Phone Home From The Skies

You will soon be able to use your mobile phone from a plane... but it's going to cost the earth!

Ryanair passengers will soon be able to use their mobile phones on flights after the budget airline announced a deal with Swiss communications company OnAir last week.

The plan is set to become reality within weeks -- at first the service will be on 14 of the company's 166 aircraft, but within six months if the trial is successful it will be rolled out to the rest of the fleet.

Trapped in their seats, Ryanair passengers will have no choice but to listen in to other people's mobile conversations, most of which are utterly pointless; `what are you having for tea?', "No, I can't see Stacey and Bradley staying together either' etc.

How will it work?

Although mobiles will still have to be switched off during take off and landing, passengers will be allowed to use their phones when the plane has hit cruising altitude which is normally around 35,000 feet. In the past safety concerns have held back the use of mobiles on planes but new technology means a small mast can be positioned on the plane separate from the aircraft's communication system.

Not everyone on board will be able to use their phones on board during the Ryanair rollout though. Currently only customers on O2 and 3 will be able to use the service and only six people will be able to use their phones for talking at any one time during a flight.

If a passenger tries to make a call when six other phones are already in use, they will receive a 'network busy' message. However people are free to text or use their Blackberries throughout the journey.

How much will it cost?

Using your mobile while in the air isn't going to come cheap - it's going to cost up to £2 a minute so a 20 minute conversation could end up costing you more than the flight. Ryanair are taking a slice of the profits and if you're bothered about the noise, don't expect any sympathy from the Irish carrier's boss Michael O'Leary.

`If you want a quiet flight, use another airline. Ryanair is noisy, full and we are always trying to sell you something,' he said.

Pretty straightforward really and I have to admit to having a grudging admiration for people who say it like it is instead of trying to convince the public that a new service is being introduced for their own good.

Is this what we need?

Although the pros to allowing mobiles to be used on planes are obvious - being able to call and text people on the ground, make business calls and deal with emergencies - surveys are already suggesting that travellers are giving a resounding `no' to the use of mobile phones in the skies. According to travelmole.com 90% of British and 78% of travellers worldwide are against the plan.

Personally I can see why. Planes are one of the few remaining places where we can escape annoying ringtones and no one wants to hear cries of "I'm on the plane" as they set off on their holidays. Where else do you get to sit down and chill for a couple of hours in peace and quiet while people wait on you? Why would you want to spoil that with the girl to your left excitedly analysing last night's date on the phone to her best friend while the chap to your left brokers some important-sounding-business deal?

I say we've survived without mobiles on planes for long enough so let's keep the skies a sanctuary.

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