What to use to relieve ear pressure on a plane if not gum?

[Mickey527]

I have problems every time I fly and gum sometimes does help but doesn't clear my ears totally. and the "manuver" has never worked for me.
I have always wanted to try the earplanes but I would need 2 pair for my stopover flight and they are expensive. $8.99 a pair for something I use for 2 hours and then toss away? That's over $18 for a RT flight for me alone. I can get two sandwiches at Earl of Sandwich for the amount I would need for one leg of the flight. Has anyone found them cheaper?

 

[LiteBrite]

I have problems every time I fly and gum sometimes does help but doesn't clear my ears totally. and the "manuver" has never worked for me.
I have always wanted to try the earplanes but I would need 2 pair for my stopover flight and they are expensive. $8.99 a pair for something I use for 2 hours and then toss away? That's over $18 for a RT flight for me alone. I can get two sandwiches at Earl of Sandwich for the amount I would need for one leg of the flight. Has anyone found them cheaper?

I buy mine at Walmart - can't remember how much I pay for them, but I think it's more like 7 or 8 dollars a pair than 9. And I do use them for at least 3 or 4 flights (2 connecting flights on the way there, 2 more on the way home). I haven't had a problem with using them that much.

 

[beachblanket]

$8.99 a pair for something I use for 2 hours and then toss away? That's over $18 for a RT flight for me alone. ht.

$9 bucks a pair for those two little pieces of rubbery plastic below?!??!? At most, they probably cost 20-30 cents to make!! In fact, the four-color printed packaging they come in is probably the biggest expense invoved in marketing them!!!

I'm willing to bet the poster below is hanging in the factory that produces these things:

 

[Yzerbear19]

I buy mine at Walmart - can't remember how much I pay for them, but I think it's more like 7 or 8 dollars a pair than 9. And I do use them for at least 3 or 4 flights (2 connecting flights on the way there, 2 more on the way home). I haven't had a problem with using them that much.

I'm pretty sure the ones we got were either $4.99 or $5.99 at Target. And they were priced similar at Walmart since we had to buy an extra pair because we lost the one before we left. We found them of course after we got home, but we will use them on our upcoming trip.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

They are an overpriced, band-aid "treatment" (with a seriously annoying side-effect, ergo, removing your ability to properly hear) of a symptom (ear discomfort), not a cure for the cause of it.

There is a free, simple cure (which I presented on this thread earlier) that instantly removes the cause of the discomfort, but many others here apparently prefer to spend money on the band aid treatment.

Whatever, to each their own.

sorry - but we will stay with earplanes!!!

I do it (carefully!!), BUT: Good luck getting a freaking out child to do this - we tried, believe me !!!!! Also, DH won't even try : previous problems with his ear drum...he doesn't want to risk the pain.....whether valid or not he would rather have his hearing reduced!!! We have always had good luck with them - only time DD has not been in terrible pain and crying...so we will stick with them!

Earplanes get us to WDW and we don't pay for days with a cranky DD - or DH. You may have decreased hearing on the plane - but without the earplanes DD (and soemtimes DH) has pain and decreased hearing for days after - really can ruin the first couple days of vacation!

for us they are not overpriced, but worth every penny!!!!!

 

[Mrs.Toad]

Drugstore.com has Earplanes, one pair packs for $5.69, 3-pair packs for $10.99. I don't know how much the shipping is.

I've never had trouble with my ears when flying, and usually use the pinch and blow on the rare occasions I do, but personally I think $6 or $10 or even $20 per RT flight is a small price to pay for the comfort they obviously bring to some people. Heck, on a plane, you can pay that much for a tiny little box of stale snack foods.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

I have problems every time I fly and gum sometimes does help but doesn't clear my ears totally. and the "manuver" has never worked for me.
I have always wanted to try the earplanes but I would need 2 pair for my stopover flight and they are expensive. $8.99 a pair for something I use for 2 hours and then toss away? That's over $18 for a RT flight for me alone. I can get two sandwiches at Earl of Sandwich for the amount I would need for one leg of the flight. Has anyone found them cheaper?

Is it better to be uncomfortable? Don't understand that but to each his/her own IMO $18 for comfort is nothing.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

FYI
Drugstore.com is not charging for shipping if you need to stock up on Ear Planes and have trouble finding them.

FYI

 

[DisneyJules]

Only on the DIS can a thread about gum and earplanes turn into a fight.

ahahaha!! SO true!! But I'm sorry, I'm on team earplane. I've tried the pinch and blow, I really have, it never does anything for me.

 

[DebºoºS]

I just got back from a trip to WDW. I couldn't find my earplanes on the flight down.Thought they were in my bag but they weren't. I tried the hold and blow, I swallowed, drank, chewed, did everything but the cups. The pain was awful I couldn't hear a thing.DS locked our keys in the car at 2:00am. Finding & calling a locksmith from my cell without being able to hear was annoying and painful. No I will not fly again without my earplanes. Small price to pay!