 |
| TAP A330 Cabin |
Many years ago I was asked by BT to write an article about
their video conferencing that was becoming available to companies. This was at a time when it took all night to
send twenty or so presentation slides to Australia via something they called the
internet. The company I was consulting to at the time used video conferencing
between our several UK, US and Australian offices via especially dedicated
lines. Mobile phones had moved on from
the Nokia “Bricks” that looked like US army surplus walkie-talkies to more
portable bits of kit so connectivity for the individual and companies had moved on tremendously.
BT wanted to show that video conferencing saved travel money
and executive time in transit as it undoubtedly did. However with the use of mobiles soaring and
home internet beginning to grow, a conscientious exec was never really out of
reach from his office unless they seriously wanted to (for whatever
reason!!!). The CEO was already complaining
that he had very little down-time to think and plan as he was always available. The irony was that the only place an exec could
really enjoy communications down-time was up in the air – especially on a long
haul flight. This gave many the chance
to think, plan or work – tho’ at that time without laptops; they had a choice as to whther to work, or to refresh the mind and
spirit by catching up on sleep, reading or watching the inflight movie.
However Passengers flying TAP’s transatlantic routes in
Airbus A330 aircraft will soon be denied that quiet interlude of being out of
touch. They will soon be able to use on board
installed Internet OnAir to access the web using their Wi-Fi enabled personal
electronic devices, such as iPhones, iPads and BlackBerrys, as well as laptops.
TAP is one of the first European
airlines to introduce this connectivity and I am not sure it is one I welcome. At least BA restict the service to their exclusive Club World London City 32 seat Business Class only flights from the City Airport to JFK.
I have to ask - Will planes become “Flying Tubes of Babel” - With the addiction to their phones that
many people display on the ground , will the mobile competing conversations of
dozens of fellow passengers and the click of internet-busy keyboards or online
games music, gunfire and sound effects drown out the sound in your in-flight entertainment earphones? Even those excellent Bose noise-cancelling
head-sets can’t cope with babies crying or people talking I am told – so what hope
is there for a relaxing 8 or more hour flight with such total connectivity
available to neighbouring passengers!!
The only moderating factor is that the service does have to be paid
for. I guess that there is always the
hope that like the railways there may be quiet zones introduced. However, dividing cabins with no more than a
curtain won’t solve that one. Especially
from those mobile addictees that find it necessary to shout down the phone and to
share their conversations with everyone within twenty yards.
Airlines sensibly got
rid of smoking on board but are now introducing another form of air pollution –
noise pollution! It may not give you
cancer from passive inhalation but one’s mental health might suffer on an 8 or
more hour transatlantic flight….
If you have any opinions or suggestions on this subject –
please do share!
It's the encroachment of never-ending work isn't it? Constant movement. As you say, you used to be able to have a bit of downtime on a flight - to read, snooze or just watch the in-flight film. Of course, passengers on work trips might do some recreational emailing but it's probably more likely that they'll be working!
ReplyDeleteThe difficulty lay with the mind accommodating itself to the notion of the plane, with all its weight, defying gravity, staying aloft. She understood the aerodynamics of flight, could comprehend the laws of physics that made flight possible, but her heart, at the moment, would have none of it. Her heart knew the plane could fall out of the sky.
ReplyDeleteCheap Flights to Lagos