Ryanair and BMI to allow mobiles mid-flight
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Monday September 01 2008
AIR travel is set to become an even more fraught experience as two airlines get ready to allow passengers to use their mobile phones during flights in the coming weeks.
While BMI is taking a cautious approach by piloting a text message-only service, Ryanair will allow passengers to text as well as make and receive calls and send emails via their phones. Both airlines are waiting for final approval from the regulator before they can launch the new service.
Ryanair, which had planned to introduce the service by June, is now predicting a launch in around two weeks' time while BMI is also hoping to roll out a trial of its service in the next few weeks.
And, unlike Ryanair's habit of charging for everything from checking in to boarding, this time around consumers can breathe a sigh of relief as they will not be hit by any extra fee.
"It won't cost the passenger any more than their standard roaming charge. The pricing has been worked out by OnAir and we get a small percentage of that," explained an airline spokesman.
"We feel that the real benefit will be through text messaging and that will be supported by calls," he added. Technology company OnAir, a subsidiary of Airbus, has designed the system being used by Ryanair and is responsible for installing it.
The EU has placed a cap on roaming charges with mobile customers paying a maximum of 59c a minute to make calls while abroad and 29c a minute to receive them. This has been reduced to 56c and 27c respectively from today.
Prices
There is no cap on the cost of sending a text, with mobile operators able to set their own prices, although the EU is planning to introduce one next year. At the moment, it can cost several times the normal rate to send a message while roaming.
Ryanair said the technology to allow passengers to use their mobiles has already been installed on 10 aircraft, with another 40 due to be fitted out before the end of the year.
Initially, only six passengers will be able to make calls at any one time; however, it is planned to increase that to 14 over time. There will be no limit on the number of passengers able to text during the flight.
While fears have been raised that loud and incessant mobile chatter in the close confines of an aircraft may cause conflict among passengers, the low-cost airline said it was confident people would not object to the new service.
"We have considered that when rolling it out. We've been assured by On Air that six or 14 callers on an aircraft of up to 180 passengers shouldn't be too disruptive. Because the cabin is pressurised, sound doesn't tend to travel as much so it won't be that intrusive. It'll probably be less so than on a bus or a train," said the spokesman.
However, BMI, which flies to Dublin, Cork, Knock and Belfast, isn't taking any chances. It will conduct a trial of the text messaging service which includes customer feedback. The airline says that if passengers say they do not want people making regular calls, then they will abide by their wishes.
"This is a trial in the true sense of the word. If people don't want it, we won't do it," said a spokesperson.
Aer Lingus said it had no plans to allow the use of mobile phones during flights.
- Breda Heffernan
