In-Flight Phone Calls Allowed, Disclosing Should Be Done Beforehand

In-flight Wi-Fi phone calls are now allowed. However, this new proposal from federal regulators may lead to air fume. Some passengers and flight attendants complained that these calls could be disruptive.

On December 8, the news was publicized that at this time the Federal Communications Commission's rules prohibit the use of mobile devices on certain radio frequencies onboard aircraft and making a voice calls during flights. However, this doesn't include the Wi-Fi calls. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) confirmed that allowing the voice and Wi-Fi calls if airlines will tell all customers about the policy when customers are buying their tickets.

The president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Sara Nelson, explained that the phone call ban is reckless and flight attendants feared the phone calls could lead to major trouble between passengers making calls and passengers who don't want to listen to the conversations. She added that it may threaten aviation security and increases the probability of conflict during the flight. It also threatens safety for passengers and airline crews.

Many US airlines oppose the government ban on these in-flight calls. This higher prevalence of voice calls may lead to greater risk. Meantime, the federal agency proposes that the regulation may be required from the beginning of booking the flight tickets and disclose about in-flight voice calls. No disclosure is needed if the flight does not permit voice calls.

The spokeswoman for Airlines for America, Kathy Grannis Allen said that the DOT should regulate and determine what services can be safely offered in flight. Thus, the decision should be based on the best interests of the passengers and crewmembers. Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Alaska Airlines do not have any plans to permit in-flight voice calls. Meanwhile, United Airlines is still reviewing the proposal and seeking views from the airlines' customers and employees.

The regulation is still pending and the department is still seeking perfect ways on whether disclosure is sufficient of simply putting a ban on voice calls on flights within the country. The department wants to hear the voices of consumers and the customers' comments must be received within 60 days from the published date of the Federal Register. Visit the NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) at www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2014-0002.