An illustration from the apology card drawn by Fang Photo: thepaper.cn

 A couple preparing to take a long flight with their baby during the Spring Festival holiday are preemptively printing apology cards to hand out to other travelers, thepaper.cn reported on Monday. 

The parents created the custom card ahead of their 12-hour trip from Beijing to London, UK on January 17 to help smooth things over in case their 18-month-old, who is flying for the first time, creates any extra turbulence for other passengers.

"On her first flight, my daughter Wowo might scream or cry, which could disturb others," said the mother surnamed Fang.

A four-panel cartoon shows a mother holding a crying baby next to two visibly annoyed passengers trying to sleep.

"I am still very young, so I might feel ill during my first flight. I might fail to control myself, either by screaming from discomfort or excitement. But my family and I will try our best to keep quiet and not bother you during this long-distance trip," reads the caption in both English and Chinese.

Fang, a supermarket employee and amateur artist, explained she was inspired to make the cards after learning how parents on international flights would sometimes hand out candy and chocolate to other passengers as a token for putting up with their kids' misbehavior.

"We wanted to give it a try," Fang said.

thepaper.cn