Cell Phone Use on Planes Not Likely in US
 

Full article can be found here

I know I'm glad to see this. There is no way I would want cell phones used on planes. Not only would it be annoying to be stuck next to someone who is talking non-stop it's pretty much the only place I can go to get a few hours of uninterrupted work done. ^

^^^^^^^^^

But "the only place I can go to get a few hours of uninterrupted work done" is what they used to say about train carriages (before phones), business class cabins (before parents who can afford tickets for kids), even bangkok's skytrain carriages now have adverts for bird's nest drinks blaring away like there's no tomorrow :(

The internet should be a way bigger priority than cell phone use. People can stay in communication (and entertained), but without all the yelling into a phone. I guess one probably wouldn't exist without the other, but that would be my ideal world.

Sad that I cannot fill out the questionnaire handed over in the Air France-plane in which phoning is possible - because I don't set a foot on an AF-plane at the moment. Really don't want to end up in this particular plane which flies regularly to MUC.

But this article raises hope:

Inflight mobile phone trials slammed

It's going to take a few dangerous air-rage incidents, then the entire phone system on planes will be abandoned.

I might be one of the assailants.

It's better that way, I can't even begin to imagine how I'd feel when someone keeps talking nonstop right next to my ear. Some people can be so inconsiderate.

I can only applaud this.
I hope I will never have to listen to someone babbling on a cell phone during a six hour TATL.

Hooray! Let's hope this never happens. ^

It is my understanding that being able to use cell phones on a flight is to be offered as a paid service. Yes, they'll route your calls through their chanel but not for free. So you see, it's not that different than the time when they had those phones on planes that let you swipe your CC and make calls. It's just the European version of it which allows you to use your own phone.

I'd take someone talking on the phone ANY day over crying babies or screaming toddlers. At least then there's some hope. Babies can't help their crying and there's really nothing you can do about it. And you know you don't stand a chance of talking to a parent about their toddler(s) screaming uncontrollably...

I think the difference will be whether you can simply make a call - albeit at a higher roaming charge. Or if you have to hand over your CC and get charged there and then for it.

If it's the latter then yes, it would probably be like the old service. But if you're going to have the charges slipped into your regular company phone bill, it's going to be used more readily as you won't have to deal with the corporate bean-counters who look at individual receipts.

I hadn't thought about that. My point was - very expensive calls that most people steer away from, but I can see how if you can also receive calls there's already a big difference. When a phone [more or less annoyingly] rings during a flight... the pax having a choice to answer it makes a big difference over phones being off + CC phones only for outgoing calls. Bored pax with phones that are on and have a list of numbers that could potentially be dialed (for some expensive roaming charges) might also be troublesome.

Still less anoying than kids. :D

Amen!

Don't want to see it at any price. It sets the precedent, so if the price does drop, then more people will do it. Wireless internet is a much cheaper alternative.

I miss Lufthansa's in-flight wi-fi wih Boeing Connextion,which was was abandoned.


......I also had a TATL flight a while ago where the guy next to me used the in-seat phone,in business class, to make a dozen calls in the middle of the night between NYC and LON. He would not shut up and I wanted to smack him in the head with the phone!

NO MOBILE PHONES IN-FLIGHT!