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Blog: Don't phone a friend

By CNN's Richard Quest

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(CNN) -- Posted: September 10, 2006

A shudder went down my spine when I read this week that Ryanair will, from next year, install equipment that will allow passengers to use their own mobile phones during flights (and in the past few days I have also heard that Qantas is also to trial phone use on its domestic flights).

This is a horrible idea. Truly horrible.

I have nothing against Ryanair (except for the fact that they have made flying a truly cattle experience albeit at a very cheap price).

But, the thought of a plane load of people all chit-chattering away on mobiles fills me with dread.

We are all too familiar with the loud cell phone voice on public transport that shrieks, "Hello...I'm on the train." And worse..... "So what happened then ? No ! She didn't...did she ?" You know the rest...

Last year I did a test flight using this new cell-phone equipment. It is impressive technology that connects your own mobile phone to a receiver in the aircraft roof, which sends the signal onwards.

While flying is a chore, it is one that allows a few hours of sanctuary. To catch up on a book, read those magazine articles you'd normally only get round to on the loo... or write a blog (this is being written over Canada. I am en route LHR-LAX on UA miles going into Mileage Plus).

Even on Ryanair with its measly legroom and herd-'em-on boarding policy, the flight does allow a couple of hours to contemplate.

Now imagine half a dozen people on the phone. All raising their voice above the engine noise. There is one simple fact that needs to be shouted out loud.

Frequent flyers do not want telephones on board. Every survey I have seen puts the number of those against at more than 70 per cent. The last SKYTRAX survey had the number at more than 80 per cent of frequent flyers who did not want to be disturbed by mobile.

Flying is "our time" not to be too bothered by the outside world. Think about it.

You are stuck in an economy seat forced to listen to someone blathering on about who did what to whom, and whether anyone got hurt. Oh, if conversations were only that interesting. More often than not it's what time the train arrives and who'll buy the fish for dinner!

I feel sorry for flight attendants who will inevitably end up as the telephone cops on the plane. They will be lumbered with asking talkers to stop disturbing other passengers with their conversations. They will have to deal with anger when the system doesn't work and police its useage if someone hogs the bandwidth.

To be sure, we want data connectivity so we can Blackberry and text. Which is why I love Connexion by Boeing and was very surprised to see Boeing planning to ditch the company because the useage wasn't that great (although not half as surprised as LH or SQ who have invested millions in the system...but that's a blog for another week).

It surely has to be the future that you remain in touch on these long-haul flights (I wish I had e-mail on this 11-hour journey).

I can hear you now frothing: "Hang on Quest, you're being a hypocrite. You want e-mail when you want it, but don't want others to be able to use the phone?"

Yes. That's the gist of it. My e-mailing won't bother you. Your bloody conversation is almost guaranteed to annoy me, the person in the seat in front, behind, across the aisle and probably all the way to the emergency exit.

So, no contradiction. When it comes to flying, keep the phones where they belong. In your bag. Switched off, and let's have no more of this nonsense.

A quick apology, in last week's blog I forgot to mention several other transatlantic daylight flights and you quite rightly have taken me to task. American has a daylight from Boston and Air Canada flies daytime from Toronto.

Would you like to be able to use your mobile phone on a plane? E-mail quest@cnn.com. Your comments will appear, below.

Mobile phones on board must be a definite no. Certainly there will be people who will manage to have long conversations with their loved ones and when the bill comes, they will remember their sin. Too late, though. Therefore, I don't think roaming charges will deter people. I can live without text messaging on board as I have been doing so for years. I guess, because the cost of the mobile phone service is less expensive in the Americas than in Europe and I don't waste my time if I can make a quick call. Anyway, I've learnt to catch up with calls before and after flights. E-mail? Yep, those looong flights would be nicer and quieter with e-mail and full internet access at reasonable prices. Maybe it's just a dream...
(Rosa Elena Torres Mexico City, Mexico)

Richard, I think you are forgetting that most of the "phone" usage will have nothing to do with talking. The biggest area for the product will be GPRS ( data ) services , like black berrys and some GPRS laptops, as well as SMS ( text messaging ). It will be a pleasure for me to be able to send and receive text messages on my next 17-hour flight to Australia. Or check my mail on my mini mail reader. In addition, the fact that the calls are "roaming" at international rates, so the chances of long distance continual chatter is somewhat limited for $1.50 per minute.
(Name and address withheld)