airplanes

The sweet sound of silence may be departing the friendly skies now that Virgin Atlantic has announced that in-flight mobile calls will come to at least 10 of the airline's routes by the end of this year. Even though Virgin has multiple US destinations, American law dictates cell service must be turned off within 250 miles of US airspace.

A company called AeroMobile will provide the in-flight cell access, which is only available for a limited bandwidth, meaning only a few lines can be accessed per flight. Virgin isn't the first airline to offer the power of mobile calls while en route to a destination: Qantas, Emirates, and Lufthansa also have AeroMobile on board.

With four airlines now offering passengers the opportunity to make calls in the air, is this the sign of an industry trend? How would you like an airplane full of telephone conversations on your next cross-country flight?

Photo Courtesy: Virgin Atlantic

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What's your stance on phone calls at 30,000 feet?

Yea — what else are you going to do midflight?

Nay — I need some peace on board!

When I heard of the case of a dog who bit two passengers on board a US Airways flight yesterday I immediately wondered how that was possible since pets must be kept in a carrier under the seat throughout the flight. And, naturally, the dog did not escape . . . but was taken out of a carrier by its 89-year-old owner.

The 12-pound Manchester Terrier became agitated as its sedative began to wear off, which makes her decision to let him out seem even more thoughtless as a dog that needs medication to fly is obviously not expected to react well to the journey. This upsets me because many people view pets on planes as a privilege (albeit a pricey one) and not a right and those who ignore the rules make it worse for the rest of us who do not. I'm not trying to go overboard in defense of the dog, but the situation should have never escalated to this — the Newark–Phoenix flight was diverted to Pittsburgh! — and I worry that this fluke accident will hurt travel for the rest of us.

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What's Your Take: Will Onboard Dog Bites Affect Air Travel For the Rest of Us?

Yes, while the dog owner was in the wrong, I worry about an overreaction by airlines.

No, while the dog owner was in the wrong, I don't think there will be any backlash.

As we approach the end of Summer, chances are you've spent some time these last few months traveling via airplane. Whenever I hit the skies, I treat myself to a ginger ale and cranberry juice mocktail. I try to avoid alcohol while flying (makes jet lag worse!), so this bubbly nonalcoholic drink is just the ticket. I feel a little high maintenance ordering the mixed refreshment, but it's become a ritual and a treat I only divulge in on flights. Do you have an airplane drink? Or do you stick to water or soda?

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Do You Order a Special Drink When Flying?

Yes, I'll tell you about it in comments!

No, I don't drink anything fancy on airplanes.

Flying high with small children isn't always seamless. Despite careful planning by the parents, some kids still unravel in the air. While lots of moms book flights late at night so their tots are too tuckered to complain, others make the airplane ride the day's activity. What is optimum for your family, and do you take fellow passengers (morning flights are often business travelers, etc.) into consideration?

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Prepare For Takeoff! What's the Best Time to Fly With Kids?

Morning

Afternoon

Evening

Red-eye