Air France are very excited today. Not only are they rolling out online check-in for all UK departures, they are also announcing an in-flight trial of mobile phones.
Hang on, I hear you say, isn't that supposed to crash the plane? If you've already made a phone call from a flight, it will either have been a hurried clandestine whisper for fear of attracting the wrath of staff or fellow passengers, or you might have been unable to resist a credit card-guzzling call from an armrest handset, sometimes found on the back of those nice games consoles.
But now, after years of being told to switch off our phones until safely into the terminal building, we will be able to talk, text and email using our own mobile phones, while on board Air France's new A318 fleet.
Although the airline insists its 'OnAir' system will not interfere with navigation, might it not interfere with harmonious passenger relations? Will there be quiet zones as on some trains and the Heathrow Express? And will the roaming charges be as sky high as the system itself?
For six months from March 2007 passengers will be invited to trial the silent benefits of SMS messaging and email, before making and receiving calls. A decision will then be made on the popularity of the service.
Air France is obviously aware of these concerns, as marketing chief Patrick Roux explains:
"Air France has always shared the
full benefits of the latest technology with its passengers, while
endeavouring to preserve the flight as a haven of peace and well-being."
