Comments on: Your Take: In-Flight Mobile Phone Service

By: badgerprof

badgerprof — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 04:25:10 +0000

I have been NWA Platinum since the program began. I look forward to being Delta Diamond next year. If cell phone calling is allowed on Delta flights, I will quit flying Delta unless every other airline makes the same silly mistake of allowing calls while in the air. I want to fly Delta but I cannot think of any change of policy that would make me more likely to apply for status matching elsewhere and switch my revenue to that other airline. Please, please, please, do not allow this. With WiFi, people can stay in touch as much as they need. Voice is simply not needed. Thanks!

By: jacksonharryy

jacksonharryy — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:33:59 +0000

Hi,this is a nice post.Good Now we can use our cell phone during flight.This is a brilliant effort.Thanks

By: paparazzi1983

paparazzi1983 — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:43:05 +0000

yeah… i agree that voice calls on a plane will probably lead to more air-rage, where grown men will strangle lovebirds who play ‘no, you hang up! no I love YOU!’ game for 10 minutes…

i would love to have texting / email capabilities though on a plane.. i hope that the internet option is fairly priced… unlike most airport WiFi access…

By: andyborgmann

andyborgmann — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:13:36 +0000

O’Leary has always been good for a good, honest laugh. And while I usually appreciate his brutal honesty, I think he is missing the point on this one.

Nobody expects their plane ride to be a bastion of solitude to contemplate life, but most would like it to be as peaceful as possible. And when those of us in coach are sitting within inches of our seatmate, listening to their phone call would not be fun.

I LOVE the fact Delta is adding internet to their planes – that was a smart move. Voice calls on the other hand, don’t seem to be necessary and will only provide chaos and annoyance on board.

By: Jayo Z

Jayo Z — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:56:35 +0000

Wow… this guy really does seem crazy. Almost as bad as SkyBus (okay maybe even worse), where their “Boston” airport was really somewhere in New Hampshire! But I’ll always favor Boeing (or anything for that matter) over an A320-family jet, though this situation makes me almost not care. Go figure.

By: HWGeek

HWGeek — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:55:24 +0000

This dude is crazy, he wants to charge $1.40 to use the potty on the plane

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,501780,00.html

By: deltadc9

deltadc9 — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:01:52 +0000

I would LOVE to use my phone onboard, but when when will it start? or will it?

By: malbarda

malbarda — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:16:06 +0000

I am sure I could drown out call-making passengers with a noise cancelling headset. But I would rather have Delta to not allow calls at all.

I fly international mostly and I value my time on board for work and relaxation. On overnight flights I eat and sleep. On day flights I eat and work. Eight or more hours in my “office in the sky” with no calls, no interruptions from people walking into my office, is extremely valuable to me and is a time I am usually most productive. It is one of the few places I am totally uninterrupted (apart from the usually excellent in-flight service). So… no to calls, yes to internet access. Short but sweet.

By: Jayo Z

Jayo Z — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:23:36 +0000

I can understand why some people would want to be able to use cell phones on aircraft. If it helps get business done, then they would want to do it. However, others may enjoy flying as a break from contact; that’s not to mention leisure travelers who want to sleep or relax on the flight.

Here’s one idea that I don’t see here yet: the Delta Shuttle. It was created for business travelers who need to get around the northeast quickly and efficiently. Since it’s such a short flight, nobody should be trying to sleep (perhaps excluding the first and last flights of the day). Would separate hardware (other than the Aircell technology currently installed) be necessary? Perhaps it would be worth bringing back dedicated Delta Shuttle aircraft (the MD-88s, and the new E175s I guess; I miss the legroom on the Mad Dog!!!).

The Delta Shuttle has very little legitimate competition; its biggest rival is the US Airways Shuttle (which doesn’t have half the amenities or benefits); other services to consider are American Airlines’ service (its largest aircraft on this route is the ERJ-145, so forget that), and Continental Airlines’ service (which is out of Newark – and not the Marine Air Terminal). JetBlue has a service out of JFK on E190 aircraft; while they have a number of amenities and benefits, including easy access via the AirTrain, they still don’t have open seating and the Marine Air Terminal, a dedicated Shuttle-only facility. And don’t they go to Dulles? Adding cell phone service would just take the cake.

By the way, yesterday morning on my way to school, I saw a MD-88 in the new colors on approach to LGA. With the orange sky as a backdrop, it looked like it was a dream. Only would have been better if I was on it

By: Ralfinho

Ralfinho — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:31:04 +0000

I also agree with the others that the use of cell phones during flights would be very annoying. I wouldn’t mind if someone were using it for sending/receiving text messages.
Talking on the phones should remain forbidden and if usage for texting were allowed then people should be encouraged to switch off not only ringtones but also sound effects used for notification about received text messages.

pmcary is right. WiFi is great for those who need internet access but please not for skype etc.