CNN is reporting that Emirates Airlines is planning to allow cell phone usage on its planes, beginning in January.
Fliers have long been able to keep in touch with those on the ground by using phones built into the backs of airplane seats. But the costs of those seatback phones can be upwards of $10 a minute, plus a connection fee.
In contrast, the cost of calls made in-flight on Emirates will be in line with international roaming rates, the airline said. Those rates vary by mobile carrier and by location but can be as low as $1 to $2 a minute.
The reporter doesn’t seem to think the idea will go over well with U.S. travelers, even if the FAA lifted the ban on cell phones on planes:
A majority of business travelers (61 percent) oppose the idea of being able to use their phones in the sky, according to a global survey conducted by travel management company Carlson Wagonlit Travel early this year.
The obvious reason is because we all enjoy listening to each other’s cell phone conversations in tight places, don’t we? But isn’t it the truth that two colleagues sitting next to each other having an animated conversation or a crying baby is a far worse distraction on a long trip? Common cell phone courtesy goes a long way whether you are sitting in a restaurant on the ground or seat 14D in the air.
So assuming the fines for obnoxious cell phone use are swift and severe, is this a good thing? What about Internet access in the air?
According to the annual Airline IT Trends Survey conducted by industry group SITA and Airline Business magazine, 59 percent of airlines plan to offer in-flight Internet access by the end of 2008.
One company helping U.S. carriers make that leap is Louisville, Colorado-based AirCell, which won a license earlier this year to provide exclusive broadband connectivity to U.S. airlines starting in 2008.
Are we eliminating our last excuse to sit back and read a book or sleep instead of work?
Personally, I want the choice. Will I pay $30 to have wifi on a flight (or on an Amtrak train)? Maybe. Sometimes I just want to sit back and relax and close my eyes on a plane or train. Sometimes I want to work and to do that I need Internet access. I go back and forth between New Jersey and Washington, DC for daytrips via Amtrak often and it’s hard to give 6 hours up to travel that I could be doing something more productive. Then again, sometimes I go to a coffee shop and just drink coffee.
What do you think? Assuming tests show it doesn’t interfere with the plane’s instruments, should the FAA lift the cell phone ban for domestic flights? If they did and the pricing was no worse than a roaming call or a T-Mobile day pass, would you use your cell phone or laptop on a flight?
{"source":"https:\/\/gigaom.com\/2006\/12\/21\/are-we-ready-for-cell-phone-calls-from-30000-feet\/wijax\/49e8740702c6da9341d50357217fb629","varname":"wijax_9018cec9f1348d30ee47dd33859ef07f","title_element":"header","title_class":"widget-title","title_before":"%3Cheader%20class%3D%22widget-title%22%3E","title_after":"%3C%2Fheader%3E"}