Mobile phones on LH

[an-124]

From 31 October, when their winter timetable goes into effect, Lufthansa plans to permit the unrestricted use of mobile telephones on board.

[Rainboe]

Maybe I'm missing something, but my mobile cuts off at liftoff and comes alive again on the ground. I think the networks isolate your phone if too many base stations pick it up- somehow they seem to know you are airborne and flooding their system so you get disengaged.

*this is from unofficial experimentation

[ATNotts]

If LH permits the use of mobile phones during flight then I'm voting with my feet - away from Lufthansa.

The thought of sharing a row of seats with one of those cretins who believes his/her entire business will collapse around them if they are out of contact for a couple of hours is horrendous.

I feel very sorry for the crews having to contend with so much pointless babble.

[catchup]

@an-124

Where did you find that?

regards

[Load Toad]

Flying very regularly in Asia I will wail and gnash my teeth if the unrestricted use of mobile phones is allowed in aircraft. And if this is true of LH then it'll be a simple case of not using them when I fly to Europe.
The only people who want to use a phone in flight are the people who have no thought for others comfort, they are invariably the w*****s that leave their phones on in the cinema or theatre.

Just one question - why do the airlines feel the need to allow phone use on their planes? Who is asking for it? I haven't met a passenger yet who wants to have such a service.

[airborne_artist]

Rainboe

The solution is to install a mini-base station on the aircraft, and then to relay the comms to earth (poss via satellite).

Pax will have to pay LH's charges (at least $3/min I'd expect), prob charged to their CC after some kind of reg. process.

I agree - a flight is about the only place on earth now free of "Hello, it's me" @rseholes.

[Rainboe]

I can just hear the conversation! (Shouted) " HELLO! HELLO! IT'S ME! I'M ON THE TR/PLANE! YES! LOVELY FLIGHT- VERY QUIET! EVERYBODY ASLEEP...WELL THEY WERE! DON"T KNOW WHERE WE ARE BUT WE'RE VERY HIGH!" Multiply that by 40 people all shouting down their phones in an economy cabin.......

[BOAC]

Maybe I'm missing something, but my mobile cuts off at liftoff and comes alive again on the ground. I think the networks isolate your phone if too many base stations pick it up- somehow they seem to know you are airborne and flooding their system so you get disengaged. For Rainboe - I can assure you that is not correct - again, from 'unofficial' experimentation (known as I forgot to turn it off) we heard a puzzling ... --- ... ... --- ... over Athens. Eventually the brain cell woke up and when I looked it said 'Welcome to Vodafone Greece'.......................................

[Rainboe]

I know Virgin positively disconnects you almost the moment you get airborne until touchdown. It must be a network thing.

[simfly]

BOAC, I hope you weren't too alarmed, though I would be if I heard ---, especially as every mobile I've heard gives out ...--... (SMS). :p

[eal401]

from 'unofficial' experimentation (known as I forgot to turn it off)
What? And the aircraft didn't spiral into the ground? Gosh I am shocked.

:rolleyes: :p

Of course the worst mobile phone users are those who can't understand they've got a duff connection, i.e.

HELLO? IT'S ME! HELLO? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? HELLO?....HELLO?....HELLO?....HELLO?....HELLO?....HELLO?.... HELLO?CAN YOU HEAR ME? HELLO?....HELLO?....HELLO?....HELLO?....HELLO?....HELLO?.... HELLO?
Arrrgh, SHUT UP!!!

[catchup]

Virgin positively disconnects you

Idon't hope so:O

[BOAC]

Simfly - thanks for the correction - Morse code never was a strong point:D

eal - yes, amazingly we survived!

[Captain104]

No need to panic gentlemen. Just google around a bit.

http://www.newswireless.net/index.cfm/article/1882
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4092019.stm

Regards

[RevMan2]

You could always do VOIP via LH's FlyNet....

[sirwa69]

Emirates are doing the same in April or May.
There will be a cell in the aircraft and it will cost you $3 a minute


Guess I need to invest in an iPod :* :*


On On

[Konkordski]

Let's have some facts:

LH is only permitting mobile phone use on the GROUND until the last passenger door is shut. And even then only at the skipper's discretion.

[an-124]

Konkordski, LH currently allows you to speak on your mobile on the ground.

[Konkordski]

Yes - but I understand that the only change in policy is to do with using mobiles on the ground. Using them in the air will still be a no-no...at least that's what LH says.

[Momo]

Coming back from Mauritius a couple of weeks ago, I heard a number of SMS messages arrive on nearby phones while we were over Africa at 39,000 ft., and one lady nearby answered her phone when it rang.

Momo

[Sunrize]

Whilst sitting in the flight deck of a B737-200 doing a few routine preflight checks, the Aural Warning unit suddenly started making strange noises. This stopped as the Airline rep hung up on her mobile phone. When i asked her to make a call a second time, the Aural Warning unit did the same thing.

Put your mobile phone near a speaker and listen next time it receives an SMS.

I can assure you that airlines will NEVER make it a policy to allow mobiles phone to be used once the engines have started.

[a340drvr]

It is indeed right that LH changed its policy on mobile phone usage! It used to be not allowed at all onboard the aircraft to use your mobile phone!

Now it is possible to use your cell phone onboard until the doors have been closed on departure or after the doors have been opened after arrival at the gate!

So do´nt stress out over this since this is still much more restrictive than most of the US airlines. It also is true that cell phones do work in the air, but the signal usually fades out when you climb through 6,000 - 8,000 feet (at least in Germany)! For phone service in the air we do provide a few satellite phones in the aircraft of our longhaul fleet!

Happy calling.....

a LH 340driver

[radeng]

Radeng is currently sitting in a meeting at ETSI (the European Telecommunications Standardisation Institute) There's just been a report on a proposal being discussed in several other European regulatory fora on providing cellular coverage in airliners. The basic proposal is to have a jammer covering all but one or two cellphone channels in the 'plane: the unjammed channels will be linked by a satellite link from the 'plane (at doubtless a suitable rate!) into the public telecomms network.

There are many arguments, because there are questions as to whether or not the jammer can be controlled enough not to jam the terrestrial network, whether in fact deliberate jamming in other than special security/defence applications is legal under international law (the international Radio Regulations), the number of jammers involved, especially on intercontinental flights, and the effects on aircraft radio and electronic systems etc. A real Tom Tiddlers ground! I gather the airlines like the idea of providing the service because they can get some of the $3 a minute or whatever for it.