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Radios Off, Please Airborne Calling Comments  25  

Gov't Approval Wi-Fi Enters Cell Systems Do We Want It?  

Even if it does receive approval from government regulators, there are strong indications that most airline passengers don't want cell phone calls on planes either, but those who do are probably business travelers, whom the airlines tend to cater to.

A recent survey of airline passengers sponsored by the Association of Flight Attendants and the National Consumers League found that 67% would prefer that a ban on calling remain in place. 21% believe that it's time to allow calls during flight. Even if the ban was lifted, about 80% believe that in flight calls could be annoying at the least, hazardous at the worst.

The AFA / NCL survey above included both casual and frequent fliers, but one of the companies working on flight phone service did a separate survey of European business travelers. Even there support was not overwhelming, only finding "about half" would choose an airline with cell service over an airline without it, however less than a third of those surveyed found the idea of making calls in flight appealing.

Even if calls are allowed on board, cell phone users are likely to find themselves outcasts of the skies. Groups have already recommended that airlines shut off the cellular relay during mandatory quiet times and / or create special cell phone sections like the smoking sections of old.

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