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In-flight Cell Phones Coming to Ryanair

September 25, 2008 at 2:30 PM | 0 Comments

Ryanair will start letting passengers make in-flight cell phone calls on some flights in the next couple weeks, and the carrier will charge about £2 ($3.50) a minute for the privilege.

Worried about having to hear stupid conversations? "Stop whining!" says CEO Michael O'Leary:

If you want a quiet flight, use another airline. Ryanair is noisy, full and we are always trying to sell you something.

Such refreshing honesty from an airline!

Related Stories:
· "Hello? I'm on the Plane." [The Independent]
· In-Flight Cell Phones coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: aromano]

In-Flight Cell Phones: Vibrate Only on Emirates, Please

August 6, 2008 at 11:45 AM | 0 Comments

While carriers in the United States are still working to get in-flight WiFi installed, in the Middle East it's all about cell phones. Emirates is leading the way with plans to add in-flight service on its entire fleet of more than 100 planes.

Does that mean someone will be yakking all the way from London to Dubai on your next flight? Not necessarily, a spokesman says, citing trial flights earlier this year:

A certain on-board etiquette has developed, where passengers try to stay quiet to avoid being seen as intrusive. A pre-flight video is shown on aircraft that use the technology, urging passengers to keep their phones on silent or vibrate mode.

Per minute charges of about $4 will also help keep calls short. But not all passengers are buying the idea that cell phone users will be the most polite people on the plane. Says one internet commenter:

Perhaps they need an area for these people who need to be contacted even though they can't do anything in mid-air. Could I suggest on the wing?

Related Stories:
· Emirates Presses Ahead with In-Flight Mobiles [Telegraph]
· Ryanair to Begin Tests of In-Flight Mobiles [Telegraph]
· In-Flight Cell Phones: Not Great for So Many Reasons [Jaunted]

[Photo: pouwerkerk]

In-Flight Cell Phones: Not Great for So Many Reasons

April 21, 2008 at 11:30 AM | 1 Comment

Airphones are so 2007.

The test results are in from the first in-flight cell phone experiments on Air France. Trouble connecting and bad sound quality were among the annoying technical glitches reported--which should mean a few more months of solitude!

Other issues reported? The per minute charge of €3 ($4.75) and the fact that only six passengers at a time can chat. A rep from OneAir, the company responsible for the in-flight technology, claims that the number could more than double in the coming weeks. Uh, terrific?

Still, even with a kink-free in-flight calling experience, the question remains: Who wants to endure a Chatty Cathy for eight hours? Apparently Air France is hoping, the answer is a bunch of European travelers.

Related Stories:
· Europe Begins Testing In-Flight Use of Cellphones [NYT]
· Cell Phones coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: mikemacadaan]