Qantas introducing in-flight SMS and email
Qantas has announced that it will open up the use of SMS and email on some domestic flights on Boeing 767 and Airbus A330 aircraft. The announcement comes after a trial into the use of mobile phones in-flight. Users will have to have flight mode capable mobile phones or PDAs with international roaming set up on their mobile accounts.
According to the Qantas website:
“To send and receive text messages, customers will require a tri-band
or quad band GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) mobile phone
with an active account with a telecommunications service provider who
has a roaming agreement with AeroMobile and International Roaming
activated with their service provider.
To send and receive emails, customers will require a GPRS equipped phone, PDA, or laptop with an active email account.”
As Dan Warne commented over at APC, global roaming could equate to very expensive.
Qantas also offers in-flight SMS, phone calls and seat-to-seat phone calls on its B747-400 and A330-300 services. They charge $US1.90 per SMS. I’m guessing these craft serve international flights only – if you’re a frequent flyer and confirm this, please leave a comment.
Qantas, Emirates push in-flight cell phone use (CNET)
Comments
The press release says it’s for aircraft that are mainly used for domestic flights.
I’ve travelled on the 767 that was used for the domestic trials.
This was on the ADL/DRW flight. I believe your phone carrier has to have an agreement with Aeromobile the inflight service provider. It’s not just a case of what you were doing in the terminal you can now do on the flight.
For me personally, on the plane is about the only place I get some peace from phones and e-mail.