Don’t depend on the airline to keep you entertained. Bring along a variety of things, a book, a half-dozen magazines, crossword puzzles, video games (you can buy Tetris for $10.00).
Either buy a map of the route or use the map in the rear of the in-flight magazine. Draw a line from your point of departure to your destination. When you learn the time en route (actually in the air) split the line into that number of parts, so each part will represent the amount of the map it takes one hour to cross. When you take off, use your own watch and note the time. Write the time down on the map at the departure point. Then do the math. Add an hour and write that time on the map at the first mark (that represents the time you will cross that point. Add another hour and write that time on the map at the next mark. Continue until you have thus put the times you expect to cross each mark on all of them, and the time you write on the map will be your arrival time at the destination. This means you can look at your own watch at any point and figure out where on the map you are.
Though many planes have a video to show where you are, going through this exercise helps split up the flight in your mind. You may want to do marks that break up each hour into fifteen minute segments.
