Although not quite related to travel, I once worked as a web master/web applications developer for a site that was being used to in conjunction with an collegiate academic study to study the usefulness of using a web-based approach to help smokers quit smoking. More specifically, to help female smokers quit smoking.

What I learned from this study (even though I was in an IT role) really opened up my eyes. Yes, quitting smoking is hard to do, but it requires both willpower as well as (at least a slight) adjustment to the smoker's lifestyle.

The results of the study were used in a Psychology dissertation by one of my group mates. PM me if you are interested in reading it.

It's odd but, even on very long flights, e.g. LAX to HKG, I don't feel much urge to smoke. However, as soon as I get to the airport, I can't wait to get out on the street (or, in China, to a smoking lounge) and light up. Similarly, when I fly through Denver I make a beeline for the smoking bar, but if I'm flying though Chicago, I'm fine waiting sans smoke in the Red Carpet Club.

I remember well the days when aircraft had smoking sections. I hated to sit there -- it was always smelly and smoky and, of course, in the very back of the plane. I'd sit in the non-smoking section and, if the urge hit me, walk back for a quick smoke.

I appreciate airports with smoking areas but I can manage quite effectively with a cigarette on long-haul flights.

Cigarettes never tasted right on an aircraft, so the ban never really bothered me that much. I think it had to do with the low humidity and the Eau de Boeing.

I quit cold turkey 3 years ago. One of my triggers for wanting to light up was standing outside the terminal waiting for a ride, but that�s pretty much gone now.

I was a very heavy smoker (60 to 75 a day!) and I was not very nice to be around on a flight. I would literally get as many smokes into me before the flight and board at the last possible minute and "hope" I had enough nicotine in my system to last the flight. Once we landed it, was "get out of my way so I can have a smoke".

On most 3 to 5 hour flights, it was bearable, however when I was faced with a trip that included flying from Chicago to Honolulu that was another matter!

My wife suggested I try to wear a nicoderm patch for the flight. Faced with no other option I did try it and I have to say that experience changed my life.

When I arrived in Hawaii I was calm and actually took my time gathering up the luggage and doing a little looking around the concourse. After milling about for some time I made my way outside the terminal and eventually removed the patch and had a smoke. Definately not my usual arrival procedure:-)

I'd like to say that I quit smoking right then, but actually it was 3 years later when I was truly ready to quit, and I did it with the patch program. Had I not tried the patch on that flight, I might never had the confidence that I could actually quit. It's been 7 years now since I quit and now that I am a grandparent, I know it was a good move!

Strange. Last weekend, at the Renaissance at SZG, I was given a smoking room even though I had reserved non smoking. Hence had to change the room.

Sweet Jesus! 60-75 a day! How are you still alive? That is insane.

Welcome to FT and congrats on quitting!

Now you can use what would�ve been cigarette money to spoil the grandkids.

I currently smoke about 1/4 pack to a pack a day. It's still technically legal to smoke, yet due to societal restrictions, it's now almost impossible to smoke anywhere. And it's for this reason alone that the rebellious teenager buried deep inside of me continues to smoke even though I'm sure I could quit quite easily if I wanted.

I'm not a very consistent smoker in that sometimes I go days without smoking and other times, I can kill a pack in one night. I've never had the insatiable nicotine cravings for cigarettes. Because of this, I've never had any issues flying, even on +12 hour international flights. No patches, no gum, no anything.

I hate the smell of cigarette smoke and if I go anywhere that still has smoking/non-smoking sections of restaurants, I always sit in non-smoking. Sometimes, I'll even go without a cigarette on a layover because I can't stomach the thought of going into a smoking lounge (unless it's DEN's or FRA's because those ones aren't too bad). Even though I don't use smoking lounges every time, I still think it's very fascist of TPTB to be getting rid of them and at such an alarming rate.

Hope this helps.

Hey! Me too.

The longest flight I ever took was FRA-SFO, and I don't recall any serious problems.

When I was commuting by air, I'd typically go from 6:00 AM until about 12:30 without a cigarette, and I'd never get nervous. My wife, on the other hand, is much worse than me. Fortunately for us, I can still book smoking rooms in Europe, so she'll be all right. If they ever complete non-smoking throughout Europe I'm afraid we'll just have to stay home.

I started smoking at about age 6 or so and never looked back. I quit a few years ago, but on a vacation where I was within 3 feet of my wife 24 hours a day (coupled with some hairy driving in the Alps), I sort of started again.

PS - I'm writing this from a non-smoking Fairfield Inn. Sure it's a bit of a pain, but they're running their Megabonus, so ...

Wow, I thought I was kinda alone but it seems that I'm very similar to a lot of other smokers out there.

It doesn't really bother me at all on a plane, once I board (or clear security/customs) the brain seems to register the fact that I absolutely cannot smoke so it's just a non issue. After dinner, wine, cheese and a coffee I might think "a smoke would be nice right now" but that's about it, it's a just a thought and not anything even approaching a craving.

However once I land, collect luggage, clear customs etc then I'm keen for a smoke. Thats when the groups of people who are wandering aimlessly, groups gathered in front of the doors to outside etc do annoy me. I think it's because that is when the "cannot smoke now" thing has turned off and now I've gone 12 hours without a cigarette and someone is stopping me from having one. Not about to start knocking people over or anything but there might be some mumbling under the breath.

I also appreciate smoking lounges that aren't dives, used to really enjoy the smoking lounge in the Pier in HKG. I'm getting used to non smoking hotels and they don't really bother me. What is frustrating is staying in a non smoking room in Tokyo where it's non smoking outside (sorta kinda) as well. The hotels will have some ashtrays set up in the lobby but I'd much rather go outside somewhere out of peoples way and have my cigarette, I don't want to blow smoke around an enclosed area like a hotel lobby.

The bulk of my flights are 1-2 hours this year but also have reasonably regular 10-12 hour flights. Longest flight (or better put longest period of time without getting off the aircraft) was 24 hours and that wasn't a problem.

commit lozenges worked better for me than nothing, patch or gum.

I smoke and fly SYD AKL LAX twice a year. Not being able to smoke on a plane doesn't bother me in the least. Airside at AKL there is an outdoor smoking area - not great when i was there last time in the pouring rain and wind but, oh well......

NRT is great for smoking. ANA have a superb lounge with a separate room for smokers and not one of those silly bubble things which i refuse to use ( i would rather not smoke then sit in one of those) .

I haven't smoked for over 10 years, but in the latter years of my habit, I didn't smoke on planes, even where permitted. Not that difficult, just a little willpower, though I certainly had a few immediately before and after the flights.

Oh, and if you're serious about journalism (and good luck to you), you might want to lose the apostrophe in "smoker's".

Hi mcolsen and welcome to FT.

There was an interesting thread on the DL board a couple of years ago about this topic; it should provide you with many answers:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54575

Here was an innovative approach quoted in the OP of the above-linked thread:

There's also some creative use of condoms in the air...

I quit smoking a couple of years ago. As a long-haul flyer, quitting has made my life more pleasant. I used to think about connection times in terms of grabbing a smoke. In general, my MO used to be to smoke as much as possible before a flight and then ASAP after the flight. On trans-pacs I would use Nicorette or the CVS brand, which I actually preferred.

Now I am nicotine-free.