ok , I'm behind the times , enlighten me

Many overseas flights these days have USB plug-ins at the seats for devices. Or just to be on the safe side, you can bring one of the small, lightweight portable batteries for smart devices.

Yes, many long distance flights now have power outlets at each seat (yes, even in coach!). To be sure, find out the type of plane you're on (for example, Boeing 777-300ER, etc.) and then go to seatguru.com and check to see what amenities are on that flight, including whether or not the seats have power outlets.

Thank you , since I actually need an outlet to plug the table in will try the site.

the answer is, it's complicated. As noted you have to see if Seatguru has the electrical info you need for your particular flight and plane. And remember, even if the plane has power at every seat in first and business, it doesn't necessarily have it in coach. And then, it may be either a USB port or a more traditional electrical outlet that will likely have US style plugs, but maybe not. Oh and there might or might not be wifi on your plane and it might or might not be powerful enough for streaming. And you might need to sign up with the provider to gain access.

And, the airline may be in the process of retrofitting its planes with power. So you might get a plane with power, and you might not. You should be prepared either way. Might not hurt to get a backup battery.

I took my Kindle to Switzerland and France and the AC adapter worked just fine once I put the correct local plug adapter on it. Bring a handful of adapters and perhaps a small outlet strip, you can never have enough outlets these days when travelling. And while you're in the airport!

As you have been told, USB charging plugs at the seat are quite common (of course not universal) and full power outlets are getting more common. However, even if there is one, it may not work. If you really think you'll need power in flight, you should get an external pack. But many devices, if charged before the flight, will last long enough, unless you're using it the whole time.

To answer the adapter question: if you have two pronged plugs, the adapters you use in other continental European countries will work fine. If you have three pronged plugs, you need the special Italy adapter. Your phone, Kindle, and camera battery chargers are very likely to be two pronged; laptops, however, are often three pronged.

Gail,

In your posting, you mention using your Kindle Fire on Wifi while on the plane. I don't think you will find many flights that offer Wifi. If you are on one that does, it is pretty expensive.

I used the same adapter in Italy that I use in France. 2 prong. This is my favorite style.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0098B5GN8/ref=s9_simh_gw_g23_i2_r?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=1K15JJZC44QNW7Z7DS6Z&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop
My father in law gave me his Mophie battery pack, I was able to charge my iPhone4s with it, 3-4 full charges, I'm not sure how many charges I could get on my iPad, 2 full charges I would guess. It is a very handy thing to have while traveling.
http://www.amazon.com/mophie-powerstation-4-000mAh-White/dp/B009R01BTI/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1452731557&sr=1-5&keywords=mophie+juice+pack
I'm not sure you'll get wifi on the plane but maybe download some games to play.

It has been hit or miss with outlets on the planes. I think I've used 1 once, I do not remember what type of plane or which airline it was, though.
A quick look at American's website- the A321 has power outlets and usb at every seat and has wifi capability(not sure at what cost) The 777 had power outlets and usb at every seat but only says wifi in business class.

And, the airline may be in the process of retrofitting its planes with power. So you might get a plane with power, and you might not. You should be prepared either way. Might not hurt to get a backup battery.

On my most recent trip to Europe (United Airlines), all of the pre-flight info indicated that our B-777 would have power outlets. As it happened, an older aircraft, without power outlets, was substituted at the last minute. It happens.

Gail,

A few thoughts on specific points you mentioned.....

• "while your using WIfi" - unless the airline you're travelling on offers Wi-Fi on the flight, you'll likely have to disable all transceiver functions on your Kindle Fire during the flight (ie: similar to "Airplane Mode"). I'm not sure how that's done on a Kindle, but one of the others should be able to provide that information.

• "I don't want to wear down the battery so can you plug it in somewhere" - Unless you're using Business Class or Premium Economy, you may not have a power point available. You'll have to check Seat Guru or one of the other websites to see what amenities are offered on the type of aircraft you'll be using. You are more likely to find a USB connection rather than a 115 VAC power point. Therefore you may want to pack along a Kindle Power Cord, which should allow you to connect to the USB connection at your seat.

• " I see the adapter - 3 in a row prongs for Italy and I need it to charge my Canon Camera battery charger , phone / Kindle Fire" - you will need to check the Charger on EACH device you'll be packing along to ensure that it's designed for operation from 100-240 VAC. This is almost certainly the case with your Canon Battery Charger, Kindle, etc. Therefore you will only need the standard two pin Euro Plug Adaptor for use in Italy and most other countries on the continent. Of course, if you want to pack along the three pin (grounded) model with the three inline pins, that will work also (but only in Italy).

Plan to use it off-line - not using wi-fi will allow the battery to last much longer. That is if the plane even has wi-fi. Download your books, movies, whatever ahead of time so they work in airplane mode.

You can charge a kindle fire through a USB port. The cord that comes with it is USB - at least mine does and I don't think it has changed - it has one end that goes into the kindle and one that goes into a USB port (I plug the USB end into a plug that goes into the wall). The USB end can be plugged into the USB port on the seatback TV on a plane, into a computer, into a TV in your hotel, etc - all will charge it. I personally carry a small external charger - charge this up at night, carry it with you and you can charge a phone or kindle or ipad without any external power. Not everyone wants to carry another device, but I find it extremely handy.

I purchased several Rick Steve's adapters (both UK & continental Europe) back when they were on sale for only $1 each. I liked them. They work really well.

The simple adapter plugs are still only $1 in the RS store. These have worked fine for me everywhere in Europe including Italy for charging my phone, camera, and other chargeable electronics. No third prong needed. If I was going to run a laptop or other device that draws a larger amount of power, I might look into a more heavy duty adapter that can handle a higher electrical current.

I don't know how the Kindle Fire works...but I have a Samsung tablet A and downloaded all my media to the device and had no need to access the internet to read my books. My battery also lasted super long. I would charge the night before travel, read all day of travel and used only like 25% of the battery, even coming home which was like 15 hours, no problem. I also have NO internet service on my Tablet, I can access the Wifi on it, but its not like a phone that has a plan and no matter where I am I have internet, I think this is what keeps the battery charged for so long, the tablet is not scanning the internet for any updates. Another tip, I turn the data on my phone off when I want to save the batter life.

I purchased these adaptors from amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0084OPT8C?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages01

Portable batteries that can charge many devices, are small, easily chargeable, and good insurance. We carry one that is about the size of a cell phone and will fully charge a cell phone or two plus a tablet or two easily. When we are on a train or plane without chargers it is irreplaceable. We also carry a smart (meaning it allocates power intelligently) five usb port charger that plugs into a single outlet. This allows us to easily charge a variety to electronics without fuss.

Downloading movies, TV shows, books is definitely the way to go. Especially because if you expect to do video streaming in Europe, you'll discover that some properties are blocked in some countries because of licensing restrictions. This will apply to Amazon Prime and Netflix. Your internet connection will give away what country you're in and inform these companies. This can happen with music too.

Also be aware that if you try to access Google, Yahoo, CNN etc. you will likely be directed to the Italian version of each.

There is a way around streaming problems or being directed to non-english websites.

Get a VPN. You can connect to the internet as if you are in a different country. So, while it Italy, you can make it look like you are in the U.S.

I do this regularly to watch the BBC and ITV even when I'm in the U.S. I just connect via a UK server.

I use Hotspot Shield. Granted, I pay the yearly fee for better service, but the free version is very good.

Using a VPN also helps to encrypt data making it safer to surf the net.

As others have mentioned, you should really have a back-up power source if you plan on purchasing Wifi access for your Kindle Fire during the flight (if your flight offers it, and keep in mind it is likely to be rather expensive). You simply can not be sure of having a place to plug in your device to keep it charged.

You'll do better (in terms of battery usage and cost), as someone mentioned, if you do NOT connect to the internet during the flight, but rather just read/watch what you already have loaded on your Kindle Fire at home before leaving for the airport.

This has become a regular part of my 'packing' ritual now -- downloading the magazine issues or a show or two for the flight during the last few days I'm at home, so I don't have to think about it my day of departure.

Here's a portable battery I can recommend. It can supply enough current to charge a tablet or a big smartphone, has a lot of capacity and is cheap.

https://oneplus.net/oneplus-power-bank