Cell Phone Use Aboard Planes

Posted by Evelyn Kanter Nov 1, 2007

Airline travel is getting more and more frustrating, and could get worse.

Long lines at security check-points. Passengers who try to stuff everything but the kitchen sink into the overheads. Full planes with no legroom. Nothing but peanuts and soda for a five-hour flight, or the guy in the next seat chowing down on greasy fried chicken from the airport fast food court of nothing healthy to eat.

Now they want to allow in-flight cell phone use? No way.

No way do I want to be imprisoned for two, three, five or 14 hours, overhearing endless descriptions of what the cabin attendant is wearing or who was a jerk at the meeting just completed or what you made for dinner last night.

I hear enough of that on the streets and busses and airport waiting rooms where I live and where I travel.

The thought of having to suffer through a cacaphony of cell phone coversations mid-air is enough to make me rip up my frequent flyer mileage program membership cards.

And you agree with me. A survey by the International Airline Passengers' Association (IAPA) asked some 3,000 frequent flyers around the world -- road warriors -- what they thought .

The overwhelming conclusion -- 88% said allowing passengers to use mobile phones onboard will be "a source of great irritation". That's a nice way of saying annoying.

The survey was in response to a proposal by the UK communications regulator, which could see UK- registered aircraft allow in-flight cellphone use. The proposal was developed with other EU countries and would will cover all European airspace.

Cellphones, no. But, most survey respondents felt texting or emails would be okay. Just 9% felt all mobile usage should be allowed, even within clearly defined time periods.

What do you think?