Good news for the anti-mobiles-on-planes lobby (ie, all of us). Passengers
taking part in Air France’s in-flight mobile-phone trials are reported to be
less than impressed with the quality of the service.
On April 1, Air France became the first carrier to allow travellers to use
their mobile phones in midair, but the integration of cellular technology
with aircraft avionics has not been seamless. Because calls are routed via a
satellite before being beamed to a ground station, those using the
£2.40-per-minute service experience delays and overlaps in conversations -
if they can get connected.
Most passengers say they had to make several attempts to dial out - “It’s like
calling from an underground car park,” one said - and nobody can yet receive
incoming calls or e-mails. While the poor signal quality saves cabins from
the chirruping of ringtones, the downside is that passengers on outgoing
calls have to shout to make themselves heard. “It sounds as if I’m talking
to a small robot,” one customer said.
On Air, which developed the technology, has promised that the kinks will be
ironed out, but in one of its better decisions, British Airways says it has
no plans yet to introduce the service. Ryanair has no such qualms: the
service will be trialled on 20 aircraft later this year before being
expanded to the entire fleet.
“Mobiles have become such an extension of people’s lives that it is only
natural to bring them into air travel,” the low-cost carrier said. “We are
not concerned about the noise because our cabins have never been quiet
places. People are constantly coming up and down the aisles, selling scratch
cards or food, and we believe there is a market for this.”
Where can you get those phone jammers again?
Jon, Bristol,
It seems Karl from Warfield is the first human being I have ever met who is actually looking forward to making in-air phone calls. My goodness.
John F, London,
"Good news for the anti-mobiles-on-planes lobby (ie, all of us). " - speak for yourself, you are certainly not speaking for me! I look forward to being able to make and receive calls whilst in the air, especially on shorthaul flights, why not? It's not as if the planes are quiet anyhow!
Karl, Warfield, UK