Ways to spend a 6-hour flight with no entertainment system?

What about crosswords or sudoku. Very absorbing.

Crossword puzzles.
A book of brain teasers. Logic puzzles are awesome.
Write a story. Time flies when you’re using your own imagination.
Bring a set of dice and roll up new D&D characters. (yes, I’m a nerd.)
If all else fails – sleeping pill.

if you are travelling with someone buy one of those little travel boardgame things, I can play scrabble for hours – remember yout pocket dictionary though. Also when travelling with others a pack of cards will always use alot of time.
6.5 hours isnt too bad though, I had a 12 hour flight back from South Africa with no view of the communal tv and a seat right next to the toilet so it was light and noisy I had lost 5 cards out of my pack too and had no money to buy any more! that was a bad flight.
If you are the kind the travel trivial persuit games are pretty good too but im a real bad loser at trivial persuit so wouldnt reccommend that if you are going to lose the way I do!
take an eye mask – you may even be able to get some sleep!!!
orrr get a book of riddles! – they are always good and get your mind working on long flights.

Do you have an Ipod?

If you have an iPod, load up a bunch of movies and/or TV shows. Having something I really am interested in watching helps pass the time in a huge way.

@chyna I have an MP3 player, but not anything with video support.

Either IPod (first choice) or stay drunk.

@Irk

I recommend getting several magazines that you like as well as books and your mp3 player. If you’re concerned about weight, get magazines like Newsweek that have thin pages and really small fonts…but only if you like reading that stuff. Pick a few books that are easy reads and maybe one more technical book that you should read for work or something. For my next 6 hour flight, I may bring LSAT practice exams that I got free off Craigslist. I’m not planning on being a lawyer anytime soon, but I really enjoy logic puzzles, and each section is 35 minutes timed or something. That’ll be a fast way to pass the time. And the books are printed on paper similar to newsprint so not too heavy, and you won’t feel bad about leaving them at your destination because it’s really a one-time read thing. Crossword puzzles are fine, but it gets boring.

On one 12 hr flight, I ended up standing in the back of the plane talking to other people that couldn’t take sitting down any longer. A 6 hour flight is not that long. That’s how long it takes us to get from HI to the US mainland. You will survive.

No in-flight entertainment? My god, you may as well walk.

Upon take off, recline seat back, read magazines, listen to music, snack, then read again to get drowsy and hopefully be able to sleep thru the rest of the flight.

Just before landing, seats in upright position, use the bathroom to freshen-up and unload.

Sleep, read and if you are both up for it, talk with the person next to you. You’d be surprised at what you can learn.

Find a good, pulpy “beach novel,” and let yourself get completely absorbed.

If you get bored easily reading books then you are reading the wrong ones! There are thousands of boring books out there but there are many that would make your 6½ hour flight seem like an hour.

Books and more books!

I would not admit that I could not entertain myself for six hours without electronics. Read and talk to the people around you. Or, take a nap.

Buy an extra laptop battery and charge it. Then swap out batteries when the first is depleted. It may not get you the whole way, but it will decrease your electronics-free time. :-)

Or, bring a book. You could either try to find one you like or bring a really boring one that will put you to sleep.

Read a book.

Or, you may even like the person seated next to you and have an enjoyable 6 hour conversation with that person. It would make time fly.

Extra batteries would be my recommendation.

I love this new invention: you can carry an entire other world in one hand, read what information it has at your own pace, read tidbits over and over again if you like, set it asside for as long as you like and pick it up exactly where you left off! Some actually include visuals. They’re relatively cheap, very portable, highly durable, and need no batteries. They call them books. : ))

Reading, writing, napping or meeting someone new would be my choices. I am never, NEVER, bored.

I tend to sleep for hours on end when I travel.