Book an aisle or window seat. I prefer Aisle, that way if I got to get up or stretch I don't got to bother anyone. Plus I can holler at a Stewardess if the opportunity strikes.
Walk with no carry on bigger than a knapsack because airline logic for some reason grants folk the ability to put shyt in your bin while being Miles away from where you sit.
The amount of fights I nearly started for hauling bags out of the overhead so mines could fit....I'd tell you.
Try not to sleep the night before, especially if you have one of them obscene morning flights that got you in the airport from 4 am. That way when shyt finally gets ready to roll, you can nod out comfortably like I do, especially if it's a long flight or series of.
Other than that, the only real chore on a flight is entertaining yourself and that shouldn't be a chore, especially with portable batteries being able to fully charge your phone in a matter of minutes.
Everything else is beyond your control, from turbulence, to unwashed Cac Traveller problems to crying kids but that's part of the package unfortunately.