The earplanes definitely work. My ears used to kill me during landings and then it would take about 1/2 hour after getting off the plane for them unclog and pop. What works for me is that I only use them for landings, I don't use them for takeoffs. When we're about 1/2 hour before landing, I put them in. Once the plane lands I can take them out, even before they open the door. My ears no longer hurt, and they no longer feel clogged up after getting off the plane.

Make sure you use a new pair for each flight. When I first used them, I would use the same pair on my return flight that I used going and the results weren't as good. I also used to use them on takeoffs and didn't have such great results. Once I started using them only on landings, and a new pair each time, the results have been great. It's well worth the $5 I spend for each flight