Virgin Atlantic recently announced that passengers on their London to New York flights will be able to use their mobile phones during a flight, this has generated significant controversy. While many Brits said they would only be using it to send SMS messages, the majority argued that listening to other people’s phone calls on a plane could potentially ruin their trip.
“Many people will have experienced that moment when you’re about to take off on a 10-hour flight and you need to send an important message to the office, or even remind a family member to feed the cat,” Virgin Atlantic’s Chief Operating Officer Steve Griffiths said in the firm’s press release.
The service will be introduced on the airline’s new A330 Airbus which covers the London to New York flights. It will not be possible to use the service during take-off, landing or 250 miles before the plane enters US airspace because of American laws.
Skyscanner carried out a survey to find out what Brits’ opinions are regarding the introduction of this new service.
Up to 86% of those polled are against in-flight calls, arguing that “it’s annoying to listen to other people’s conversations”. However, half of them admitted they would happily use this service to send text messages while in the air. Only one in ten would send emails, while 6% confessed they would use this service to make or receive voice calls.
Although using mobile phones on planes could have certain benefits, UK travellers seem to be content enough with the introduction of in-flight SMS options – a much quicker and discreet way of communicating to others when sharing a small space with other travellers.
