I know travelers have a lot of complaints about the airline industry, and I know a lot of those complaints are warranted. However, as the year comes to a close, I figured I would spread a little bit of holiday cheer and recap some of the good things that happened in the air travel industry this year.

We’ve seen cheap flights, Capt. Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger, some bold moves by DOT leadership, and more. We’ve even seen some airline fee drops (I know you’d like to see them disappear altogether, but at least it’s something). Take a look at my ABCNews.com column The Best of Air Travel in 2009 for more highlights from the past year. Of course, I did throw some of the blunders in there, too. I just couldn’t help myself, I guess.

We’ve all been on a plane with a screaming baby or a toddler that just can’t seem to calm down, and as we head out for the holidays, there’s a good chance that planes will be packed with even more children who don’t seem too happy to be flying. So, what can be done?

First, give the crying baby a break. According to staff at MayoClinic.com, “Sometimes babies simply need to cry.” If you’re flying with a screaming baby or a toddler who can’t stop kicking your seat, try to stay calm and sympathetic when asking the parents if they could please stop the child from abusing the back of your seat.

If you’re a parent of an infant or a toddler, there are some things that you can do to make the flight a little easier for your child…and for the other passengers on the plane. Simple things like preparing kids to fly by explaining what the trip will be like, and flying early in the morning if possible.

My latest ABCNews.com Column, Kids Who Scream on Planes and What You Can Do provides a series of tips for both parents and other passengers who find themselves in this all too common situation. Hopefully, the tips will make your holiday travel (or any day travel) a little less stressful.

For a lot of people, the holiday season is their one time of year to brave the airport and get on a plane. Well, if you’ve been out of the air travel game for a while, you might notice some things that weren’t there the last time you flew. Innovations like in-flight WiFi, new security measures, and those new peak travel surcharges.

I decided to break down some of the newest industry changes and give them a rating in my latest ABC News column. I used cranberries for my rating system instead of those stars that movie critics are so fond of (I figured cranberries were better for the time of year). I had some fun with it, and I hope it will help you get caught up on what’s better, worse, and just different about air travel these days.

Read Thanksgiving Special: Air Travel Innovations for the complete story.