Air France launches in-flight mobile phone service

Although we'd always assumed that Ryanair would be the first to roll out Airbus' OnAir in-flight calling system, it looks like Air France is going to take the prize -- the airline is now rolling out Mobile On-Air 2.5G cell service on select international flights. Passengers on European-route Airbus A318s can now use their phones to send and receive texts, MMS, and email over the system when the new "no mobiles" light is switched off, and voice calling support will be rolled in the second half of the year-long trial. Phones are used just like on the ground, with a picocell on board the aircraft bouncing signals off a satellite, and billing is handled by customer's regular carrier, with rates "comparable" to regular international calling. All this, of course, while FAA twiddles its thumbs for the "foreseeable future." Oh well -- at least we've got in-flight WiFi to tide us over.

[Via The Unwired]

[Jason Golden @ Dec 20th 2007 3:31PM]

You knew they were going to have to do SOMETHING with the No Smoking light, didn't you?

[cashmonee @ Dec 20th 2007 3:44PM]

Please god, no voice calling in the US on planes! I am all for data, but voice would be a disaster.

[bethel03 @ Dec 20th 2007 3:57PM]

I completely agree. I am all for data and WIFI, but please do not turn on voice technology!! There would be more emergency landings than the FAA would know what to do with!

[Tonicboy @ Dec 20th 2007 4:27PM]

meh, it's no big deal. we had AirPhones on planes for a long time and did anyone ever notice? in fact, i only saw someone use it once in about a decade. with rates "comparable" to international calling, it seems more like for emergency use only, not for the person next to you yapping all flight.

[Eric @ Dec 20th 2007 4:28PM]

"All this, of course, while FAA twiddles its thumbs for the "foreseeable future.""
Thank god for that. Sometimes the best thing a government can do is nothing.

[alex @ Dec 20th 2007 3:53PM]

I can see it now "AFP reports Air France passenger gets beaten to death by other passengers because he was talking to loud on his cell phone" the jury later acquits all of them.

[Robin @ Dec 20th 2007 3:56PM]

I hope they NEVER allow voice calls on flights. It's definitely a case of just because you can do something doesn't mean you shouldn't. It would just cause too much stress, and could end up in dangerous situations.

[Ryan @ Dec 20th 2007 4:06PM]

oh god... if voice calling is ever allowed on a plane I'll probably kill anyone seated near me who is talking on their phone. That is the last thing anyone needs. I hope the FAA never approves it.

[Tom @ Dec 20th 2007 4:12PM]

im sure it will be a total rip off

[John @ Dec 20th 2007 4:32PM]

God no. It's bad enough being on the bus or train with some rich little valley girl blabbering away endlessly about which famous drug-muffin actor is porking which slutty, deseased pop star. Or listening to some self-important office gopher making his job sound far more valuable than his/her tiny, stale cubical would suggest.

How about a reallocation of resources to impliment cell-phone jammers in all buses, trains, and similar enclosed public spaces?

[caz @ Dec 20th 2007 5:06PM]

Air France should concentrate on getting your luggage to the correct destination on time!

[T-Bone @ Dec 20th 2007 5:08PM]

Air France won't be getting my business.

[Mario @ Dec 20th 2007 5:13PM]

I think it's a very good idea. Now, if terrorists hijack a plane, the passengers will be able to alert those on the ground, which is something they presumably couldn't do before.

[Devon @ Dec 20th 2007 6:10PM]

Um, remember those on flight 93 on 9/11? A bunch of them called home on their cell-phones.

[Jon Doe @ Dec 20th 2007 9:13PM]

Umm Mario. Three small flaws with that idea

1. No one will ever be able to hijack an airplane (At least in America) ever again. Not because of the asinine security put in place to make people THINK they are more secure but because the rules changed on 9.11.01. Before then a plane full of people were used as a means to get something. They were never used as an outright weapon, even though we've had warning about this for about 5 years prior. So people in a hostage situation simply kept their mouth shut and hoped to get rescued. Now that we know what a terrorist would do with a plane I challenge anyone to bring a boxcutter on a plane and try that shit again. They would be torn apart by the passengers within 30 seconds, and in point of fact HAVE, because I don't know about you but I'd rather take my chances with a box cutter vs. talking a terrorist out of crashing a plane.

2. The doors to the cockpit are bolted shut the entire trip. Lets say a terrorist has everyone at bay and could take there time trying to get into the cockpit. Well before they get in the crew will have reported in. Lets say for the sake of argument they use explosives, something much harder to get on a plane now a days. They stand a better chance of blowing a hole in the fuselage vs getting into the cockpit and overpowering the crew before they can radio, and again you have the passengers to deal with.

3. I'm a betting person, and I'd bet that at this point in time the flight crew in the cockpit are keenly aware of what is going on in the rear, at least once they are at cruising altitude. (Kinda busy before that.) I'd wager $100 that they could get a faster response from officials vs. someone dialing 911 on their phone. At this point I wouldn't be at all surprised if every airport in America is wired into a homeland security/DOD "hotline" (For lack of a better term.) That could have something ready to intercept shortly after contact. Again someone with a phone dialing 911....umm whatever. Maybe 2 hours later.

[Ryan R @ Dec 20th 2007 5:36PM]

air france is a great airline

and im sick of stupid americans expecting the government and or corporate rules to govern common courtesy...

[Lemmiwinks @ Dec 20th 2007 7:46PM]

While I agree with your sentiment, the US hardly has the market cornered on "stupid."

[Ryan R @ Dec 20th 2007 8:03PM]

ok, fair play,
but i find it annoying when people talk on their phones in restaurants, but that doesnt mean i believe that the government should somehow prevent people from doing so by banning cell phone use there...

i find that only in america do people expect every thing to be their way alone, and the government should ban everything else.... no country talks more about 'freedom' and and has less of it

[j.d.ripper @ Dec 21st 2007 6:16AM]

@Ryan R

Before you say "air france is a great airline" read this:
Three reasons for the crash at Toronto
http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualites/2007/12/12/01001-20071212ARTFIG00093-airbus-dair-france-les-trois-raisons-du-crash-de-toronto.php

Most notably :
"ce sont des passagers qui ont extrait les deux pilotes du cockpit."
It was the passengers that helped the pilots out of the cockpit.

"Pire encore plusieurs hôtesses étaient sur le tarmac avant même les passagers"
Even worse, many flight attendants were o nthe tarmac even before the passengers.

[Jon @ Dec 21st 2007 4:13PM]

If common courtesy was held in higher regard there would be a lot less laws on the books, and that holds true in any country. Do you want to be stuck on a trans-continental flight with someone yapping into their mobile behind you the whole time? Especially knowing that most people instinctively talk louder if they get static or any other signal anomalies? On one hand I do feel that banning cell phones is a violation of one's right to do what they want, but just like not allowing one to yell "fire" in a theater there are extenuating circumstances in play here.

[Ryan R @ Dec 21st 2007 4:19PM]

@Jon
i guess you have never been to Costa Rica.... i think its a sort of chicken/egg thing... but costa rica doesnt have all 'the laws on the books' governing common sense/courtesy, therefore people have to tell the annoying person to STFU, instead of relying on their nanny state to do it for them....

you are probably the person who calls the cops on your neighbors if their music is too loud rather than knocking on the door yourself

[Jason Golden @ Dec 20th 2007 5:44PM]

I'm actually in favor of phones on planes, just as long as there's a dedicated section for it on the planes (very similar to smoking sections in the past). But this one needs to be more soundproof than just a curtain. For a business person, sometimes having that convenience is important. I personally like to disconnect, but that's not for everyone.

Maybe they only offer it in first / business class. I'd be fine with that too.

[morcheeba @ Dec 20th 2007 7:45PM]

It had better not be in first class - that would ruin it for everyone there!!

[DCGaymer @ Dec 20th 2007 6:04PM]

Note to self: Don't fly Air France.

[Lemmiwinks @ Dec 20th 2007 7:48PM]

Hi there. This is the internet calling. Please stop spamming the comments sections of blogs. It makes you a tool.

Thanks, and have a happy holiday.

[JBo @ Dec 20th 2007 8:45PM]

Add Air France to my list of "I'll walk, thank you" airlines. You're in good company Air France; Northwest, Southwest, and US Air are all on that list. As will be any idiotic airline that allows cell phones.

[Jon Doe @ Dec 20th 2007 8:55PM]

Damn French....now they are ruining the air. ;-)

[Big Fat Eric is Yelling @ Dec 21st 2007 12:54AM]

never thought french can lead this in eurpoe

[Davsot @ Dec 21st 2007 1:04AM]

Damn i cant believe I actually clikd that link. Why is in-flight cellphone use a bad thing?

[Jon Doe @ Dec 22nd 2007 8:26PM]

If you have to ask, you are one of the people who would need to be smacked upside the head. Its called common courtesy. Something lacking in modern American culture. Talking on the phone when you are less then a foot away from the passenger next to you is just plain stupid.

[Davsot @ Dec 23rd 2007 12:39AM]

Yes, you're right. I was referring to this helping deploy technologies for in-flight Wi-Fi.

[Bernhard @ Dec 21st 2007 2:51AM]

I would not fell sorry for those who have their phones stolen in this case...

[eurobloke @ Dec 21st 2007 6:13AM]

All can I say is...

N*quer ta mère, Air France! (with doing a « bras d'honneur »)

[dosguy @ Dec 21st 2007 1:32PM]

If there's a God in Heaven, pleeeeeeeeease don't let this happen in the USA! It's bad enough having to listen to this incessant cacophony here on Earth. Is a 2-hour plane ride free from this infernal annoyance too much to ask? I will personally dance on the grave of the first person tossed out at 30,000 feet from an Air France plane for yacking on his/her cellphone - man, woman, OR child.