Airlines to replace 'no smoking' with 'no mobiles'
 

'The captain has switched on the no mobile calls light'
Silicon.com
Published: Monday 7 August 2006

'No mobile' signs are to replace the outdated 'no smoking' signs above airline seats with the introduction of in-flight mobile phone services in Europe next year. Air France will be the first airline to trial the satellite-based technology early next year, followed by the UK's BMI and Portugal's TAP.

The technology, developed by Airbus and Sita joint venture OnAir, will allow passengers to make in-flight mobile calls and send text messages on short-haul flights across Europe at a cost of around $2.50 per minute.

The overhead 'no mobile' signs will be retrofitted to old aircraft and fitted to new Airbus planes coming off the production line, which will be used by airlines to provide the in-flight mobile phone service.
The article continues

This is bad news.....

Personally I don't think they've made it particularly expensive, I'd like to see the cost a lot higher so that it discourages people from using it. I know you've specifically mentioned short haul European routes but if we take Moscow as an example, my operator (Bouygue Telecom) charges me €2.30 per minute to make a call to Russia (from France) Now if Air France are willing to only charge me $2.50 (€1.95) per minute I might be tempted to start making all my calls from the aircraft rather than the ground.

I think this is a really, really bad idea and I've yet to meet a business traveller who actually admits to being in favour of using mobile phones in such an enclosed space like an aircraft.

Of course one should bear in mind that the airlines view this as another revenue stream....

Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrgggghhhhhhhhhh

I think the "no mobiles" sign is a very good idea.

And just think, with a minimum of changes to SOPs, the "no mobiles" sign can be on for as much of the flight as the "no smoking" sign is now.

That is, all of it. Thank you very much.

Several airlines have had "No Electronic Devices" signs in place of the old "No Smoking" ones for a little while now. US Airways springs to mind as one such carrier.

I hope they have "no mobile" seats

They certainly will in the seat next to me :ok:

They may as well have 'No Passenger' signs....

No hand luggage - no mobiles.

GOOD

The tried and tested trick is simply to stare intently and closely at the mobile user gabbing away next to you, in a bus or a restaurant or wherever.

In my experience, it works in almost every case.

I confess however to being a TAD selective in my use of this tactic :}

No hand luggage - no business passengers.

Not so good!




But to hell with mobiles on aircraft!

El Grifo
Listening carefully and writing notes is also helpful, as is nodding sagely at the appropriate moments.

BOFH

Sound like you are tuned in there dude !!!

Applied insanity works every time.


Heeeeeeeeeeeeer's Johnny :}