SMS in the sky with Qantas

By the end of this year Qantas domestic passengers will be able to send and receive text messages and access the internet via their mobile phones during flights. The new mobile safety technology will be fitted to domestic Boeing 767-300 and Airbus 330-200 later this year.

The system also includes voice calls, however, Qantas have had the foresight to deactivate this feature on their aircraft. So passengers need not worry about having to listen to loud or annoying phone calls from fellow passengers. The system will only be activated when the aircraft is at cruising altitude and cabin crew will have the ability to monitor the system. Emirates have had success after installing the system to cope with increasing demand for the phones already installed in their seats. Emirates terms of use include that passengers must have their phone on silent and must not use their phone during rest periods. Let's hope Qantas follow suit with these provisos!