Thought it would be interesting to discuss what you like to read on flights?

I often bring 3 newspapers, several magazines (Industry Standard, Forbes, Economist) and several books. Books usually include 1 or 2 mysteries and 1 or 2 business books or books about science or medicine (the seat pockets in front of me better have a lot of capacity)

Newspaper with good crossword...a good paperback.

Smithsonian Magazine and my laptop.

The Economist, The New York Times Book Review, and as many books as I can cram into my carryon. People laugh at the number of books I take with me on short flights, but yesterday (Sunday) flying BOS-EWR in a snowstorm, I was the only one who didn't run out of reading material!

The Economist is definitely a great first line of defense against boredom or less than thrilling conversations with seatmates.

I tend to favor murder mysteries, which usually manage to keep me busy for a few hours, enough to occupy the time I am not sleeping, watching movies, or eating. Although I do pay attention to the author, I must admit the deciding criteria is often thickness though... I often have lots of other things in my carry-on.

[This message has been edited by SMessier (edited 04-10-2000).]

All the magazines and selected catalogues(i.e., those I want to bother looking at) that arrived since my last flight, plus whatever book (usually current fiction) I'm currently reading or want to read next. I took two books on my return flight yesterday; worse than being stuck on a runway is being stuck on a runway with nothing to read.

When I'm not chatting with the seatmate, enjoying a delicious $2 airline meal, watching an inflight movie, listening to ATC on channel 9, or fiddling with my laptop trying to save the world, I read one of three things:

- inflight magazine (at the start of a month)
- Skymall (at the start of a new season)
- newspaper (front page, sports, stocks, in that order)

20 minutes of that should be enough to put me to sleep when combined with wine on flights longer than 2 hours.

I read Flying Blind, Flying Safe a book by a former Inspector General for DOT talking about how terrible the FAA is. Just started reading it; it's very interesting.

I have faith in the system, but I must say it's somewhat shaken by this book. Not enough to stop flying, however.. My wife on the other hand; she's already somewhat queasy about landings ever since an Airbus we were on landed somewhat sideways (?!?) in LGA and I don't let her read this book

I fly 90% long haul and take with me:

1 novel (fiction)
1-2 magazines (Wired, Wallpaper, Fast Company, Business 2.0)
1 novel from Audible.com on my Rio500

Dorian........

dg1....

"somewhat sideways"??????????


djb

Why, "Inside Flyer" of course. It's one of the few times I have the time to catch up on my magazines.

And my "consumer Reports" and "Cat Fancy" (which gets attention from the F-A's>

I don't really read long books unless it's something that really catches me. I tend to loose paperbacks.

I also keep my diary and am constantly writing (when I'm not sleeping.)

40% background/basic informations about the place, people, culture, religion, history, politics, likings/dislikings of the place/country/people I am going to visit/experience.

40% papers/reports I did put aside in the days/weeks before the trip (and which I will not have to bring back again afterwards).

20% analyzing another chess-game played lately between Grand Masters.

A magazine, often a travel magazine; paperback mystery, nothing heavy.

Yeah, when the Airbus hit the ground in LGA it shifted violently to the left -- ie it feeled like she (pilot) landed off center and the plane seemed to bounce on the wheel it hit. She regained control quickly enough but it was the bumpiest landing I've ever had on a big jet.

The director of this institute I work for periodically gives me travel reading; if not stuff to recast or edit, often an interesting book: he gave me a copy of his book Aftermath, which racked up Premier miles before I got around to reading it; his latest gift is Isaac Stern: My First 79 Years, which is boring enough that it may take me 79 years to read it. In general, I read FT, WSJ, and whatever local rag has been left behind by a local. The Hemispheres crossword used to be good for a bit, but since I got good at crosswords and since taxi times to takeoff have increased, it's become less useful. Three Perfect Days usually takes three perfect minutes to read ... I'd like to know how I can get Attache without the hassle of having to fly US Scare Aways.

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Cheers
Michael *G