| Imagine sitting comfortably on your flight. | | | | time. |
| You have just had a relaxing glass of wine | | | | |
| and are about to nod off till you reach your | | | | Surveys conducted recently suggest that a |
| destination. A phone rings. The passenger | | | | vast majority of people approve the idea of |
| sitting next to you takes his mobile phone | | | | an ability of making calls from the plane |
| out of his pocket, and starts to chat to a | | | | while only around 54% business and 40% |
| friend, negotiate a business deal or | | | | leisure travellers are likely to switch their |
| whatever! Welcome to the chattering class. | | | | phones on as long as call prices are under |
| | | | $2.50 per minute. Interestingly Europeans are |
| Like it or not, the prospect of using mobile | | | | much warmer to the idea of in-flight calling |
| phone on the planes is closer than ever. | | | | than their American counterparts. United and |
| OnAir, a company backed by Airbus has | | | | Delta do not want it, yet! |
| technology that allows mobile phone calls | | | | |
| without interfering with ground based | | | | The ability to make in-flight calls, and any |
| networks. Ryanair, Europe's largest low cost | | | | airlines' interest in this, is an interesting |
| airline has announced plans to equip its | | | | development. This is more so since Boeing |
| entire fleet of Boeing 737s with this | | | | recently scrapped Connexion, its impressive |
| technology to enable passengers to make | | | | satellite based in-flight broadband service |
| in-flight calls. Air France is to do the same | | | | on its planes. |
| with its Airbus A318 planes. It is only a | | | | |
| matter of time before other airlines follow | | | | The Europeans are likely to give a formal go |
| suit. | | | | ahead to in-flight mobile calling soon by |
| | | | start issuing frequencies and guidelines to |
| Why should airlines invest in this | | | | airlines. |
| technology? They want a share of the phone | | | | |
| call revenue. Ryanair's reasoning is that | | | | I think that this service will more likely to |
| this will keep its fares down. | | | | be a success in short haul flights where |
| | | | people do not mind sitting next to a fellow |
| Will people flock to airlines that offer | | | | passenger shouting into his mobile phone, |
| in-flight calling? How much the passengers | | | | however annoying it may be, as long it helps |
| are likely to pay for the privilege of making | | | | airlines subsidise their airfare. |
| a call even if the flight is cheap? Time will | | | | |
| tell. Prices are likely to be on the higher | | | | So expect your chattering class air ticket in |
| side initially and they will come down in | | | | less than 6 months. Bon voyage! |