Yapping Away During a Flight? Get a Clue from the New York Times
Yes, the web is buzzing about the FCC's (or at least its chairman's) stance against in-flight calls: No.
Yet if voice calls somehow lose prohibition in the US, that probably wouldn't be enough to get you talking thousands of feet in the air. Maybe it's because you run the risk of pissing people off. Readers of the New York Times website have actually taken the time to creatively express their disapproval of in-flight smartphone conversations. Which means they're pretty passionate about it.
Personally, as one reader suggests, providers should concentrate on providing data features like text or mobile web (though admittedly the demand for them is low), since they're definitely less intrusive ways of communicating. It's not about the potential disruption of electronics that may cause a plane to fall from the sky, but the irritation of hearing someone beside you scream "Can you hear me now?!?" into his mobile. Nothing could be more up close and personal.
