![\"Cell](\"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/cellonaplane.jpg\")
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The next time you fly…<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n…how much EXTRA would you be willing to pay:<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n\u2022 To be able to TALK on your cell phone during the flight?\n<\/p>\n \n\u2022 To be able to USE THE INTERNET for limited web surfing, EMAIL, and TEXT AND INSTANT MESSAGING during the flight?\n<\/p>\n \nConversely: <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n\u2022 Would you be willing to pay extra to get on a flight where NO CELL PHONE CALLS were allowed?\n<\/p>\n \nThese are the kinds of flight options you may soon find yourself choosing between…<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n…because earlier this week, the European Union approved the use of cell phones on flights and presumably the same kind of rules will follow here in the US.\n<\/p>\n \nBut is this a good thing?<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \nBelow are some PROS <\/strong>and CONS<\/strong>…\n<\/p>\n \n…and you can also make your thoughts known by going to www.PCPitstop.com and voting in their online poll about cell-phone use on airplanes:\n<\/p>\n \nPRO:<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \nWe live in a wired world…\n<\/p>\n \n…and for business travelers, in particular, being able to make and receive calls during a flight will be enormously helpful. <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \nThis is particularly true for air travel that occurs during normal business hours.\n<\/p>\n \nCON: <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \nAs a fellow passenger…\n<\/p>\n \n…I cringe at the thought of having to sit next to you while you LOUDLY talk, talk, talk, talk on your cell phone all the way across the country <\/strong>about what you had for dinner last night, your kid’s soccer game last week, your Aunt Martha’s upcoming hip replacement surgery.\n<\/p>\n \nPRO: <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \nSince talking on cell phones on flights is probably going to become more common…\n<\/p>\n \n…this might be a good time to buy some Bose stock, <\/strong>since Bose makes those wildly popular noise-cancelling headphones that can drown out all noise around you.\n<\/p>\n \nCON: <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \nNot all cell phones will work.\n<\/p>\n \nFor US travelers in Europe, that means you will need a quad-band GSM phone…<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n…which leaves Verizon and Sprint customers out altogether, and also excludes owners of GSM phones that only have US bands built in.\n<\/p>\n \nAnd yes, iPhone users…<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n…your phones will work on European flights, too.\n<\/p>\n \nPRO:<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \nIn Europe, the decision to offer cell phone service is now up to each airline:\n<\/p>\n \n\u2022 Air France <\/strong>is offering cell phone service on a trial basis for three months, and the decision to extend the service will be based on customer feedback\n<\/p>\n \n\u2022 Lufthansa <\/strong>says it will NOT offer cell phone service, since the airline did a survey in 2006 and found that their customers overwhelmingly preferred no cell phone use on flights\n<\/p>\n \n\u2022 Virgin Atlantic <\/strong>believes their customers WILL be supportive of online access to email and text messaging via their phones and Blackberries…but no voice calls on cell phones.\n<\/p>\n \nPRO: <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \nHats off to the Europeans for giving each airline the right to choose which level of service to offer…\n<\/p>\n \n…or to offer no service at all.\n<\/p>\n \nThis is a far better solution than to legally require ALL airlines to offer ALL available services…<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n…because this system allows airlines to cater to their customers as they best see fit, and it also gives consumers more options when making travel arrangements.\n<\/p>\n \nAnd now let’s hope that when it comes time for US airlines and regulators to make similar decisions about cell phones on planes…<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n…that they learn all the lessons they can from this European experiment.\n<\/p>\n \nWant to know more?<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \nListen to Gregg talk about this “SNAKES ON A PLANE” article at PCPitstop on radio stations nationwide, and make your thoughts known about cell phones on airplanes by taking the PCPitstop poll.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n