An American Airlines flight attendant announced a new federal law this on Monday on board a trip from Charlotte to Des Moines – claiming they’re being required to vigorously enforce cell phones in airplane mode while onboard the aircraft.
[The crewmember] made a big deal, with multiple announcements and pointedly looking at everyone’s electronics to make sure they were in Airplane Mode. He said as of Wednesday/today it will be a new Federal law, that airplane mode will be mandatory from door closed to landed and on taxiway and that they are being required to enforce it.
There is no new federal law. However, you’re still supposed to keep your cell phone in airplane mode once the door closes on departure and until you land. But there’s no good, scientific reason for the rule.
To be clear, if you ignore crew instructions you may get kicked off of a flight. But nothing bad will happen if you leave your cell phone signal on. Passengers do it every day, both intentionally and because they forget to turn it off. In fact, it’s even time to lift the ban on inflight calling.
Airplane mode is more of a common courtesy our government imposes on us than a safety precaution. The U.S. government won’t let you make phone calls inflight because it’s unpopular with passengers, and politicians don’t like to do unpopular things. There’s no safety reason for it.
- Two decade old pico cells can prevent phone signals from interfering with a plane’s communications. And it’s not clear that interference ever actually happened in any case. The FAA didn’t find any instances of it.
- The FCC originally banned use of cell phones inflight 33 years ago based on (mostly hypothetical) risk of interference with ground networks but technology in place for decades makes that a non-issue today.
Airline unions, especially flight attendant unions, lobby against allowing calling inflight. But the parade of horribles said to follow is not credible.
- Cell phones can be used on planes under European rules. And many airlines around the world provide for wifi-based calling. Hijinks do not ensue.
- Amtrak lets people use cell phones with passengers confined closely together. Again, few meltdowns even though few passengers wear noise-cancelling headphones.
- People talk to each other on planes now and those around them hear it!
- You can make inflight wifi calls on JSX and that seems to go just fine.
There’s no good reason to think we’d have melees in the sky if the federal government dropped its ban on inflight calls on commercial airlines. Since there’s no demonstrable safety reason for it, policies should be up to the airlines who have generally said that if the government allowed inflight calling, they would adopt policies against it.
However I’d make the affirmative case for allowing inflight calling, not just lifting the ban. It used to be available via services like Airfone (which was acquired by Gogo and capacity redirected to internet services over a decade ago).
Conversations can be truly important. Dozens of final phone calls were placed from the four planes hijacked on 9/11, to family and to emergency personnel. I guess rules against it didn’t matter at that point, since administrative punishment was rather beside the point. This Southwest Airlines passenger who might have been able to stop a suicide if she could have used her phone inflight.
Airlines used to have non-smoking sections on planes, Amtrak has quiet cares, surely we can figure out how to shift from inflight calling being illegal to at the discretion of airlines whether to allow it. Just be careful of roaming charges if you leave your phone on while flying internationally.
Talking on phones while on an airline would be absolutely the worst thing that could happen. Unfortunately, some people are very rude and would obnoxiously talk on the phone for the entire flight. I hope that the ban on talking never gets lifted.
It always seemed strange that those people on the planes during 9/11/01 could get signal and make those calls.
The airlines also invoke the FAA when they tell you we’re limited to one carry-on and one personal item. This is not an FAA policy or a law.
They mention FAA “laws” all the time on gate and cabin announcements. They do it so customers have no recourse and the airline employees can say it’s out of their control – it’s the law.
Short answer: Because people don’t follow rules (general stubbornness) and are also easily distracted, so it’s easier to lie in order to get folks to comply (for safety, comfort, etc.)
Long answer: Because laws are a human-construct, not gravity. So, ‘enforcement’ and ‘interpretation’ of law is usually not clear, but rather often a situational, circumstantial, case-by-case evaluation. Also, those in-power often abuse or misuse their authority.
Good luck out there, everyone!
@I Love Dan — Good point. It could also merely be corporate greed. Bah! That’s usually my go-to!
“My Goodness Why Didn’t I Think of That!” – Hank Scorpio.
(That’s a good reference, if you got it, @L737)
Could not disagree more on allowing in-flight calls. Whatever it is, can wait. I relish the relative quiet and am tired of listening to someone’s deals in the clubs,
much less mid-air.
Allowing cell phone calls onboard couldn’t be a worse idea. You think there are fights on board now?
It would multiply exponentially
@I Love Dan – the one carry on and personal item isn’t an FAA rule? Just something the airlines made up.. cause they pretty much all say it.
Anyway to verify that? Sometimes I feel like poking the bear and this would be a great way to do that. :-O
(I could at least prove to my wife that I’m right when I tell here they are wrong)
Thanks
@I Love Dan – just did a search and indeed you are correct. They require airlines to have a plan regarding carry ons but the FAA has no rules regarding that.
I agree that allowing inflight calls won’t spell disaster as many of these total and complete moron commenters above me claim.
Gary, why are so many of your commenters total and complete morons?
Anyway, Gary, I want to add that Amtrak allows calls, but also offers a Quiet Car where calls are not allowed. Airlines don’t give passengers that choice.
Let’s not get away from my main point that there are so many morons in these comments
As to the federal law thing, that’s a classic trailer trash bluffing technique to receive compliance
@Dick — You can respectfully disagree with us without acting like your namesake.
I only speak for myself, but you’re welcome to call me whatever silly names you wish.
On the topic at hand, I do appreciate your Amtrak reference–Just rode in Car 2 (‘the Quiet car’) on the Acela the other day. It is a thing. Yet, they still blast announcements in that car, so it’s still plenty loud at times. Planes are quite different than trans, though, so I think the differences in policy are appropriate. Also, we’re on the same page that this is about ‘method’ to gain ‘compliance.’
Worst take ever, allowing cell calls on a plane. Invoking Amtrak as an example shows the stupidity of the idea. Text, email no calls.
@Rob — I believe you were taking issue with @Dick, not me, but just to clarify; For flights, absolutely, email/text only. For trains, it’s courtesy not to have a loud, disruptive phone or video call, regardless. That’s common courtesy. Not everyone gets that. And the subway or bus is quite different than Amtrak or even LIRR, MetroNorth, or NJ Transit. Some folks are just rude, and there’s limited enforcement of any rules, unless it is truly egregious.
I love how the same people who would complain about people watching movies without headphones, or kids playing games with the sound on, are advocating for cell phone calls on the plane.
It’s a crowded, enclosed space. Extraneous noise of any sort is unnecessary. I don’t want to hear your kid’s game, your movie, and I really don’t want to hear your phone calls. Too many people seem unable to keep their voices down while talking on the phone. If you just can’t stand to be unavailable, then use text or email, but stay off the phone.
are we sure this was not a slightly premature April 1 prank
I actually thought the airplane mode thing was at the discretion of the airlines (and specifically the pilot), and they all just choose to disallow it.
That said… modern networks are designed to avoid interference with ground networks by DENYING the phone access to the network. If your phone is “heard” by more than like a dozen cell sites? The network may tell it to reduce it’s power, and if it’s still heard by too many, it blocks access to prevent that phone using up capacity over 1000s of square miles (after all, even the sites it’s not connected too, the noise level will be increased by it transmitting.) In other words the phone might (probably will) work when the plane is at lower altitudes (10,000 feet or whatever) but probably not when it’s at like 25,000-30,000. I saw this in action about 25 years ago, when I must confess I did not put my phone into airplane mode on a international flight. All I got for my trouble was having the phone run the battery down about 90% in a matter of hours, as it kept trying to get in contact with sites and networks (probably both in the US and Canada) and got denied access.
I see @patrick verifies this, but I wouldn’t think the FAA would have a rule about how many bags you can put on. I mean, what would they care? You’re not supposed to take bags with you in an emergency anyway, or run your plane over weight. So if they wanted to have 20 passengers and let each carry 20 bags, or let someone bring 5 bags if they are light, it would really be none of the FAAs concern. I can see why they’d claim it’s an FAA rule though — I’m sure they have too many people argue over it if they are told it’s a rule to follow captain’s instructions, and captain follows airline rules; versus being told it’s an FAA rule or a law.
@Linda — You are partially correct: “Extraneous noise of any sort is unnecessary.” It’s more than unnecessary; it’s inconsiderate and disruptive to others.
However, I don’t see anyone here ‘advocating’ for phone or video calls on airplanes, other than maybe @Dick. I certainly haven’t.
Just a guess, but possibly the announcement could be referring to a TSA security directive? The contents of those generally cannot be disclosed as they are Sensitive Security Information but they must be complied with.
This reminds me of the old CollegeHumor skit “Why Can’t We Use Phones on Planes?”
@1990 — now hammocks in first class, that’s an idea! Turbulence aside of course, ha
No… No…. No….. HELL NO!!!!!
Do NOT lift the ban on inflight phone calls. Dear God, I don’t want to sit next to someone for six hours yelling on the phone in order to get above the engine noise.
If you want to see truly ugly interactions and conflicts on flights — let people make phone calls.
I had a flight attendant on a Republic 175 announce that the cell phone signal detector on the airplane was showing that there were still cell phones not in airplane mode and that we couldn’t push back from the gate until all passengers rechecked their phones to make sure they were set correctly.
But why lie about it? If it isn’t a Federal law, then carriers should note that it’s the carrier’s inflight rule, and failure to be respectful of others could result in your being escorted off the plane or fined.
Talking when people sit next to each other, across the aisle, or in the row in front or behind them is just as disruptive as talking on the phone. Will allowing phone conversations amplify the noise? Sure. You’re in a vibrating tin can, though. Anyone who’s been on a regional aircraft knows how loud it is.
We can’t allow people to talk to each other but not to someone on a phone. It’s all or none.
… First time in decades, I was instructed to remove the charging cable from the outlet in front of me, not just during take-off and land but in-flight as well. Then why have outlets, if it’s a trip hazard?
@L737 — Great bit. “Airplanes are magic!!” *flight attendant uses her phone anyway*
Letting people talk on phones inflight would be a nightmare I’d never want not consider. Enough that I’d probably never fly again. It’s bad enough in the airline lounges-where “supposedly” you’re around “mannered people.”
Not to mention in a small slender aluminum tube noise echoes. I have zero desire listening to some Cluster B type berating their $45K a year assistant sitting at a dreary cubicle because a cell on an Excel spreadsheet was wrong. Or someone else taking about their boyfriend’s penis issues-apparently not up to snuff. Heard both conversations loud and clear in an Admirals Club.
And that’s exactly what you would get and much more. If a flight attendant has to tell a fib to get the clueless and lowlifes to comply, lie on!
If your cell phone is off, are passengers mandated to turn their phones on to prove to your friendly neighborhood flight attendant that your phone is in airplane mode?
Just like the smoking sections. Allow calls in the last four rows of coach. ♂️
No one has ever adequately explained how the 9/11 passengers managed to make cell phone calls from their jets. There was no wifi back then, and no usable cell signal at that altitude.
My understanding as an ex telco person is that 250 pax with cell phones on a fast moving flight simultaneously and momentarily “grab” a cell tower below, only to momentarily grab the next one, and so on. This affects cell service for all. Technology may have moved on since this was a problem, but it was an FCC and just not an FAA problem.
Some of us are old enough to remember when phones were in the seatback in front of you. Swipe your credit card and for $3 / minute you could scream at the top of your lungs so everyone knew you were so important whatever it was couldn’t wait.
It’s bad I enough I have to listen to people in the stall next to me in a restroom dropping the kids off at the pool while talking to God-knows-who. Again, I get it. You’re important.
People love their little fiefdoms. It provides them needed self importance.
99/100 these are the same people keying Teslas and protesting the imaginary evil orange man.
It is time we all just start to ignore these nutjobs.
“There was no wifi back then, and no usable cell signal at that altitude.”
Not my understanding of cellular wireless. A search on Google returns an AI result that says that rural cellular can reach up to 25 miles if there are no obstructions such as buildings, terrain and/or trees. That is plenty of distance to connect an airborne cell phone to a land based tower. Further, rural towers often operate at higher power levels than urban ones which means that better cell service from air to ground may possibly be found in rural areas as opposed to urban areas.
Agree that allowing calls would be one of the worst things to happen to flying that anyone could allow. People are obnoxious on the phone and it would be exponentially worse in a situation where you can’t move away from them. Even noise canceling earphones don’t always work with some louder types of voices when they’re right next to you. I can only imagine the amount of added air rage that we’d see in the steadily more unfriendly skies. No, this is an awful idea.
To the giant Dick…
I count 9 against phone use and just Dick and Gary for it, but I guess we’re all “morons?”
As previously stated, it’s a BAD idea that I don’t think will (hopefully) change for several reasons:
1) enclosed space with far more compact seating than a train and with ambient engine noise and people already tend to speak much more loudly on the phone than in person
2) even on train “quiet cars” there are plenty of jabronis that don’t follow the signs… Every time I’m on Acela or NW Corridor Amtrak there are at least one or two that try it in the Quiet Car and then it becomes a social project of who around them gets them to shut it down or even the conductors often say it… And when I’ve NOT been in the quiet car the phone conversations that ARE allowed in the other cars are distracting but a train is much different than a plane, obviously, just for the simple fact of stops every 5-20 minutes with frequent announcements.
3) I’ve actually never seen Europeans do extensive calls, maybe a short one before landing, and to my knowledge their cellular networks don’t allow it, the calls go over WiFi
Gary says:
“The FCC originally banned use of cell phones inflight 33 years ago based on (mostly hypothetical) risk of interference with ground networks but technology in place for decades makes that a non-issue today.”
Where are you getting that information, e g. what is your citation/reference?
As far as what I have read in the past, it is how @hwertz says it, that generally you still have a viable signal/connection as you are ascending or descending within 10,000 feet or so, but at cruising elevations the phones don’t work because they don’t know what tower on the ground to use from that high up, and that if everyone on planes everywhere had phones constantly trying to connect to the ground, the cellular networks world get “confused” for lack of technical explanation. The other issue like someone else said is that if left “on” the battery runs down very quickly as it’s constantly searching for a connection.
As far as that crazy FA with the new “law,” apparently that was a one time thing from a rando ego-blasting dude on a CLT-DSM flight (I think United?) but being DSM that could have been a regional carrier operating as United. Regardless, I’m sure we’ve all heard various lies out of flight attendants before, there are thousands upon thousands of them so there are bound to be a few weirdos. For all we know that guy is a 5G conspiracy theorist on a personal mission.