Ryanair Debuts In-Flight Cell Phone Service

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

See recent posts by Carl Unger

TravelMole reports that [[Ryanair]] now offers in-flight cell phone capabilities aboard 20 aircraft, with fleetwide service set to be available within 18 months. Ryanair joins Emirates and Malaysia Airlines in offering this service, though the AP notes that BMI operates a text-only program, and British Airways is considering something similar.

In-flight cell phone service might have a lot of appeal to business travelers, but among the folks in coach, my sense is few want cell-phone chatter added to the assortment of inconveniences already in place. It’s bad enough to be crammed into a seat and charged $8 for an underwhelming sandwich, but worse when the person next to you is babbling into a cell phone. Or maybe that’s just me?

Ryanair, for its part, is optimistic about the service. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said he expects “demand for this service to grow rapidly and hope(s) that customers of all UK mobile operators will soon be able to call or text home from 30,000 feet.”

We’ll see. In the meantime, why don’t you tell me what you think? Is in-flight cell phone service an amenity airlines should add? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.