Be it a slow news week or a hot topic, it seems everyone is talking about the so-called "goody bags" on planes—the little plastic baggies of candy, ear plugs, and mini-bottles of Bacardi parents hand out to their seatmates to beg forgiveness (in advance) if their child cries on the flight. For some, a little kindness goes a long way; but others say "parents on planes don't owe you a bribe." Traveler editors take a side, with ear plugs thrown in disgust:
Pass out the Goody bags
While I love the idea of getting free cocktails and earbuds when there’s a screaming kid behind me on a plane, I think an airline should be the one giving it to me, not a parent. Focusing blame on a child or parent distracts us from the real issue in the skies—airlines whose ongoing cost-cutting measures involve packing more and more people into less space and charging for the amenities that used to gratis. If the airline is going to charge me $12 to eat a day-old sandwich reheated in a microwave, it can also hand out a free beer every time the guy next to me manspreads into my seat, someone snores so loudly it wakes up the entire plane, a woman leaves her nail clippings all over the aisle, or two passengers get into a near-fistfight over the last remaining overhead bin space. Rude people are everywhere, but airlines have opportunities to make flying a little more comfortable for all their well-behaved passengers. —Lilit Marcus, Contributing Digital Editor
I don't think parents have to give out goody bags and earplugs, but I'm not averse to it, either. If it makes the flight easier and more pleasant, why not? To me, it's along the same lines as giving flight attendants chocolate or switching seats with someone so they can sit with a partner. We're all up there in the sky together, so if there's something that can be done that makes your situation—or mine—improve, and doesn't harm others, go for it. Does handing out goody bags make parents feel better, and if so, what does that say about our expectations of what an airplane ride has become? I'm not sure. But hey, I won't turn down free candy. —Katherine LaGrave, Associate Digital Editor
Stop apologizing
As a mom whose been through her share of flights with an active toddler son—with a panic-inducing long haul from New York to Seoul next month—I truly do empathize with the passengers who have to hear my kid whining in protest, kicking the seat in front of him, and running into passengers' outstretched legs in the aisle. I understand that he really just doesn’t want to sit still or on my lap for that long in an enclosed space; how frustrating it must be for this tiny bundle of energy. However, my child does have the right to be on the plane, along with the travelers who bring their own set of airplane etiquette faux pas—infrequent bathers, the smell-food-fiends, loud (drunk?) groups of people traveling together. We’re all human and we all have the common goal of getting from point A to point B. Parents should not feel obligated to give out treats to fellow passengers to apologize for any annoyances their children may cause— a simple apology should suffice. Also, my “trick” when things get too crazy is to take my son to the airplane bathroom for a few minutes and entertain him—make some toilet paper puppets, blow bubbles out of soap and water, make funny faces together in the mirror, whatever it takes to make him laugh a little bit and calm down, and to minimize disturbances out in the cabin. —Gina Lee, Product Director
Yes, I've experienced it, too: the wailing baby, the violently hyperactive toddler using your seat as a punching bag, the apologetic mother who has to wake you up to get into the aisle and escort their kid to the bathroom. But I've also been that kid. Growing up in a family that was constantly on the move meant I flew before I could walk, and spent many hours of my childhood 30,000 feet in the air. I can't even begin to imagine the stress this caused my parents as they shuttled three kids from airport to plane to immigration line, over and over again. It's a miracle that parents can get children—as temperamental and irrational as they are—through a flight without having a nervous breakdown every time. Are we really about to expect them to bring a nice little gift to apologize for procreating? Give me (and them) a break. With the noise, the ear popping, and the sitting still for hours, babies are going to cry. You would too, if you were two-feet long and experiencing turbulence for the first time. Deal with it, or—if you are so divorced from reality that you think you should have full control of your environment at all times—drop the necessary coin for that private jet experience. —Sebastian Modak, Associate Digital Editor