I will to conserve battery life on my computer. I haven't checked the numbers, but I think the power output of wireless adapters is generally lower than that of cell phones.

My wifi has a mechanical switch to flip on and off in the front of the computer. I flip it off on the plane.

That said, in flight wifi uses 802.11 and both the US FAA and its European counterpart have determined that the use of wifi in flight doesn't harm the navigation system on the plane.

The hard switch for WiFi/Bluetooth is great. You'll drain your battery fast with those services enabled in-flight constantly scanning for networks. Same pain as leaving the cell-phone on. I'm more worried about hurting my own devices (dead battery) than something on the plane.

I'm not sure of any laptops that don't have a hard switch to disable the antenna. I know IBM, Dell, Sony, Toshiba, etc. all have them.

Not sure, but I read the iPhone is sort of unique in that you cannot can't turn off the radio completely? This was from some article about wifi on a plane, so maybe what I am remembering is wrong and that you can't turn on wifi without the cell being on, too. I have use my old Treo (don't have anymore) on AA in "flight mode" and nobody said anything. I did have AA ask me about a small Creative Zen Nano (just an mp3 player) and they made a bigger deal than I thought they would only because it had an FM radio receiver. This was during the part of a flight where you were allowed to use electronics, too. I guess it depends on the flight.

I don't own an iPhone and don't proclaim any expertise with them. That said, I read that the recent upgrade to the iPhone firmware increases your ability to shut things off to make your iPhone more travel friendly (e.g. dataroaming, etc). Of course, that doesn't help anyone with jail-breaked iPhone. Hopefully next month there will be some third party apps that let you dig further in an iPhone's innards.

I had an issue on ANA when I was using my Sony Ericcson w880i (normal looking phone) in flight mode.

The FA told me I couldn't use it, and it took me some time to explain to her about flight mode. She then asked for my phone and took it in the galley, returning to tell me it was OK to use in flight mode only. Not sure what she did exactly but she obviously attempted a couple phone calls.

What truly amazes and mystifies me* is that any carrier or FA on the planet doesn't know what flight mode is all about by now.

* And scares me - but only a little.

This generalization can be applied to FA's too. :-P

I just flew Southwest on Monday, and their inflight magazine listed noise canceling headphones as allowed at all times, along with several other devices less likely to have a power switch, such as hearing aids and pacemakers.

Vietnam Airlines won't allow iPhone use
 

I was told by an F/A on Vietnam Airlines that I couldn't use my iPhone in flight mode during the flight. She made me turn it off.

That ATA story reminds me of the time that I was flying on LH circa 2000. I was watching DVD movies on my laptop and the stewardess came over and very angrily told me to turn it off, as it wasn't permitted. I asked her if she was sure and maybe if she could ask the pilot, which she did. But still no go on letting me finish my movie (about an undersea colony being attacked by a shark if I recall). Sometimes technology gets ahead of the rules.

On a recent Delta flight, the FA actually said during the door-closed pre-flight briefing that all cell phones, even with airplane modes, must be turned off for the entire flight.

Finding this somewhat curious, I sent an email to Delta asking them to clarify their policy regarding airplane mode. I got the following responses from two different reps:



So since they contradicted each other (it's allowed/crew has final say), I point blank asked: Is allowing airplane mode Delta policy (i.e. F/A can't override unless it becomes a safety issue), I wrote again, asking them to clarify -- which is it? Is airplane mode allowed by policy, or is it always the flight crew's call? The answer:




So I basically told them that if this becomes a common occurrence that I'll be flying someone else. (shrug)