Now you'll be able to keep in touch while you fly!
 

An interesting new addition to the Qantas website at:

www.qantas.com.au/info/flying/inTheAir/communications

Now you'll be able to send and receive SMS's in-flight, with a free trial period as well for those lucky enough to be flying from next month. Hope the costs of sending them once it goes live won't be too heart-stoppingly high!

Also interesting to see that you'll be able to make phone calls within the plane for free too - perfect for those that ride up the front in the comfy seats whilst relegating the rest of their family to the nether-regions of the plane http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif.

You b@st&rd - I was just going to post about that, was too busy correcting some disinformation about upgrading from BNE to ADL posted by someone else first! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Dave

Now to persuade them to keep the system on for 15 minutes after arriving at the gate, to reduce those "Darling, I'm just on my feet and waiting to shuffle off the plane now" calls.

Except now what will happen is "Honey I just SMS'd you - did you get it? We landed and I am shuffling off the plane now"......(cynical=realistic)

Overall all of these new feature are great news - especially SMS, Seat to Seat and AC power - Rock On QF. My only question now is with both CX and BA trialing and implementing onboard email/web access, why is QF falling behind in this respect?

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With QF's history of announcing such service upgrades a minimum of 5 years prior to implementation, don't hold your breath for it. However, I must admit that the SMS announcement is only 1 month before they start rolling it out. Note that the first aircraft will be fitted by September, with others to follow until early 2004.

I wonder if the seat-to-seat phone calls include calls to the FA seats?

"Hello Shirley, this is shoebox in seat 39C. Any chance of getting that bourbon which I ordered 2 hours, 35 minutes ago?"

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When I was traveling with my boss during March to Singapore and Hong Kong, SQ already had sms service... The seat to seat call is also on SQ... a long long time ago. Good to see another carrier uses Sat Phone. I was dying to use one on NZ70 when it was delayed for 1 hr 2 months ago. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif... Nice work to keep this place as up to date as possible http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif