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Editor: James T. Crouse
Profession: Aviation Accident Attorney

Category: Airline Travel

Well, it's here - Internet service on commercial flights. American Airlines has begun installation of equipment for high-speed Internet service on it's Boeing 767s used for cross-country trips. Installation has been completed on one of the aircrafts with the other 14 not far behind. The technology will need to be tested on these aircrafts, approval gotten from the FAA, and of course AA will have to determine how much they will charge the customer before this service can be offered to passengers.

This has already been going on with other airlines on some of their aircraft - JetBlue, AirFrance, Quantas, and Emirates. OK, so now we'll be inundated by all this technology in the air as well as on the ground - not to mention the etiquette issues involved when these are used in a close environment like an airplane cabin.

Now, Frieda loves it all - cyberspace is full of great information to explore and from which to learn and emails keep us in touch - sometimes making us smile. Frieda's hasn't fallen in love with text messaging yet - so far it seems more like a nervous twitch than a form of communication - plus it's another way for our population not to learn how to spell. Having said this, I don't know that I would welcome all this on a passenger flight - which I see as "down time". A time to relax and get away from the world by reading a good book, listening to relaxing music on your iPod, visit with interesting seatmate, or just to be quiet to reflect, rest, and to think - a time to "shut down" and to "recharge".

Frieda knows there are some passengers who will appreciate this idea - those who come close to panic when not being able to keep in constant touch with those on the ground. There are also emergency situations which would make this service invaluable. Yet, there are those who travel for business and for pleasure who relish the time behind those closed aircraft doors to "escape" the outside world and are not so sure this is something which can be anticipated with pleasure.

While some of the airlines and tech people are taking a "wait and see" approach, others are looking into the issue of correct in-flight protocol for the use of this electronic equipment - like limiting the services or blocking inappropriate sites and content - and who decides what's inappropriate for the individual? As if we don't now have enough issues related to the airlines - Frieda can see the "individual rights" issue raise it's head when all this comes to into being. Some feel "decency, good taste, and normal behavior will prevail in the use of in-flight Internet", Frieda's not so sure - why should good taste and respect for others suddenly appear in the air when it doesn't seem to be a force on the ground? Can you imagine your seatmate being as loud on his/her cell phone in a cramped airplane cabin as in a store or Dr. office - while surfing the web with a friend?

An Air France spokesperson "hopes passengers will regulate themselves when it comes to adjusting the length of their calls and the volume of their conversations". The crews will be trained on how to deal with situations that disturb other passengers - like they don't have enough to do as it is!

According to Charlie Pryor, a representative for OnAir, the company providing cell phone service for AirFrance, there does seem to be some safeguards built into the system if passengers become too loud on their cell phones:

"the cabin crew can turn the system to data only ... so passengers cannot use the voice function of their cell phones. "The system can also be turned off altogether," Pryor said. That's one option he suspects some airlines might use on overnight or Sunday morning flights."

. . .or as a last resort?