Dubai's Emirates airline first to allow mobile calls in flight

In a move that is bound to simultaneously please and annoy most airline passengers, Emirates is busting out in-flight cellphone service for its planes, in partnership with Aeromobile. The service will be similar to that of Ryanair, 'cept Emirates plans to beat them to the punch by having its first 777 equipped by January, as opposed to mid-'07 for the competition. Rates for phone usage are apparently "comparable to international tariffs," meaning "dang expensive," but it should be at least a bit better than the extortion of those lame satellite phones. Also, the whole system can be controlled by the cabin crew, so phone operation can be limited to texting for overnight flights or whatnot. Aeromobile claims to be currently in talks with other airlines in regards to implementing its system, and expects in-flight call revenue to be as large as £1.5 billion (2.85 billion US) by 2010.

[kizildere @ Nov 8th 2006 1:16PM]

Great, more annoying single-serving friends.

[Grant @ Nov 8th 2006 2:13PM]

I'm not too excited. I like sleeping on the plane. I don't need someone next to me talking on their cell the entire flight.

[Illuminated One @ Nov 8th 2006 2:24PM]

When oil runs out, these guys will be flying while the rest of us use horses.

[Illuminated One @ Nov 8th 2006 2:25PM]

When oil runs out, these guys will be flying while the rest of us use horses.

[tiuk @ Nov 8th 2006 3:06PM]

Worst idea ever.

[audiodrumm @ Nov 8th 2006 3:19PM]

Hmm...I'm wondering if it is possible to connect and use an VOIP via Connexion by boeing while in flight. If so, there's a really cost effective way to stay on top of things in the air

[oliB317 @ Nov 8th 2006 4:36PM]

I don't think you'll be able to use VoIP with the Connexion, it's way too slow. Only a little faster than ISDN from my experience. Plus, I tried PTT via ICQ and it did not work.

Furthermore, as we all know the Connexion service is being discontinued. :(

[Joshua James @ Nov 8th 2006 4:47PM]

I don't understand why someone would talk on the phone any more than talking to someone with them in the cabin. A conversation is a conversation, or is the problem that you can only evesdrop on one side of it?

[Zuke @ Nov 8th 2006 6:09PM]

The problem is that almost nobody talks on a cell phone at a normal conversation volume...

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? IT'S ME. I SAID IT'S ME! SAMANTHA!! WHAT?!? NO, I'M CALLING FROM THE PLANE!! YEAH! WHAT? YEAH, I TALKED TO HER! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT CRAP? WHAT!? NO! WHAT A BITCH! HUH!? OH YEAH, I HEARD THAT TOO!!"

rinse, repeat for 5 hour flight to Hawaii.

[xman @ Nov 9th 2006 11:48AM]

http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2006/06/15/Navigation/177/207243/Pictures+First+images+of+Airbus's+Super+First+Clas s+suites+concept+for.html

As i see from this pictures, maybe it won't be too annoying if it were on A380. Or if their flight look like this http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1037921/L/

[xman @ Nov 9th 2006 11:58AM]

http://images.forbes.com/media/lifestyle/2006/11/09/2_1109feat.jpg
It's actually look like this

[melvin @ Feb 13th 2007 4:45AM]

My name is melvin moore and I'm a spammer.

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[nurkaz @ Aug 21st 2007 5:27AM]

Hi, i need GSM evwere week