shave.

If all that weren’t cool enough, it’s home to a bodega that’s still conserved in the style of the early 1900s. You have to ask if you want to see it though; it’s not always open to the public.

The food is yummy, too, serving traditional French dishes. Not only that, but instead of having a happy hour, La Peluquería Francesa is host to “happy sour,” where any “sour” drinks are half price — so for about $3 USD you can toast with a Chocolate Sour (highly recommended), Pisco Sour (Chile’s national drink, a must-try when in the country), Mango Sour, Rum Sour, and many more.

As an added bonus, its menus feature maps of the Yungay neighborhood, and you’re welcome to take one with you when you go. In fact, La Peluquería Francesa is the start of the Historical Patrimony Route in the area, and the map points out the highlights. But before doing that, I have other plans for your afternoon.

PM: Museo de la Memoria (Memory Museum)

This is one of Santiago’s newest museums. The building is gorgeous and is in a very modern style that’s not typical of Chile. However, everything was deliberate. The structural beams show on the outside, and as a guide will explain, they are representative of how all Chileans were affected by Pinochet’s dictatorship.

Yes, this is a dictatorship museum. But it’s fascinating because this is recent history. There are videos, photos, interactive displays, and more, all in English and in Spanish. You can opt to go with a guided tour with a guide who speaks English or Spanish.

When I went I only allotted a half a day for the museum. I’d like to go back because I feel that there was far more to see, but a half a day takes you through the basics.

There’s so much to see and watch and hear. The museum is fascinating.

SUNSET: Barrio Yungay

Using the map that you took from La Peluquería, head out into Barrio Yungay to explore. By following the map, you’ll find some of the historical churches, schools, plazas, and statues in the area. There is beautiful architecture, and though the neighborhood is a bit rough around the edges, it’s certainly worth a visit if you want to see what typical Santiago used to look like. It’s also a photographer’s dream!

DINNER: Barrio Brasil

While exploring Barrio Yungay, you’ll end up in parts of Barrio Brasil. Right near Plaza Brasil there are tons of bars and restaurants. It’s a great place for a high-energy night on the town, and it’s not as expensive as some of the more touristy places in Santiago.

By the time all is said and done, you’ll have explored some of the most typical Chilean neighborhoods and parks, learned about the fascinating recent history of this country (Pinochet’s dictatorship ended in ’90, and he remained as head of the military until ’98). As an added bonus, you’ll have eaten some delicious food. Not a bad way to spend a day in Santiago, if you ask me.

Kyle Hepp is a traveler, photographer, and CrossFit gym owner living Santiago, Chile. You can find her on twitter @kylehepp or on her blog, Kyle Hepp Photography.

Photo credit: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

The 24 Travel Essentials for Men and Women

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