“Rawdogging” Flights Is No Longer The Move. It's All About “Time Blocking” Now.

Booking a flight and planning the perfect trip itinerary is the most fun you can have before actually being on a vacation. But reality hits hard when the flight attendants shut the door and you realize you’ll be in the same plane seat for the next 13 hours.

Whether you’re flying from NYC to Tokyo or LA to Adelaide, it’s tough to find ways to entertain yourself for 30 minutes — much less an entire day’s worth of travel. It’s why TikTok creator @beachykj, who shares travel and packing tips, recommends “time blocking” your long-haul flights. In a March 1 post, she broke down the best ways to spend each hour of the trip so it feels doable, and maybe even a bit enjoyable.

The first 90 minutes are just for vibes, she says. That’s when you get situated, people watch, etc. After that, it’s smart to get absorbed in a new movie — and the blocks go on from there. Each step is carefully curated to keep you relaxed and entertained until you land. In her comments, someone said, “I am sooooo gonna try this on my way to Japan… was already wondering wth i was gonna do for so many hours.”

Creator @bailey_jensky is a fan of time blocking, too. On her flight from London to Seattle, she used her Notes app to schedule what she wanted to do hour by hour. It’s the antithesis of last year’s “rawdogging flights trend, which was all about getting through a flight without a single scrap of entertainment. Here’s why time blocking is so much better.

The Genius Of A Time-Blocked Flight

The goal with time blocking is to eat, sleep, and take care of yourself so that you land feeling as good as possible, and hopefully not too jet lagged. It’s also about staying calm and entertained.

According to @beachykj, the first 90 minutes of any flight is for settling in. This is when you’ll wipe down your seat, get organized, and then relax and people watch. Bonus points if you listen to a podcast with noise-canceling headphones on.

When your meal service comes, that’s when your next 90 minutes begin. It’s the perfect length of time to watch a movie, and @beachykj recommends putting on something you’ve never seen before. “You’re going to romanticize that meal and you’re going to watch a fabulous new movie,” she says in the clip. Drink wine, have a laugh, and just like that, three hours are done and dusted.

The following 60-minute block fills that weird in-between time where you’re not quite tired, you’ve already watched a movie, and you aren’t sure what to do next. This is when you can get things done: Send a few work emails or get started on a new book. You could also watch two episodes of a show, either a new one on your watchlist or a cozy classic like Gilmore Girls or Scandal.

The time of each “block” isn’t an exact science, so you can add or subtract a few minutes here or there — but the point is to tentatively schedule out how the whole flight will go ahead of time to allevaite boredom and give you some sense of structure.

On her flight, @bailey_jensky spent this time going through her camera roll and deleting extra pics — another perfect move for boring moments.

About mid-way through the flight, you might start to feel sleepy. Use the next 4 hours to rest. According to to @beachykj, the isn’t to get a solid nine hours, but to chill enough so you feel refreshed when you land. That way you can go to bed at a normal hour and adjust to the time zone. To relax into your 4-hour chill time, sip some tea, put on headphones, and cover your eyes with a pillow or mask.

If it makes sense for beating jet lag, try to get some shut eye, but if you don’t want to mess with your sleep schedule, just carve out time to relax. According to @beachykj, you shouldn’t look at your phone. Instead, treat it like a spa moment.

Once you wake up, the next 90-minute block is for your “never fail” movie. This is when you’ll watch Crazy Rich Asians or The Devil Wears Prada — something you’ve seen 100 times. Another option? Listen to really good music. That’ll keep you entertained for an hour and a half, just make sure you download it ahead of time so you can enjoy it on Airplode Mode.

For the next 90-minute block, switch back to that first TV show. Go back and follow up with a cliffhanger or reenter the town of Stars Hollow. At this point in the flight, you’ll likely be wondering if you’re ever going to land. A fun show functions as a much-needed pick-me-up.

After watching a few episodes, put your eye mask back on and take what @beachykj calls a last-minute “panic nap” for 45 minutes or so. Do this when you’re near your destination and suddenly worried about feeling tired when you land. This will recharge your batteries.

Once your flight map says there’s only 60 minutes until you land, that’s your cue to organize your life. Do a facial spritz to feel refreshed. Drink electrolytes. Find all your cords and lip balms and stuff them back into your carry-on.

Creator @bailey_jensky says time-blocking really worked for her on her nearly 10-hour flight. “It helped ease some of the light anxiety that I get from these longer flights by breaking it up into little bits that I can focus on.” Depending your flight length, you can adjust the timing as needed, and also tweak the routine based on your needs. You might have another meal, spend more time reading, or go to the bathroom every other hour to wash your face.

The takeaway is this: Instead of raw-dogging a flight, or counting hours one by one, time-block your trip and follow it as much as you can. When you arrive, you should feel rested, relaxed, and ready to enjoy your vacay.