BA To Permit Mobile Use On Planes, But No Phone-Calls

via Gizmodo UK


The days of stewardesses interrupting your game of 'Snake' and paranoid passengers accusing you of putting a flight in danger may be coming to an end, following an announcement today by British Airways.

From Q4 this year, those travelling business class from London to New York will be able to leave their phones turned on to send text messages, emails and browse the internet.

This hasn't extended to voice calls yet, possibly because planes like stinging you for expensive in-flight phones but also as a courtesy to other passengers, who are unlikely to want to hear you hollering at the other-half about why it's not your fault you're running late.

Apparently though BA will be 'listening to feedback from passengers' as to whether this should be a possibility in the future, so depending on the opinions of what seems like a select few, this could change as well.

Quite why it seems intent on testing this so carefully, and for business-class passengers only as well, we're not sure. If it's safe, it's safe, so it seems a bit silly that someone sitting a few feet in front of you can happily catch up on emails and browse the internet while you're being told to turn off all your gadgets. - Paul Lester