When I was young, I remember some air trips where the airline provided small boxes of crayons and coloring books full of pictures featuring the airline. It was wins all around. I was kept entertained, neighboring passengers enjoyed the quiet, and to this day I have positive feelings towards that particular airline’s brand. I don’t know if any airline does that anymore.
Parents must prepare for air trips – have quiet entertainment and snacks ready and easily accessible even when the seatbelt light is on. If possible, a hungry and tired infant is a good thing at the beginning of a flight, because the feeding helps with the cabin pressure changes, and in-flight napping is more likely.
I understand the desire for “adult passenger only” sections on airplanes. With the squished seating now common in coach, people are in closer quarters than is comfortable, and some people need to work or rest during the flight. Given the recent trend among airlines to nickel and dime passengers for the last scraps of human decency left in the airplane’s cabin, maybe passengers can be offered an adult-only section fee.