Emirates launches inflight mobile calls

[Dave Noble]

Dubai-based Emirates airlines said on Thursday it has become the first carrier in the world to commercially launch an inflight mobile telephone service.

It said the first authorised mobile telephone call made from a commercial flight was made on Thursday at 30,000 feet (about 9000 metres) from an Emirates Airbus A340-300 aircraft travelling from Dubai to Casablanca.

Article at Emirates launches inflight mobile calls - News - Travel - smh.com.au


Dave

 

[simongr]

It would seem that the world has not ended so perhaps not the worst thing to ever happen...

No reports of phone rage as yet.

 

[Keith009]

Another reason to avoid that carrier.

 

[winetraveller]

Ripper!
Never flying them again.

 

[SeaWolf]

Well, the QF program to do similar, but limit it to SMS has been quite a sucess and is going to be expanded:
About Qantas - Newsroom

I think in time most of the carriers will start offering it.

 

[simongr]

24 Hours and the world has still not ended

I am intrigued as ever by the reaction to this. Everyone is of course within their rights to refuse to fly an airline that allows this (until they all do of course) - I just would love to hear from someone who has actually experienced as regular long haul flight with this as an option. At the moment there is just speculation that everyone in a suit will be on their phone for 8 hours - I just dont see it myself.

Hmm just thinking on that - I guess the biggest "risk" is the short haul where you aren't being wined and dined and you have that 90 mins out of the office where you can sort things out and make the calls you need to.

 

[SeaWolf]

Hmm just thinking on that - I guess the biggest "risk" is the short haul where you aren't being wined and dined and you have that 90 mins out of the office where you can sort things out and make the calls you need to.

Assuming you're willing to pay for it. International roaming is not cheap at the best of times but these are exceptionally expensive. Possibly more than a sattelite service even!

International Roaming - Telstra

 

[moa999]

Only slightly more than the charges for roaming on Vodafone in NZ (which is the only GSM operator)

 

[simongr]

I can see a big peak of this until people with company phones start getting calls from their IT/Comms group about the spike in bills shortly followed by a communique from the CFO outling that calls should only be made on flights in an emergency...

Personally not a service I shall seek to use or be afraid of.

My main reason for not flying emirates is that they are not part of oneworld

 

[Keith009]

I am intrigued as ever by the reaction to this. Everyone is of course within their rights to refuse to fly an airline that allows this (until they all do of course) - I just would love to hear from someone who has actually experienced as regular long haul flight with this as an option. At the moment there is just speculation that everyone in a suit will be on their phone for 8 hours - I just dont see it myself.

I don't think that would be the case initially, but by the laws of gravity - the slide down the slippery slope is inevitable as people get used to the new feature.

Note I mentioned the operative word 'another' when I deemed this to be a reason I'd avoid EK.

 

[futaris]

Not too bad (for calling) if you're roaming from Three:

$2.50/min for making calls
$2.00/min for receiving calls

$1.50/sms

$30/MB for data

And from Optus:

$6.30/min for making calls
$1.42/min for receiving calls

$0.75/sms

$20/MB for data

And as mentioned above, from Telstra:

$4.35/min for making calls
$0.96/min for receivng calls

$1.22/sms
$15/MB + 50c/session for data

No details on roaming rates from Vodafone.

NB, does AeroMobile support GPRS /and or HSDPA ???

Now, who'll be the first to post on AFF from a plane in flight?