FCC Takes Steps to Approve Cell Phones in Flight as Transportation Department Considers Banning Calls on Planes

[xabra]

really - pretty inconsiderate comment!

I fly on average of 20+ flights a year and please no talking!

We business travelers want it quiet

And shut your baby up.

You're a terrible parent by letting it cry

I fly 2 to 4 x per week ... I don't really care about babies crying, they are the future and parenting is hard enough: Go parents! Airlines should teach/inform parents how to help avoid stressful situation for their infants though (feed them while descending not while taking off!); it's not like they don't know in advance that infants are traveling on their flights.

I do care about mindless jabbering by the person next to me, no matter where I am and how they do it.

 

[bluski9]

I fly on average of 20+ flights a year and please no talking!

We business travelers want it quiet

And shut your baby up.

You're a terrible parent by letting it cry

guess you never cried when you were a baby and probably your parents were terrible also if you did cry???

 

[vmachiel]

How do these government entities think that they have the right to ban cell phone calls on flights?!? These authoritarian losers make me sick.
Get. Out. Of. My. Life.

Why the hell would you want to allow calls on planes. Every idiot screaming into their phones the entire flight. Sounds wonderful.

 

[freedumbfighter]

Strong username to criticism of criticism of non-government ratio.

That's adorable that you think that, kid.
Call me old-fashioned if you will, but with all the annoyance & hassle flying is (ESPECIALLY post 9/11).. what with TSA goons invading privacy, airlines price gouging carry-ons, the inevitable kids crying, perhaps somebody getting airsickness, tiny bathrooms, cramped conditions, & horrible food..... the ONE thing that keeps me (surely others, as well?) from snapping is that at least we don't have to hear a dozen people's phone conversations in that confined space. I cannot imagine.... that literally sounds like torture. In my case- it'd probably be a safety issue. I think I'd turn my back on 36 years of pacifism & non-violence upon being in a situation like that.
You should be grateful that, despite their many, many flaws... @ least the government is trying to protect you from my (at the very least) cutting & snide commentary in response to your ceaseless inane chatter during our shared seventeen hour flight.

 

[Robert.Walter]

If talking is allowed, I can see one passenger assaulting another due to incessant-yacking-induced rage.

I hope that there are strict limits on calling, perhaps for the first 20 minutes and last 20 minutes if a flight. Um, make that 10 minutes, much better.

 

[yoak]

As a frequent flyer, I would hate if people started talking on their phones while in air. It´s hard enough to try to catch some sleep as it is already. Just imagine sitting between two people jabbering away.

Texting and emailing should be more than enough until you are back on the ground.

 

[WilliamLondon]

100 ppl chatting away out loud?

**** no.

But. I also say hell no to regulation. Let the airlines decide to make this policy or not.

I am absolutely okay with bans. In fact it will severely curb my world travels if phone calls are allowed on flights (and they can't corral idiots on phones on the wings or somewhere else equally appropriate for people to be seated to take calls on flights).

Regulation is because people misbehave, and people on phones are some of the worst offenders in everyday life.

 

[monaarts]

I fly on average of 20+ flights a year and please no talking!

We business travelers want it quiet

And shut your baby up.

You're a terrible parent by letting it cry

I travel more than you do and I want quite when it is possible but people don't have absolute control over their children and babies crying. Maybe the quicker you understand that the quicker you'll feel better when a baby starts crying.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

It would require the airlines being willing to piss such people off, and making sure the flight attendants are willing to step in if need be.

Which is exactly why it's not happening. Flight attendants already have enough to deal with & the vast majority of fliers don't want to listen to the loudmouth passenger that can maybe only be quieted by a busy FA:

Phones Likely to Stay Silent on Planes Amid Backlash http://on.wsj.com/1e9kPmn

And why should I be punished when

1 - It's pretty much a public place with a lot of people you don't know.
2 - It's not your bedroom... MAYBE THE FREAKING AIRPLANE ISN'T SUPPOSED TO BE YOUR OFFICE, EITHER?!

Funny. It's this kind of air rage (Caps? Really guy?) that proves my point. Look, you are 100% right -- it is a public place, not the inside of my home. Exactly the point. We can't do a lot of things in public that we can do in private places. The defacto public behavior in confined spaces is to respect others space & not make undo disturbances. Unfortunately there are always a few "I make my own rules" types on planes that have no concept of "inside voice" or important, quick phone call.

Bottom line: you aren't being punished because cellphones have never been allowed to be used on planes. Nothing is being taken from you. Thankfully, it looks like it's not happening based on the link I posted above so moot convo now anyway.

 

[gluckett]

They allow calling, then the airlines will charge passengers an extra premium for seating located in a quiet zone.

Even better - how about they install a Get Smart cone of silence and anyone that wants to talk on their phone can pay a huge premium to buy time in the cone for their conversation

 

[Robert.Walter]

I travel more than you do and I want quite when it is possible but people don't have absolute control over their children and babies crying. Maybe the quicker you understand that the quicker you'll feel better when a baby starts crying.

The way I got right with crying babies was to realize that babies cry because they are in some kind of distress, and to also recognize that no parent is content to hear their babe cry. In so realizing this, I felt sympathy for both the babe and its parents (who were trying diligently to comfort their babe), and I haven't been bothered in the subsequent 22 years of flying around the globe. Btw, it took me all of about two minutes on my first flight to come to this realization.

As far as babies are concerned, we don't have to be bothered by this if we don't want to be (but its a completely different situation when adult folks are tacking away on phones.)

 

[sirozha]

I fly on average of 20+ flights a year and please no talking!

We business travelers want it quiet

And shut your baby up.

You're a terrible parent by letting it cry

You obviously don't have kids.

 

[WilliamLondon]

You obviously don't have kids.

If only that were true of more people. ;-)

 

[tizeye]

After plane cancellation and weather delay rescheduling, was flying on United last Monday. They do have a relaxed policy on cell phones/tablets use in flight - particularly with internet that they will sell you.

Upon approach to Washington the pilot comes over the speakers - "All electronic devices off - not even on airplane mode - OFF, no exceptions or arguing with flight attendants as they check. We are doing a full auto mode instrument landing." He then had to reassure everyone that everything was OK and it was safe, etc. From altitude, everything looks ok on the ground but was apparently localized fog as on final, I couldn't see anything until the end of runway lights showed and it was a relatively smooth landing.

If United didn't have that relaxed policy, we never would have had the announcement raising the anxiety level.

I have no problem with government regulation making it uniform between airlines. If left to the companies, as some advocate, it will be about as variable as baggage fees.

 

[iZac]

Since you already can make phone calls from your seat if you pay the fee, there is really a grey area if they can ban it outright. I'm with everyone else here though, that there couldn't be anything more annoying than 200 people all chatting on the phone because they're bored.

If they can't ban it for that reason, I would suggest that going forward, planes that allow cell phone calls should be fitted with a 'lounge' where people can talk away from the rest of the plane. No seats, just an area they can stand and make brief calls if needed. That way you still pay a premium and use the handset at your seat.

If they ban it outright though, there will be a new phenomenon of people huddled in the toilet for half an hour at a time, pretending to take a dump and actually chatting on the phone so the flight attendant doesn't catch them.

 

[Boatboy24]

I fly on average of 20+ flights a year and please no talking!

We business travelers want it quiet

And shut your baby up.

You're a terrible parent by letting it cry

There's a section just for you. It's called business class. Get out of my section.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I have no problem with government regulation making it uniform between airlines. If left to the companies, as some advocate, it will be about as variable as baggage fees.

Yes, but government regulation is about protecting the public's health, safety, and welfare. A government can OK or ban an activity based on those criteria, but once it OKs the activity its not its place to force private companies to require it. The marketplace can settle that matter.

A good example is when the U.S. gov't OKed gate to gate tablet use in airplane mode some major carriers were slow to allow it, but eventually they all got around to drawing up a company policy. It would have been bad for business had they not.

There are other times when the private sector is ahead of the gov't. For example, Delta was the first carrier to ban smoking on flights even though there was no law against it. Other airlines saw what a popular policy that was and adopted it. Soon after it did become illegal to smoke on planes.

 

[Menel]

It's funny when people believe X is bad, but they don't want to be told by their government that X is bad. Typical hypocritical American mindset.

No, free will and choice mindset.

If an airline wants to cater to noisy kid and chatty vacationers, great, another could cater policy to quiet seeking business travelers. Or vise versa. Much like Disney Cruise vs. Silversea Cruiselines.

I'm not gay, don't like guys in that way. But don't think the government should be outlawing others LGBT rights. But maybe youre one of those bible thumping conservative types.

 

[silentbob007]

I haven't seen a phone in the back of a seat in years ... not saying they don't exist anymore, but they are not a compromise option.

 

[WilliamLondon]

I haven't seen a phone in the back of a seat in years ... not saying they don't exist anymore, but they are not a compromise option.

Funny that life as we know it hasn't ended without that compromise option (phones in backs of seats) - perhaps people can actually live without annoying others around them for a few hours out of the day?<wry grin>

 

[theluggage]

Yea, all those parents should just suffocate their kids.

Exposing them to the thin, polluted excuse for 'air' you get on a flight comes pretty close.

…and if you've ever flown with a cold you'll know the sensation of having (seemingly) gallons of snot pumped at high pressure into your brain, and wondering whether you're ever going to hear properly again. Now imagine you're a baby of the permanently snotty variety, don't understand what's happening and don't even know how to clear your ears.

The purgatory of a long flight shouldn't be imposed on a non-consenting adult. Hint: one of the reason screaming kids are annoying is that it is not pleasant listening to someone in distress. Heck, on a long flight, I sometimes feel like joining in.

 

[Tiger8]

I fly on average of 20+ flights a year and please no talking!

We business travelers want it quiet

And shut your baby up.

You're a terrible parent by letting it cry

You business travelers should travel 'business', coach is for families and those who actually pay for their fares. Besides, most business travelers end up getting complimentary upgrades (been there, done that), so those who don't -- well, maybe you should do more business.

I am not a parent, but I have nephews and neices--how much can you reason with a 9 month old?

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Sounds like the anti-guv'ment anti-regulation conservatives/Libertarians don't know where to be on this issue. On one hand, it's guv'ment getting involved in people's freedoms. On the other, no guv'ment involvement will annoy the very people who hate regulations.

What to do, what to do?

If these conservatives/Libertarians actually had any principle and stood by their beliefs, then guv'ment has no place interfering with people's freedoms and people should be allowed to talk on their phones on planes.

Sounds like you don't really have anything more than a comic book understanding of conservative or Libertarian principles. For one, you lump them together when they are quite different, even if some ideas are shared. And "conservative" principles also diverge between social and economic/business issues and then branch off again at foreign policy (paleo-cons vs neo-cons).

But here is the short: neither are against the concept of government regulation; they are not anarchists. That is a red herring. In fact, both embrace it where they believe it's needed to protect individual and community life and liberty. However, both are against excessive or confisatory regulation. Now you may disagree with what is considered excessive or confisatory, but that's a different issue. In fact I think even libertarians and conservatives could find debate space on either side of this particular issue. I don't think that would be inconsistent or unprincipled.

 

[jlc1978]

Has everyone forgotten the GTE/Verizon phones that were in seat backs for years? On the several hundred flights I flew from 2004-2007 for work, I never saw a single person use those phones even though they were installed on 75+% of the aircraft I flew on.

Why? I'm guessing the number one reason is that they were prohibitively expensive for the average person. The second reason may have been that the quality was lacking -- although I have no first-hand experience using the phones so I'm not sure about that.

They were extremely expensive; but the call quality was fine and they were very useful for that emergency call such as when your flight has been delayed and you don't want someone waiting 6 hours at the airport to pick you up.

I can only recall one time I have seen anyone actually use it for chatting; the CEO of of a PC peripherals maker spent an entire coast to coast flight on one. Oddly enough, his company later posted massive losses and he was fired.

The phones went away because it is expensive to haul them around and eventually the companies, that paid the airlines for doing that, decided to phase them out.

 

[BC2009]

How about some consideration about others then?!

How selfish of you

You're funny. You want consideration from a baby who doesn't understand why the air pressure change around his ears is making his head feel strange or hurt. You just want to label his parents "bad parents" because you cannot stand a baby crying on a flight. You want consideration from a baby when you fail to cut some slack to a human being who hasn't been on this earth long enough to learn basic comprehension and communication, but you think I am the selfish one?

Buy a pair of headphones buddy and tune it out.

I don't have babies any more, but I've been there and I know the struggles in keeping them quiet when they want to cry. If the choice is between you having to turn up the volume on your headphones and some family not getting to take their baby to see grandma, then I am going to vote for you buying some headphones.

Whenever a parent apologizes to me for their baby crying, I always make sure to let them know it is no big deal and we all have to deal with that at some point in our lives. If I were selfish, then I would only be thinking about myself (kinda like you).

If you were really that concerned then you should lobby your favorite airline to have "business only" flights rather than making attacking remarks against the parents of crying babies.

So how about some consideration of others? How selfish of you.