Soon the crying baby won’t be the most annoying person on a flight. It’ll be the cell phone guy (or girl).
Come December the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will consider changing the rules that prohibit making cell phone calls in flight. The new policy would allow in flight phone calls to be made above 10,000 feet, but not during take-off or landing.
Upon a lifting of the ban, airlines would need to install cell phone boosters onto each aircraft. Some airlines have said they’re going to equip their planes for calls. Others, like Delta, have said that due to passenger feedback they will not be implementing the change.
Even if the FCC changes the policy in December, don’t expect to see it in effect until March or even May 2014, by which time airlines will have updated their technology, and most likely found a new fee to implement as well.
Flight attendants have spoken out against the use of cell phones in flight, arguing that it’s a safety hazard. However, as Peter reported on CBS This Morning, this isn’t a technical issue, but a social one. With the amount of ambient noise on a plane, passengers would have to yell into their phones in order to be heard. Not only would this be unpleasant, but conflict and fights among passengers seem inevitable.
Watch Peter’s full CBS This Morning report to see what’s to come for cell phone use on planes.
It’s not just cell phones, but personal electronics usage. Check out what is and isn’t allowed on planes:
