nmenaker

So, I was going to post this over in UA forum, but figured it would be moved here sooner or later.

This is not going to be a thread about people who continue to use cell phones, during take off, using blackberrys, DURING flight. Continuing to talk loud, during security announcment, etc.

I also don't want to get into the open debate about whether or not cell phones can cause problems with planes. I am sure that SOME cell phones (maybe like my old motorola brick from 1984) could cause SOME problems on SOME planes, like the DC-10, but that is most likely not the case for todays phones.

No, today I would like to hear your opinion about what our travelling world in flight would be like if the airlines said that yes, indeed you may use your cell phones in flight as much as you like.!!

Can you imagine what the cabin would be like? The people screeming over each other to communicate?

Can you imagine the dozens, let alone MORE THAN ONE person next to you saying "can you HEAR me NOW!" Over and over and over again?

Can you imagine the people trying to appear important talking about their venture deals in flight, "yeah, I was sold at 120 million, but when the price went up to 150 million, I have to think about it - FOR THIRTY SECONDS and then I said to myself,? ""what's 30 million""

Will it be worse, or better in C and F once this begins?

personally, honestly, I will buy my own plane, or take the train, or drive

OR WALK!!!

to avoid such a new world.

your thoughts?

jfe

If it happens, you can expect the sale of the Bose noise canceling headphones to skyrocket

Dovster

Having spent about 10 hours in the F/C cars of Italian trains in the last month, I can tell you this: Air rage will skyrocket.

nmenaker

they don't segregate?

Dbahn, and heck even AMTRAK segregate their mobile phone friendly cars.

I don't even think my bose headphones would help, I mean they don't cancel out peoples voices. They really only work on a screeming baby, who is screeming with such verocity and CONSTANCY that the headphones can pickup the proper tone, pitch, speed of the sound and cancel it.

Personally, I think the headphones would be better put ON the baby, quiet and calm them down a bit.

But, as for cell phones. Yeah, I couple of baby's is one thing, but people ALWAYS talk louder on their cell phones - even though they don't have to. They just think they have to, since it is hard for them to hear the other party . Just think what will happen on a plane when they have an even HARDER time hearing the other party.

neilyork

Can I put my two penneth in - the novelty value of using my BlackBerry as we taxi'd in to BOS on AA in July was too great to fend off! You see, in the UK where I live, mobiles are totally banned whenever the aircraft doors are closed..some LCC's even ban them before you get on-board.

I'm not totally against the idea of using mobiles in flight - although I suspect the airlines would be well placed to putting mobile users in certain parts of the aircraft much like the olden days when smokers were booted to the back. Also, bear this in mind: For any good signal at 35,000ft would require expensive technology and I don't think the cost would be viable for most travellers just like sat. phones that are present on aircraft now.

I wouldn't worry if people could use phones on board - I can't see it being a big problem for several years.

cawhite

I have to deal with it on my train commute home nearly every night during the week. People forget that there are others around them and talk louder, and then if someone around them starts talking, they just talk louder, etc etc etc. Can't begin to tell you how many confidential conversations have been shared with entire train cars about someone who's getting fired, someone who's getting hired, client sensitive information, etc. An airplane during taxi (pre-takeoff) is one place where I'm able to find a bit of quiet and sanity away from it all! And for me it's one time when I can find a bit of anonymity and not think about someone trying to track me down. I don't have a problem with pax being able to text, use their Blackberry, etc....but the issue of pax talking on the phone is too much for me....unfortunately there's no real way to draw the line between the two (is there?).

Kiwi Flyer

I suppose it is inevitable but that doesnt mean I have to like it.

1) The shouting.

2) I treasure my time in flight without phone calls being the few times/places where can get away from calls.

BViPeR04

Let them try to use them. I've turned my phone on before to see if it even gets a signal and it doesn't inflight.

I'd just listen to my mp3's on my laptop as usual and ignore them all.

mstraveler

NOOOoooooo. PLease NO. Really. Please. No cell phones in flight. Planes are the last remaining quiet [relatively] places on the business earth.

KosraeTV

I fear it is going to happen some day, but my vote is

I look forward to turning off my phone and the only time it's off is when I'm on a plane. I board as early as possible just to get away from the loud talkers in the gate area even. Unfortunately and I'll admit it, I've been embarrased by receiving a call on a plane when I forgot to turn mine off

ElmhurstNick

I don't want to hear everybody else's cellphone conversations. While I miss the inflight phones on AA, I remember one 10pm ORD-SFO flight in F where all I wanted to do was sleep and the guy next to me spent the first two hours of the flight on the phone closing a deal that he had started in London that morning. Even though I understood the urgency (because I could hear all the details of the deal mechanics), I wanted to strangle him.

Allow text messages/instant messaging? Great.

Actually, the 30 second one quick important question call doesn't bother me. I deal with that on the train all the time - it's the "ok, I made this train after all, pick me up at 5:44" call to the spouse. But it's too slippery of a slope.

There are times that I end up doing an 80 minute drive to work and another 90 minutes back during the rush hour and pay $15 for parking because I need to make some relatively intense work-related phone calls in the morning, and I won't make them on my 37 minute train ride. To me, that's just one side effect cost of my job... and I can't imagine my flights being infested with those kind of calls.

Steve M

This is unlikely to ever happen, as cellphone use at altitude interferes with ground users of the network. The fact that the FAA and airlines may decide it's safe for the airplane has no effect on this problem.

Efrem

It's not because it's hard for them to hear the other party. It's because it's hard for them to hear themselves.

Most cell phones, to save battery power, don't send what goes into the microphone back to the speaker's ear. Most land-line phones do. So, people are used to hearing that feedback. When they don't hear their voices through the phone, they talk louder to get the sound volume they're used to. You'd think that by now most cell phone users would be aware of this, but a lot of them aren't.

As noted just above, the major cell phone issue isn't with aircraft electronics (though with new cell phones and avionics coming out all the time it's impossible to be sure that some future combination won't cause a problem). It's that a plane moves so fast, and because of its altitude is in range of so many ground towers at a time, that calls from the air can overload the system.

nmenaker

I thought the cell companies, mostly manufacturers, like Qualcomm and Nokia were talking about putting repeaters on the belly of the aircraft to agregate the signals and help them connect with towers on the ground.

Granted, that doesn't speak to tower overload on the ground and the speed of a moving object problems, but migth assist with connectivity,

and thus, drive us CRAZY!!!

linsj

I'm already sick of hearing everyone else's inane conversations in stores, waiting rooms, gate areas, etc. Spare me from being surrounded by them in a plane!