Is your seatmate talking on the cellphone?
Edited by Madelyn Miller, the Travellady
 Have you ever been in an elevator with three people talking
loudly on their cell phones? I bet you could not wait to get out. Unfortunately,
you would have a much longer wait in an airplane
The International Airline Passengers’ Association (IAPA)
has carried out a survey asking frequent flyers what they think of the
possibility of passengers being able to use their mobile phones in-flight. Ofcom,
the UK communications regulator has released proposals which could see UK-
registered aircraft allowing the use of mobile communications onboard. The
proposals, jointly developed with other EU countries, will cover all European
airspace.
Over 3,000 frequent flyers throughout the world responded
to the IAPA survey
In-flight mobile phone use - what do the passengers have to
say?
The overwhelming conclusion is that allowing passengers to
use mobile phones onboard will be a source of great irritation. Almost 9 out of
10 respondents (88%) said they would consider this to be annoying. This was
most pronounced in the UK, with 69.8% of British travelers saying they would be
annoyed by in-flight mobile phone use. By contrast, the figure in the US was
49%. Overall only 1 in 20 people said that they would not be aggravated by the
use of phones in the air.
Of course, it’s clear that improved communications
in-flight would have some positives, and 39% of respondents felt that allowing
some use of phones would be of use to them.
Although 28% felt very strongly about this issue and
advocated a full ban on mobile communications, 57% of the people who answered
the IAPA survey felt that communications via text or email would be preferable
to a complete ban. Only 9% of respondents felt that all usage should be
allowed, even within clearly defined time periods.
Overall, the survey indicates that there is a large amount
of apprehension towards the use of mobile phones on flights. Although people do
tend to see the benefits this may have, they are worried about the noise levels
and disruptions to their ‘quiet’ time that they may have to deal with. One
respondent commented: “During flights, time can be usefully spent working on
business documents or resting prior to arrival. Use of mobiles on voice mode or
even the constant clicking of e-mail messages in confined quarters is extremely
annoying and distracting and is a recipe for air rage.”
Jonathan French, Brand and PR Director for IAPA says, “Our
survey results illustrate the deep sense of disquiet about the possible
introduction of mobile calls on aircraft. Before airlines jump into this, they
should take note of their customers’ concerns, and ensure that steps are taken
to allow for these.”
Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who hates cell
phones. She would much rather get email. If asked to participate in this survey,
she would have said no to cellphones in the air.
Read her stories (some written in the quiet of an airplane)
on
www.travellady.com,
www.carladynews.com,
www.chocolateatlas.com,
www.cocktailatlas.com,
www.teaAtlas.com and
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