I have traveled with my children by air since they were 6-8 months old. Proper planning; food, toys etc, led to predictable performance. But even the best disciplined child gets airsick, uncomfortable, or queasy or fidgity. When that happens, I apply love and discipline to keep the child within acceptable behavioral parameters. I can spot the true parents around me on the plane, they are the ones who will step up to help with supplies, an extra hand or whatever if asked. The breeders on the other hand scowl and complain to CC about "that unruly child" God has special plans for those people, I think.
My favorite traveling experiances revolve around child-friendly airline staff who proactively extend every courtesy available to me to make the flying experiance for me and my children the best it can be. Sometimes, this means the bulkhead seats, once it required first class seating on an overbooked flight
Needless to say it took awhile to convince my children that FC was not going to be our standard of travel hence forth. I'd rather fly with an unruly child on board than an unruly adult , but that's just me