Wi-Fi calls on planes? The answer is clear: No
More than 7,000 adamant comments flood federal officials
“Who wants to listen to another passenger’s idle cellphone conversation while you are trying to sleep, read or view a movie?!” Albert Milo of Anaheim, Calif.
The Transportation Department has received more than 7,000 comments, often punctuated with capital letters and exclamation points, that almost universally urge a ban against Wi-Fi calls on planes.
The comments thundered against the prospect of calls that are possible through Internet services such as Skype that aren’t now governed by federal regulations, in contrast to cellular calls.
The outpouring is reminiscent of 2013, after the Federal Communications Commission considered dropping a 1991 ban against cell calls on airline flights, but abandoned the proposal amid public outrage. The ban stemmed from a concern about jamming ground-based relay stations for calls; it doesn’t cover Wi-Fi calls.
For lack of regulations governing Wi-Fi calls, then-Transportation secretary Anthony Foxx proposed requiring airlines to notify passengers if calls are allowed on flights. He also invited comments from travelers and the industry about whether the department should ban calls entirely.
The comment period ends Monday; 7,331 were posted by Sunday.
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao now must decide whether to follow her predecessor’s effort to potentially ban all voice calls on flights, drop the matter or pursue her own changes. The hitch is that if the department doesn’t act, the status of Wi-Fi calls will be left in regulatory limbo.
The comments so far are often emotional:
PLEEEEEEEEASE do not allow voice calls on airplanes!!” wrote Cathleen Freesen of Springfield, Ill., who said she flies often. “It would be pure hell on a plane in that confined space to have to listen to people’s inane conversations I’m sure there would be fights!”
KEEP THE BAN ON PHONE CALLS IN PLACE,” wrote Robert Laurens of Atlanta, who said he flies 160 segments per year and is adamantly opposed to voice calls. Weather delays, mechanical problems and crying babies already cause stress on flights, but an inconsiderate passenger talking on the phone could break the fragile peace, he said.
Allowing cellphones to be used during airline flights would only lead to air rage among airline passengers,” wrote Albert Milo of Anaheim, Calif. “Who wants to listen to another passenger’s idle cellphone conversation while you are trying to sleep, read or view a movie?!”
Absolutely NO VOICE CALLS ON PLANES! I cannot imagine the stress, disruption and rage that voice calls will create on an airplane,” wrote Shelley Yanak of Mountlake Terrace, Wash., who said she was involved in disputes as a 30-year flight attendant over the noise from conversations. “DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN!”
Flight attendants have been one of the most vocal groups against calls. They are concerned about passengers ignoring safety briefings before flights, getting into fights over noise during flights and possibly organizing terrorist attacks.
“We urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to oppose voice calls inflight,” wrote Robert Ross, president of Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents 25,000 workers at American Airlines. “Your safety may one day depend on it.”
Calls have been accepted on flights elsewhere around the world. At least 24 airlines, mostly in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, allow voice calls during flights. Companies that provide the service say the calls are usually short and haven’t sparked fights. One quirk is that Virgin Atlantic, which allows calls elsewhere, must turn off its system when approaching the U.S.
The FCC and DOT each heard vocal opposition to lifting the U.S. ban on cell calls. DOT received more than 1,700 comments on the subject in 2014: 96% supported the ban and 2% favored a ban with exceptions for emergencies. The remaining 2% said airlines should set their own policies.
Many individual airlines already ban voice calls by any technology, including Delta, JetBlue and United. Spirit Airlines has told the department that the ultimate decision about whether to allow voice calls during flights should be left to the airlines.
Gogo Inc., which provides WiFi service aboard planes, argued in a related matter in March 2014 that there isn’t enough evidence to suggest a prohibition is needed to prevent voice calls.
The timing of any action on voice calls is fuzzy. Even if Chao pursues a regulation, it could still take months or years.