Originally Posted by dav3d

Also a good trick for simply keeping things out of the way. If you go "full monty" on a long international flight you have to manage quite a bit of stuff: Pajamas, Mattress Pad, Blanket, Saks Duvet, Slippers, Amenity Kit and 2 pillows. If you have a window seat the "trench" is handy for storing some of those bulky items until you want to sleep.