Thoughts on in-flight phone calls?

[StarWarsGirl]

I'm certain that if they ever did it, they would charge for it.

Oh yeah, definitely, just like they charge generally for in-flight WiFi. Unless they found a way to make texting free and calls charge though??? An article I read said that only a certain number (8 I think) of people can be calling at once but there's unlimited texting.

 

[jw24]

Another reason for me to stay away from flying. Not at liberty to comment what aspects of the airline industry and airport security I have beef with so to speak but I mean, is it really that hard to put down your phone for a few hours? I mean, if you can't do lay one fingernail off your phone for even 5 minutes, then maybe you shouldn't fly at all in my book. At least with some commuter trains, they have designated quiet cars or designated trains. With planes, unfortunately, given their capacity and enclosed area, there's not much to work with. I suppose first class could also be a designated quiet zone but I seriously doubt that'll ever happen.

 

[Megalodumb]

For reasons of annoying loud talkers that others have already stated...I say NAY to this!

 

[lazyboy97o]

If offered as an additional cost premium service, what would make this different from the pay phones that used to be placed in the back of headrests?

 

[MinnieM123]

If offered as an additional cost premium service, what would make this different from the pay phones that used to be placed in the back of headrests?

I thought back to those days as well. However, back then, I believe the cost for the time people spoke on those "back of seat" phones was very pricey. They weren't used that much, and conversations were usually kept to a minimum (at least in my experience, from what I noted from those using them). Nowadays, many people have their own phones, and their charges are so much lower.

More to the point here, over the past 10-12 years or so, there's been a shift in culture, overall, when it comes to the frequent usage of cell phones. For this reason, I'm very concerned about the airlines allowing them on planes; you can get stuck sitting next to someone gabbing away for long periods of time, about things you don't want to hear. It's bad enough when you're crammed into full airplanes for hours on end, without adding this aggravation. I think a compromise might be to allow texting only.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

No. Just... No.

 

[senor_jorge]

Another reason for me to stay away from flying. Not at liberty to comment what aspects of the airline industry and airport security I have beef with so to speak but I mean, is it really that hard to put down your phone for a few hours? I mean, if you can't do lay one fingernail off your phone for even 5 minutes, then maybe you shouldn't fly at all in my book. At least with some commuter trains, they have designated quiet cars or designated trains. With planes, unfortunately, given their capacity and enclosed area, there's not much to work with. I suppose first class could also be a designated quiet zone but I seriously doubt that'll ever happen.

In most years my wife and I both travel enough that we are either upgraded or pay a small fee to upgrade to first class for longer flights. The overwhelming majority of people in first class, in my personal experience, are business travelers. That group is the most likely to actually need the service. I don't think that exclusion would fly. Pardon the weak pun.

 

[jw24]

In most years my wife and I both travel enough that we are either upgraded or pay a small fee to upgrade to first class for longer flights. The overwhelming majority of people in first class, in my personal experience, are business travelers. That group is the most likely to actually need the service. I don't think that exclusion would fly. Pardon the weak pun.

I appreciate your insights. I've never experienced first class seating myself nor have I ever gotten a seat that was very close to first class seating (On flights, we're always towards the back like most families. Not my cup of tea!) But I mean, just generally speaking, I feel that allowing cell phones will lead to a slippery slope. I'm sure some snarky people will say, "If you don't like flying for whatever reason, don't fly". Truth is, we may not have a choice either for financial or logistical reasons. In the end, it's a matter of what we're willing to trade off when it comes to deciding what transportation to take to get to our destinations.