On the first of many trips to and from Microsoft (from Hartford to Seattle), I bought myself a Gameboy Color. That was one of the best purchases I've ever made. It usually lasts many hours on a charge, and with a game such as Pokémon (where you can sink many hours into it), you can find yourself at your destination quickly. While there are medical problems to flying (as Rancid_Pickle) mentioned above, there are other considerations that you would like to take in mind, to keep your flight (even short ones) as humane as possible. There are both boredom and physical considerations to cope with.
- Chew gum: Gum can help your head relieve the pressure during takeoff and landing. It is slow and will help you adjust without a huge headache (or massive sinus infection, like I got the first time I flew).
- Dress comfortably: Dressing in shorts or thin sweats can help make your flight that much more enjoyable. You are most likely not going to jump off the plane and into a meeting. Wear clothes that breathe, as you may not have a lot of air where you are.
- Try to get seated where you like: If you have a choice of seating (oftentimes you will as not all the tickets have been confirmed). Get to the counter early, and get the aisle if you want to sprawl, or the window, if you want something to lean against (my choice).
- Get the exit row: Unless you are feeble, exit row seating is great. In time of great need, you are expected to follow quite simple instructions, and you are the first off the plane. Now if the plane goes down, you are in trouble, but hey, you would be anyways. Look at it this way: leg room, and lots of it, for very little commitment. All of your relationships should be like this.
- Get to know the person next to you: To re-iterate what pig said above, ask where the person next to you is going. You may just find a new correspondant (or a person to sneak into the airplane bathroom with *wink*) with just a little idle chatter. It also makes the boredom a little easier to cope with.
- Bring a drink with you: Sure, airport prices are expensive, but worth every dollar. Some of the most beautiful, wonderful, most soul-quenching Mountain Dew I have ever had was has somewhere in the west (probably MSP, or Detroit, MichiganDetroit). Bring an extra drink. Water is best, but anything will do.
Trust me on the gum. You'll thank me later.