That ear popping sensation is a normal part of airplane travel.

Ear Popping

We’ve all yawned on a plane trip to “pop” our ears. What we’re doing is equalizing the pressure between the inside and the outside of our eardrum as the altitude changes. That "pop" means a tube connecting your middle ear to the back of your throat has opened, letting air flow through. To help, you can also close your mouth, hold your nose, and blow gently; or try chewing gum.