The air inside planes is imbued with something undefinable. Apparently at that altitude, even in a controlled, pressurized environment, you can become more emotional due to the lack of oxygen  - which explains why those terrible rom-coms can make you weep like a teenaged girl on transatlantic flights. But also the act of flying itself can affect you - you develop a sort of kinship with your fellow passengers (when they aren't annoying you). And this happened to me on my flight back home in a small, subtle way. I pulled out my book and placed it on my lap, then a few minutes later my neighbour pulled out hers and the two of us were among the few who chose to spend this time hurtling through the air reading while our fellow passengers played video games, slept or watched their little screens. It unaccountably touched me for a moment. Then time passed, we put away our books and eventually melted back into our individual lives. But that feeling was there and was strong while it lasted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGxWVAcv70E