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FAA's Ruling On Smartphones During Takeoff Has Had Little Impact

Posted by Soulskill on from the or-we're-just-used-to-hiding-it dept.

colinneagle writes: Airlines have seen almost no increase in the use of smartphones, tablets, and laptops among passengers since the Federal Aviation Administration ruled in October that they are now allowed to do so during takeoff and landing, a recent study found. Over a four month period observed by DePaul University's Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development this year, 35.9% of passengers used mobile devices at any point during the flight. In last year's study, while flight attendants still patrolled the aisles for devices that hadn't been shut off, 35.3% of passengers used devices during flight. Chaddick Institute director Joseph Schwieterman said many people may not be interested in using their mobile devices in-flight, and are simply excited for an opportunity to "use the time to sleep and chill out." Another contributing factor is the stipulation to the FAA's rule that still bans the use of smartphones for making phone calls or send text messages, the report noted. That may change soon, however. The FAA recently received public comment on a proposal to lift its ban on in-flight cellphone communications service, which has been in place since 1991.

12 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. If they approve allowing calls on planes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That will be the last time I fly commercial. The LAST thing I want to do is be couped up in an aluminum can for 1+ hours listening to half of other people's mindless drivel conversations on their phones. It's already bad enough the second the plane hits the runway on landing everyone pulls out their phones to call people. And they don't just have the "ok we just landed I'll meet you out front in 20 minutes" short talk. - No it turns into long drawn out annoying conversations hat CERTAINLY can wait until they are off the plane to have.

    1. Re:If they approve allowing calls on planes... by PvtVoid · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You can always pick the airline that doesn't allow calls.

      And when there are no such airlines left, then what?

    2. Re:If they approve allowing calls on planes... by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Step 1: Get a smartphone for yourself and put music on it.
      Step 2: Get in-ear earbuds that filter out most ambient noise.
      Step 3: Press Play.

    3. Re:If they approve allowing calls on planes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I see you don't travel much. It sucks bad enough when people are minding their own business, I don't need to hear your unimportant conversation as well while I'm trying to listen to a movie or maybe trying to sleep.

    4. Re:If they approve allowing calls on planes... by rworne · · Score: 4, Informative

      Several airlines now have in-flight WiFi and while the bandwidth is crappy, you could use it for VOIP. The two airlines I have flown on that have this (Lufthansa and United) both expressly forbid the use of Skype and voice apps for the very reason you state - it annoys other passengers.

      Here's what Lufthansa has to say about it:

      The option of making mobile phone calls has been disabled in response to the wishes of a majority of our customers. In addition, customers are advised that Internet telephony (VOIP) is likewise not permitted.

      And United:

      It is against United policy to allow videoconferencing or voice communications in flight. Live video and Internet streaming services are not supported.

      I have the same concerns you do, but this is one thing the airlines so far have gotten right.

      --
      I tried every decent and legal way I could think of to resolve the issue w/the business before I rented the chicken suit
    5. Re:If they approve allowing calls on planes... by Imrik · · Score: 3, Insightful

      People tend to talk louder on the phone.

  2. Point? by Chuckstar · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'm not sure I understand the point. I don't remember anyone claiming that more people would use mobile devices on planes if they could use them during taxi and takeoff. It seemed it was always just that the people who were already using devices on planes wanted to also be able to use them during taxi and takeoff.

  3. Was this unexpected? by Guspaz · · Score: 4, Informative

    We expected the new rules to increase the use of devices during takeoff/landing from 0% to not-0%... not increase the use of devices in general.

  4. meanwhile in the rest of the world by rubycodez · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've been in other parts of the world that have always allowed continuous cell use on planes, and so planes fell out of the sky like hail. oh wait, nothing happened

    1. Re:meanwhile in the rest of the world by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Sigh. Not this again.

      Airplanes don't fall out of the sky because, first, there's a pilot on board to think about what his instruments are telling him. Second, airplanes usually have back-up systems for important stuff.

      NASA has a voluntary database of in-flight incidents. There are issues related to "Passenger Electronic Devices" (Event Type category is "Flight Deck/Cabin/Aircraft Event" and value is "Passenger Electronic Device") that don't cause the plane to crash. However, it can affect aircraft radios used for navigation and voice communication and, on rare occasions, will cause the autopilot to disengage--assumedly due to odd signals being received from the above.

      So the whole, "I don't know of any planes that have crashed because of a cellphone call" doesn't mean there isn't interference. It just means that the pilots handle it--sometimes by having the Flight Attendants re-check to make sure that people have turned things off. I remember reading about a pilot who got a signal that one of the cargo doors had opened while at 30,000 feet. He ignored it because if that signal had been true, he'd also see a whole bunch of other warnings about depressurization and the plane would probably be acting strangely.

      Recently a Maysian Airlines flight went missing. You may have heard about it in the news. Nobody can understand why the pilots would have deviated from their course and had trouble communicating...

  5. He definitely never has been on monkey class... by Ries · · Score: 4, Informative

    "use the time to sleep and chill out." my ass. I recently had a 31h flight (24h of them inside the planes) on monkey class. There was nothing pleasant over it, it was a means to get from A to B. The whole flight was survival and sleeping in that upright position was not a choice, it happens when the mind is so tired that it barely can't feel the discomfort anymore. You do anything to try to keep your mind occupied while being crammed in that seat for a full day, with the only break being getting out of the plane, to be scanned for bombs for the X'th time, just to return to the same plane and same seat...

  6. Re:No reception... by Theaetetus · · Score: 3, Informative

    ...at 36,000ft. That's why I never use mine... After about 7,000ft I get 0 bars. I'm not going to pay $18 to use WiFi for longer than an hour so I'll just use the time to drink and relax.

    I've got a dozen games, about two hundred books, and a handful of tv shows and movies on my iPad. I use it every flight, and it's annoying being stuck reading the in-flight magazine during takeoff and landing.