R

Yes ?
No ?

Maybe a cell-phone station , sectioned off from the rest...

Even though I use two cell phones constantly all the time,
I say no. In a plane I cannot get away from other pax to give them quiet , and they can't get away from me to have some quiet.
I'm not noble ; I will definitely will not want to hear others gab when I want quiet, which I look forward to on my flight . I use it to think, rest, etc.
True, public transport allows it , but I can get off the train , or move.

Points Scrounger

I recall a trip JFK - LAX where the guy ahead of me was on the AirPhone almost every single minute of the flight. One guy was hellish enough; an entire cabin of that would be unfathomable.

4thplz

I agree.

PTravel

Definitely NO!!!!

I use my cellphone all the time, but regard flights as an opportunity to mentally and physically regroup. I don't like any loud, intrusive noises, whether it is cellphone talkers, screaming babies, wannabe-standup-comedian FAs, etc.

BearX220

Absolutely not. Flying is hellish enough now as it is. A planeload of ostentatious nonstop jabberers would be utterly intolerable.

JHattery

This will/would be bad. Very bad. Of course it will happen, not because consumers want it but because someone smells money/blood in the water trying to sell gear/minutes.

As I tell engineers all of the time - just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should.

cszulc

That must have been expensive!!!

-Chris

jef7

I'd rather keep my cell phone off as well. Your privacy bubble is almost non-existent to begin with and having people conversing on their phones all around you would completely burst it.

R

Cathay Pacific is apparently considering allowing text-only messaging.

Peetah

Its bad enough having to listen to middle aged men talk a lot of crap on an airplane for hours on end. But to listen to them and more idots jabbering away on a phone with nowhere to run? Not just no, but hell no!

stimpy

That doesn't make any sense. If consumers don't want it, there won't be any money in it and it won't happen. If consumers don't want it, there won't be a lot of people talking on the plane.

If however most people do want to use their cell phone on the plane, and you personally don't like it, you will be in the minority. Tough luck, mob rules.

JHattery

Do you remember Iridium? Consumer didn't want it, but that didn't stop Motorola from launching a poorly designed, limited functionality satellite phone that was way too expensive. My point is that companies will sense that money might be there to be taken, and will lobby extensively for their right to try to engage in that harvest. Unfortunately, even for consumer products companies the consumer insight comes last in the equation. What will play out is that even if the MAJORITY of flying consumers don't want it, our voices will be drowed out by a sea of lobbyists clamoring to unleash the shackles from a free enterprise opportunity. It will come to pass. And, people will use it.

Taking a shot at a technical prediction, the way it will pan out is not how many of us think. You won't consistenly be able to just turn on the phone you now have and start making calls. Generally, even now if you leave your phone on you do not get a signal at altitude. There will have to be a new piece of gear - new type of phone, repeater device installed on the plane itself, etc. That's where the money will be. That's where the pressure will come from.

And there will be some who wish to use it. Regardless of my opinion, whether in a majority or minority, once the floodgates are opened just a bit then it will be a reality. Again, just because technology allows something to be developed (Iridium) doesn't mean it should be developed (Iridium).

PTravel

I once had to participate in an emergency conference call on one of those skyphones. The bill came to $600. Fortunately, the client paid it.

stimpy

Yes I remember Iridium and so do all the investors who lost a lot of money. That mistake won't happen again. However I do think that cell phones are inevitable on airplanes because people will want it and will spend the money to use it. The question for the investors is how long will it take to pay back their investment. It might take a long time.

Not exactly. We have some threads in the travel tech forum on this subject. You will not need a new phone at all. Well some few might, but I expect they will have both a GSM and CDMA pico-cell on board which relays to a satellite. That should cover over 90% of the cell phones in the US and most of the world too.

First of all, Iridium is a wonderful idea. It has literally saved a lot of lives. It allows communication to happen in places where there is no other choice. That is a great thing for humanity. It just wasn't a great business decision. Secondly, you are right about the floodgates. Once they do open, I think most people will use their cell phones on airplanes just as they do on the ground. Just as on the ground, the people who don't use cell phones in public places will be the minority.

JHattery

Stimpy,

I note from your profile you work in telecom. Have we a vested interest?