Today, I had the opportunity to do a first-hand observation of the difference between parents who are well-prepared for a flight with their infant and those who are not.
On my flight to Tokyo, there were two couples sitting just across the aisle from me, each with an infant in pre-walking age. During most of the flight, everything was fine - just until that moment when the plane started descending.
The smart (well-prepared) parents had a bottle ready and kept feeding their kid until the plane had landed. Smooth.
The other couple didn't do anything, and - surprise, surprise - their kid started crying due to ear pain very soon. Their reaction can only be described as helpless: first they simply held the child and tried to calm it down, but with every passing minute their efforts became more hectic. Patting it on the back, lifting it up, stroking its head, having it look out the window, patting its back a little faster and harder, etc etc.
I couldn't help but wonder - didn't they think of doing a simple google search (something along the lines of "flying with kids") before the flight? And also, why don't airlines prepare some hints for parents who indicate they will be traveling with an infant? That way, a lot of ear pain could be prevented - not only in the kids' ears, but also in the ears of their fellow travelers...
