My question regards air travel: People have varying inner ear dimensions, and sinuses (mine are very

Ear problems are the most common medical complaint of airplane travelers, and while they are usually simple, minor annoyances, they occasionally result in temporary pain and hearing loss. It is the middle ear that causes discomfort during air travel, because it is an air pocket inside the head that is vulnerable to changes in air pressure.

Normally, each time (or each second or third time) you swallow, your ears make a little click or popping sound. This occurs because a small bubble of air has entered your middle ear, up from the back of your nose. It passes through the Eustachian tube, a membrane-lined tube about the size of a pencil lead that connects the back of the nose with the middle ear. The air in the middle ear is constantly being absorbed by its membranous lining and resupplied through the Eustachian tube. In this manner, air pressure on both sides of the eardrum stays about equal. If and when the air pressure is not equal, the ear feels blocked.

It seems you have had different experiences on different flights with diffent airlines. I've done extensive travelling by air (my wife works for Southwest Airlines) and my experience has been that depending on the flight and pilot and airport, some flights ascend or descend more rapidly/dramatically than others. This may be tied to the distance being travelled, other air traffic, etc.