How Would You Feel About Phone Calls on Your Next Flight?

Last month, British Airways provided an update about its in-flight use of Starlink: specifically, that it was the first U.K.-based airline to offer satellite internet using the service. The fact that the airline in question was teaming up with Starlink wasn’t necessarily shocking — a lot of airlines have been announcing partnerships with the likes of Starlink and Project Kuiper. But one phrase in the press release may have raised an eyebrow or two: a mention of Starlink’s capacity for “video calls.”

As Skift’s Meghna Maharishi pointed out in a recent article, British Airways is going where some of its peers won’t: allowing passengers to make calls while in mid-air. At least, they are doing so where it’s legally permissable: Maharishi reports that U.S. law bars such calls from taking place, but the U.K. and E.U. allow it.

What does that mean for passengers traveling on a Starlink-enabled British Airways flight? “If you’re making a call, keep your voice low and use headphones,” states the airline’s guide to using Starlink wifi.

As Maharishi reports at Skift, the prospect of having in-flight calls at all has led some commentators to voice their displeasure at the idea. It isn’t hard to see why: one person quietly making a call on a flight is one thing; dozens at the same time, however, sounds much less enjoyable.

Two More Airlines Are Connecting With Starlink for In-Flight Wifi

British Airways and Iberia are the latest to work with the satellite internet provider

Commercial airlines are far from the only place where there’s some debate over the propriety (or lack thereof) of making calls while in transit. This has come up on public transit as well — at least in cases where cellular service is actually available. As technology advances, the number of locations where cellphone service will not be available will dwindle. What that means for everyone’s peace of mind is a story that’s still being written.

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Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…