Last Updated on January 20, 2025 by Alexandra Markin
As an online Bachelor of Commerce student who took 37 flights in 2024, I have some valuable advice to share for anyone wondering how to study effectively while on a plane.
Travel is one of my passions in life, so among the many advantages of online learning, the freedom to study anywhere at any time is the primary reason I decided to do my degree 100% remotely.
So whether you’re a student studying for an exam or a professional working on continuing education, these tips will help you to study effectively on a plane and arrive at your final destination feeling accomplished!
- Pre-Flight Preparation
- Know Your Flight
- Choose the Right Seat
- Adapt Learning Activities for the Air
- Make a Study Plan
- Pack Study Essentials Only
- Know Your Carry-on Luggage Restrictions
- Make Digital Resources Accessible Offline
- Charge All Devices
- Hit the Bathroom Before Boarding
- In-Flight Study Strategies
- Have Necessities Handy
- Pick Activities for Ascent and Descent
- Plan for Mealtimes
- In-Flight Wi-Fi
- Don’t Make Friends
- Drink Both Water and Electrolytes
- Tips to Study on a Plane – Conclusion
Pre-Flight Preparation
Before you check in, stow your carry on and buckle up, a successful in-flight study session begins with essential pre-flight preparation.
Know Your Flight
Every flight you take will be different. This depends on the airline, type of plane and time you fly, but sometimes you don’t have much of a choice in these factors.
Questions to consider:
- If you’re taking an overnight flight, will you actually study or is it better to sleep?
- How long is your flight?
- Do you have any connections?
- Does your flight offer Wi-Fi?
If you’re able to choose your flight, consider the time of day you study best. Are you more productive in the morning or do you study better later in the day?
RECOMMENDED READ: Best Late Night Study Tips for College Students
Choose the Right Seat
If your budget allows, consider upgrading your seat at the time of booking to avoid a random seat assignment.
My two seat selection rules to maximize in-flight study sessions:
- Upgrade to extra legroom
- Pick an isle
These provide more space to organize your study supplies and access your bag easily. In my opinion, upgrading is 100% worth the cost.
PROS AND CONS OF EACH SEAT TYPE
Window seat
- Pros: Instagrammable photo opportunities and a wall to lean against for extra comfort.
- Cons: If others are sitting next to you, you’ll have to ask them to move every time you get up.
Middle seat
- The only time a middle seat is even remotely workable is when you’re travelling with others who won’t mind you bumping them with your study notes for the 10th time. Otherwise, avoid it.
Isle seat
- Pros: You have the airspace over the empty isle beside you to organize your stuff and easily access your bags in the overhead bin and underneath your seat. If you need to get up to use the washroom or stretch your legs on longer flights, you don’t need to ask anyone to move.
- Cons: Unless you really want the opportunity to see out the window, there are no cons.
Adapt Learning Activities for the Air
There are some things that you just can’t do efficiently while flying: taking handwritten notes from a physical textbook, solving complex math problems and writing essays you have a lot of printed research for.
Even on the most smooth flights, the plane shakes too much for any chance of writing neatly and there just isn’t enough tray table space for your multiple pens, pencils, erasers, calculator and dozens of papers to keep organized.
Instead, design your study session to include the following plane-approved learning activities:
- Reviewing flashcards or notes
- Reading and annotating digital textbook chapters on an iPad or tablet
- Watching pre-recorded lectures or educational YouTube videos
- Any activities than can be done using an iPad, tablet or laptop only
If you do need to study math or any subject which requires a lot of “stuff”, try to pair it down as best you can. Use a folder to bring essential notes only to avoid bringing your entire binder on the plane.
Make a Study Plan
With the above cautions in mind, make a realistic study plan for your time on the plane.
Pack Study Essentials Only
The lighter and more efficiently you can pack, the better.
This is my paired-down, in-flight study essentials list:
- Laptop
- iPad
- Flashcards and notes to review
- Noise-cancelling headphones
Always pack your electronics in your personal item and any items you’ll need in-flight to avoid bringing down and opening your carry-on during the flight.
Know Your Carry-on Luggage Restrictions
Most airlines allow you to bring one personal item (like a purse or a backpack) and one carry-on item, such as a roller or duffle bag. Both these items need to meet the size and weight restrictions as listed on the airline’s website. Take these seriously.
This 20" airplane compliant hard side carry on suitcase has a dedicated laptop and essentials compartment, perfect to allow study on the go.
A WARNING ABOUT TRAVELING WITH CARRY-ON LUGGAGE
You need to be wary about lost or delayed checked luggage in which you have packed any study materials. The last thing you want is to arrive at your destination with your bag nowhere in sight. While you’ll have all your electronics in your personal item, put all other study materials you’ll need at your final destination in your carry-on, such as pens, stationary, papers, study binder, etc.
HOWEVER, just because you’re travelling with carry-on only doesn’t exclude you from the risk of losing your luggage.
With the high cost of flying these days, many people forgo checking a bag in favour of bringing carry-on only. Therefore, there is often not enough room on the plane to accomodate everyone’s carry-on item in the overhead bins, so if the plane is small or you’re travelling on a full flight, there is a high probability if you’re seated in boarding group 3 or higher that you’ll be forced to check your bag due to space restrictions.
You’re also at risk of having your bag checked if your carry on items do not meet the size and weight restrictions. I’ve had my roller bag put in the sizer at the gate and was told I had to check it because it didn’t fit.
When I arrived at my destination, I discovered my carry-on had been transferred to a different flight – with all my study materials in it. I had to wait until late the next day to get it back and lost a whole day of study time.
3 TIPS TO COMPLETELY AVOID THE RISK OF LOSING YOUR STUDY MATERIALS:
- Pack ALL your study materials in your personal item (like a backpack). However, depending on what you’re studying or how long you’re going for, everything you need may not fit.
- Confirm your roller bag or duffel adheres to the airline’s size and weigh restrictions.
Be warned – I’ve made all these mistakes so you don’t have to!
Make Digital Resources Accessible Offline
Make sure to download or make any digital learning materials you need available offline so you can access them in the air without an internet connection. This includes apps like VitalSource Bookshelf so you can read your digital textbooks offline.
TIP: Before you leave the house, test out all the materials you need by putting your iPad and laptop in airplane mode and checking your access.
Charge All Devices
Make sure all devices are at 100% before boarding. Not all planes have power outlets, and not all seat classes have power outlets.
But I get that life happens. You were running late, you forgot to charge your headphones, you had to take a long call on the way to the airport that drained your battery, etc.
I always carry a power bank when I’m traveling so I’m guaranteed a power source should I need it, and I have on many, many occasions.
A power bank is a portable battery that allows you to charge your smartphone, laptop, iPad, earbuds, etc. so you can study on any type of plane without power interruptions.
Hit the Bathroom Before Boarding
Never leave this to chance! I’ve been on flights where I’ve had to run to my gate, thinking as soon as they turned off the seatbelt sign I could use the bathroom. But as soon as we were airborne, there was turbulence. I was stuck in my seat for another very uncomfortable half hour.
In-Flight Study Strategies
Have Necessities Handy
Take out everything you need for the duration of the flight as soon as you get to your seat. Try to avoid wrestling down your carry-on mid-flight.
Pick Activities for Ascent and Descent
During takeoff and landing, all larger electronics like laptops must be stowed. You’re still allowed to use iPads or smartphones, so during these times plan study activities like reading and save more focused work for when you’ve hit cruising altitude.
Plan for Mealtimes
For shorter flights where there is no meal service included, make sure to board on a full stomach so you don’t waste time ordering an un-appetizing $12 chicken sandwich.
If you need brain food, pack some healthy(ish) snack or protein bars to tide yourself over until you get to your destination.
Chocolate Chip Cliff Bars always have a permanent home in my study bag.
Boost your brainpower with a hit of sweet: organic oats and chocolate. Perfect to toss in your bag for study sessions on the go.
In-Flight Wi-Fi
For longer flights, you can purchase access to Wi-Fi to study materials you otherwise wouldn’t be able to access. However, Wi-Fi can be pretty unreliable at 30,000, feet so always have a backup study plan.
Also, not all plane are equipped to offer Wi-Fi, so know your options beforehand.
Don’t Make Friends
If you’re serious about studying, don’t chat up your neighbours. The universal “please leave me alone” signal on an airplane is wearing headphones. I prefer over-ear headphones most of the time anyways, but I think they send the loudest message that you aren’t available for small talk.
TIP: You don’t even need to have anything playing.
With up to 70 hours of battery life, they're comfortable for long audio study sessions. Turn noise cancelling on or off to help you power through when you need it, and fold flat for easy portability.
Drink Both Water and Electrolytes
Keeping hydrated while flying is important, so board with a full water bottle and don’t be afraid to ask for more if you run out.
I also travel with individual electrolyte packs that can be easily mixed into the plastic cups they give you during beverage service.
Boost your brainpower by hydrating faster than water! Perfectly small packets to toss in your bag for study sessions on the go.
Tips to Study on a Plane – Conclusion
I hope these tips help you accomplish a big chunk of your study to-do list. Instead of binge-watching hours of movies and drinking like you’re 21 again, learning to study on a plane can open up a whole new world of possibilities for your travels.
So the next time you’re up at 30,000 feet, don’t just sit back. Seize the opportunity to get ahead!
Have any go-to study tips for long flights? Share them in the comments below, and let’s help each other make the most of our travel time.
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