"Hello! I'm on the plane!" Ryanair takes mobiles sky-high

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 4,213

deal that will let its passengers make calls on mobile phones and use handheld devices such as Blackberries whilst in flight.
It has signed up Onair, part owned by Airbus maker EADS, to allow mobile use on all its Boeing 737 aircraft.

Passengers will be charged a roaming fee by mobile service provider, with Ryanair taking a slice of the income.

If it gets regulatory approval, the scheme will be introduced by the middle of next year.

"This is another revolutionary passenger service initiative," said Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary.

"We will soon enable passengers to use their mobile phones and electronic communications devices in the air, just as they do on the ground."

Ryanair shares climbed on the news of the potential extra source of revenue.

But with aeroplanes one of the few places where mobile phones and ringtones have not yet permeated, the policy may annoy some passengers,

There are worries that passengers bellowing "Hello, I'm on the plane" into their handsets could make for unpleasant journeys.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5298332.stm

Original post

Member for

19 years 8 months

Posts: 1,953

Most people can manage without making or receiving a phone call for the average hour or two of a Ryanair flight, in fact any flight. Just another money making scheme from Ryanair, that's all. The thought of listening to someone with an over-inflated ego blasting into their phone throughout a journey doesn't really appeal to me, just as it doesn't appeal when I'm on the train - at least trains have quiet coaches, but I doubt the Tinkers will be installing quiet cabins in their aeroplanes. I suppose that they could encourage phone users to go sit in the small room whilst they're making a call to keep disturbance and noise to a minimum! :D All in all, just another disincentive to fly Ryanair, another reason to avoid them like the plague IMHO.

I really hope that other airlines don't go the same way - even worse on long haul when you're trying to sleep and someone's phone rings, having the same effect as an alarm clock! Hopefully, other more passenger-service oriented airlines will consider whether passengers really want or need such a facility, rather than just going for it on the basis of what extra money it will earn for the airline.

Andy