Emirates Say Passengers Will Be First To Use Mobile Phones! Options

[bluebird121]

Airline says passengers will be first to use mobile phones
EMIRATES claimed yesterday it would be the world's first airline to enable passengers to use their mobile phones during flights, from January.

The carrier, which operates 434-seat Boeing 777-300 aircraft between Glasgow and Dubai daily, said passengers would be charged £2 a minute to make calls.

Only five passengers would be able to make voice calls at the same time, with others who attempted to make calls being alerted by their phones when a line became available.

The £15 million service is likely to be initially offered on flights between Dubai and Asia.

If Emirates gains all the necessary approvals for the service, it would beat other airlines such as Air France, which plans a trial scheme in Europe from March. Ryanair also plans to introduce a service from mid-2007.

AeroMobile, which is developing the project for Emirates, said approval had been granted by telecommunications authorities in half of the 30 or so countries the airline flies over.

Aviation authorities also have to give their consent, if they are satisfied the equipment is safe to use on board aircraft.

Emirates said phone use could be restricted to text messages or e-mails during night flights.

One aircraft will be initially equipped for the service, with others following during routine servicing.

The airline said its passengers already made 6,000 calls a month from phones installed in armrests.

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1656822006

The worst thing I could imagine is on a long haul flight trying to get some sleep and the constant beeping of flaming text messages going off..
Not to mention during daylight hours having to suffer all the music tones when some is trying to phone , plus trying hard not to listen to their conversations. Oh it does not bear thinking about . Why do they need them on flights anyway, other than they are bored.

[Dan_Taylor]

Well, they have said that they'll "ask" customers to switch their mobile phones to silent, or vibrate on the flights. And, they have also said they'll only enable SMS and Email on night flights. That should cut the complications regarding ringtones.

When this gets introduced onto Ryanair, however, I doubt measures like this will be taken. After all, they are only short flights (tops 4 hours).

Dan.

[bluebird121]

All well and good to ask them to switch the sounds off , but the they are still going to talk to the person on the other end..Mind you £2 per minute may put a lot of folk off, but then again, business folk can just claim it back. I just think it is not really necessary on a flight, as we have all managed without them in the past, but no doubt some folk will be in favour of them. maybe it could in fact be a moneyspinner for the airlines.

[galaxy]

I just think it is not really necessary on a flight, as we have all managed without them in the past, but no doubt some folk will be in favour of them.

Same reasoning can be made in the car, bus ,train or ship.
In the next future we will be able to hear the mobile phone on the moon. " Where are you ?........Do yo see the waving flag on the moon ?........yes,yes,it's me ".

[bluebird121]

I am not at all against mobile phones, just in confined places, where one can hear the whole conversation.. yes like , "Where are you?"..on the contrary, I value my mobile phone very much whilst out on my bike, incase anything untoward happens, as once I had to report a swan which had bait hanging from it's beak, or having to phone the police about an abandoned fishing rod and tent . Never did find out what happened there .. but I digress, maybe there will be a way of putting folk into a little booth with a clear helmet, with sound proofing, on planes, if they want to have a conversation in private.

[747_lover]

Sounds cool but, why would anyone want to use there phone on board anyway???
and why aren't you not allowed phones turned on is it because it pulles the plane down when it rings??? or is ot because it interfears with the computers on board??? <--- Thats the better explaination i think!!!!!!!!!!
Sammy

[nws2002]

Sounds cool but, why would anyone want to use there phone on board anyway???
and why aren't you not allowed phones turned on is it because it pulles the plane down when it rings??? or is ot because it interfears with the computers on board??? <--- Thats the better explaination i think!!!!!!!!!!
Sammy

It actually has more to do with an FCC rule, at least in the US. Something to do with the number of towers a cell phone would have access to while in the air, and that it would use up too much of the radio bandwidth.

Noah

[glnflwrs]

Sounds cool but, why would anyone want to use there phone on board anyway???
and why aren't you not allowed phones turned on is it because it pulles the plane down when it rings??? or is ot because it interfears with the computers on board??? <--- Thats the better explaination i think!!!!!!!!!!
Sammy

You are partly correct. The cell phones generate and transmit a radio frequency. This could possibly interfere with the planes radios or navigation systems. If your phone does cause interference, you will know it because the flight attendants will be asking if anyone is using a phone.

Glenn

[hagavaf]

It's difficult to know who will really do this first as BMI said they will do it first, then AF said that (with a new A318) and now EK...

[Flare]

First reply in aaaaaageees....


Doesn't your phone drop out anyway??

Flareee