According to the Taptu blog both Air France and Ryanair have commenced a trial where passengers can use their mobile phone in-flight using a service called OnAir, which will be able to send and receive phone calls, SMS messages and e-mail messages while flying at altitudes above 3,000 meters, or 9,840 feet.
Oh, great – just what we need whilst eating our crappy in-flight meal, or expensive sandwich and bottle of tap water, we have to deal with idiots using their mobile phones, telling all their mates that they are up in the sky on the phone.
I don’t know about you but this sounds like a very bad idea – what was the World like without the mobile phone – a lot bloody quieter.
What are your initial thoughts on mobile phone calls on flights?
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Tom | 23 July, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Well as i heard the crew is able to interrupt mobile call services and there is also a limit of “concurrent” lines. So if there are just some callers it might be ok, but i cant imagine, when half of the passengers are talking with their buddies on the phone.
Eric Daams | 24 July, 2007 at 3:44 am
About as bad an idea as mobile phones on trains.
Nothing makes my trip home from work more arduous than fellow commuters who decide to call others “just to chat”. I hear the best way to deal with people like this is to simply stare at them – show them that you’re not just listening to what they’re saying, you’re hanging on their every word.
I’m a little too gutless to try that. Yet.
But perhaps that is a helpful idea for those who’d rather not be forced to listen to others’ phone conversations on planes.
Rick Seaney » 23-July: Rick's Daily Read | 24 July, 2007 at 6:31 am
[...] Travel Rants: Mobile Calls on Flights Cause Air Rage – Cell phones might be allowed on certain planes. I don’t want to be a spoil sport or anything, but there actually was an age when you couldn’t be reached anywhere at any time, and the world managed to keep turning. [...]
Vero | 24 July, 2007 at 10:32 am
Tom’s right, the crew thankfully have some control over the mobile activity, and can also choose to limit it to SMS only – which is marginally better!
Echoing Darren’s thoughts, I think in-flight mobile reception is one thing we’ve all fared without quite nicely until now.
@Eric: Try it, it makes the journey more entertaining for yourself and more awkward for the heavy chatters 
I have a bad habit of reading the paper behind people’s shoulders, which would annoy me to no end if someone did it to me, but I just can’t resist, especially if I don’t have my own reading material!
Darren Cronian | 25 July, 2007 at 2:49 am
Short haul, you can plug in your own iPod or mp3 player, and not have to listen to people talking on the phone, but I couldn’t imagine sat next to someone who decides to call all of his family and friends for a natter en route to Malaysia or some other far flung destination.
Leigh | 26 July, 2007 at 9:47 am
ah that sucks. a long flight is bad enough, i don’t need to know my neighbors business in my ear.
Brandon Watts | 26 July, 2007 at 8:15 pm
If the airlines are going to be allowing this, then they better offer noise-cancelling headphones to any passenger that requests them for free.
Brandon Watts
Criteo Evangelist
Brenda | 27 July, 2007 at 3:13 am
bad, bad idea…will definitely lead to some air rage, and the crew does not want to be dealing with that as well.
Rohan | 27 July, 2007 at 8:57 am
OMG, Are these people mad? Phones on flights argh!
Rastapopoulos | 27 July, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Why not make some phone boots in the back of the planes? No one deserves listening to even MORE b.s. on flight….
Darren Cronian | 27 July, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Well, this seems to have generated a debate!!
I am stood in the middle of heathrow airport typing this on one of them telephone box type web stands. Never known security like it, expect a post about it this weekend!
Willie | 28 July, 2007 at 2:37 am
I like you blog and post. I recently blogged about some simple “rules” peopel shoudl follow when flying that might make everyone else who fly’s a littel more happy.
http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/database/db2zos/archives/airline-rant-again-no-db2-content-17839
Reduce noise nuisance on airlines | Travel Guides & Advice for Travellers | 7 August, 2007 at 7:51 pm
[...] week’s blog post regarding the trial of the OnAir service on Ryanair caused a little storm with the majority of travellers giving it a massive thumbs down. I received [...]
Harry | 1 February, 2009 at 1:22 am
I want to use my phone, but not to make calls. I want to listen to my music with headphone, or watch movies/play games etc.
Susan | 18 August, 2009 at 9:49 pm
A few weeks ago on a long coach ride in Ireland, some man was talking incessently on his phone. Annoying enough when he was just talking, but then he started shouting.
Bless the woman in front of me who went up, tapped him on the shoulder and politely got him to quiet down.
At least the young women across from me on a long train ride down from Edinburgh just texted non stop. That would be less annoying in flight.
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15 responses to “Mobile calls on flights cause Air Rage”