We’re currently seeing a bit of an inflight connectivity revolution, as airlines increasingly roll out Starlink Wi-Fi. Not only is this consistently free for passengers, but it also means that Wi-Fi can be enjoyed at speeds that are similar to what you’ll experience on the ground.
Broadly speaking, this is fantastic news, because what’s not to love about fast and free connectivity? However, I am increasingly seeing complaints about the service, including from people who don’t even use it. Issues seem particularly rampant on one airline…
In this post:
Is Starlink Wi-Fi ruining the “quiet cabin” concept?
Qatar Airways is one of the global airlines that’s the furthest along when it comes to installing Starlink Wi-Fi, as the airline now has this service on all Boeing 777s, and most Airbus A350s. For the most part, people are delighted by this service, with one frequent complaint — Starlink Wi-Fi makes the cabin loud.
By having free Wi-Fi that’s fast, you’re obviously going to greatly increase usage:
- You have more people sending and receiving messages, often without their alert tone muted
- You have more people watching videos without headphones, just as they’d otherwise do in public
Most airlines ban video and voice calls via Wi-Fi, even if the speeds can support it. Presumably this is because of the can of worms this opens up in terms of people making really loud calls. However, one exception is Qatar Airways, which allows passengers to make video and voice calls via inflight Wi-Fi.
I know some people will be shocked to hear this, but as it turns out, not everyone is very considerate of others. For example, here’s a complaint about this on FlyerTalk, which is one of many that I’ve seen:
This was my first time flying Qatar with Starlink, and I wish it wasn’t free. Flew DOH-IAH J last month and it detracted from the experience overall. One person mid flight was having a phone call on speakerphone, we had to get a flight attendant to tell that person to get off the phone. And throughout the flight you have jerks that just don’t know how to turn their phone on silent and we would hear pings.
What’s the best Wi-Fi policy for airlines to have?
It would drive me bonkers if I were on a long haul flight trying to sleep, and there were constantly chimes, people making phone calls on speakerphone, etc.
In theory, I’m all for airlines allowing video and voice calls on planes. If done correctly, one should be able to have these conversations at the same volume as if they’re talking to the person seated next to them, and sometimes it’s useful to be able to take a call. For that matter, it really elevates the productivity people can have on planes, if they can even attend a conference call, or whatever.
The problem is that no matter how often you announce over the PA to please respect other passengers, keep the volume down, and silent your devices, that doesn’t mean people will actually listen:
- Many people don’t realize that their voice when they’re making a call is way louder than their voice when talking to someone near them
- Many people just live in their own world, and aren’t bothered by the fact that the chimes or their elevated voice may inconvenience others
In theory, flight attendants should of course enforce the quiet cabin policy. However, sometimes that’s easier said than done:
- It can be hard to figure out where exactly a quick chime comes from, especially if many are going off in the cabin
- At airlines with high service standards and more of a culture of fear for frontline employees (like Qatar Airways), some flight attendants may be hesitant to confront some passengers, especially in premium cabins, worrying that a complaint will be filed
- At airlines without high service standards and/or a culture of fear, good luck getting some flight attendants to care enough to police the cabin 😉
I’m sort of chuckling at the thought of a flight between Miami and Latin America with Starlink Wi-Fi where voice and video calls are allowed. I think I’d rather stay home!
Bottom line
Airlines are increasingly introducing fast and free Wi-Fi, which is exciting… for the most part. The issue is that just as you’ll find on the ground, not everyone is great at showing basic courtesy toward others. And for the airlines that do allow video and voice calls, that adds an additional layer of complexity to this.
On the ground if someone is showing bad etiquette with how they use technology, you can typically just leave. That’s a little more complicated on a plane.
How do you see this situation evolving? And do you think airlines should allow video and voice calls inflight?
We had this happen on our first Qatar A350 Starlink experience, in Biz Class, from ATH to DOH, when a very nice but highly entitled Greek lady on her way back to Australia via DOH immediately upon take-off calls her mum on video & speakerphone at a level the entire Biz Class section could hear every F'ing word!!! It went on for 10-15 minutes until I approached the flight attendant to please ask her to...
We had this happen on our first Qatar A350 Starlink experience, in Biz Class, from ATH to DOH, when a very nice but highly entitled Greek lady on her way back to Australia via DOH immediately upon take-off calls her mum on video & speakerphone at a level the entire Biz Class section could hear every F'ing word!!! It went on for 10-15 minutes until I approached the flight attendant to please ask her to "shut the f@&% up"!! The FA seemed hesitant, but in the end approached the woman and she ended her call..... Thank goodness!
I can see this whole phone voice and/or video call thing getting out of hand if airlines don't put in place strict voice/video call restrictions from the start of providing Starlink service and ENFORCE it, or it will be a disaster!! And if they have to threaten passengers with travel bans, so be it, but they gotta regulate it and regulate it without preference to ANYONE even the entitled elitists little sh!ts!!
Had this experience on Qatar last week. A guy was having a full speakerphone video call with his family (noisy kids etc)
Luckily an attendant started looking for the noise and told him to turn it off.
Crews have to be trained to keep this one in check to make this all work.
Otherwise, Starlink was a dream to have when I really needed to get work done on 30 hrs of flying in one week.
oh and this was biz / Q suites, the noise still travels easily
No. No calls of any kind. Unless that person is a medical professional to care for a client on board the aircraft
NO NO NO. Absolutely NO
Not no but HELL NO! It is bad enough sitting at the gate while some narcissistic and insipid nitwit not only turns on the speaker but yells at the top of his lungs so everyone has to hear his stupid ass conversation. I was at Heathrow last week. The flight number's gate isn't usually posted on the screen until 1 hour prior to departure. So everyone sits in this great hall where there is no...
Not no but HELL NO! It is bad enough sitting at the gate while some narcissistic and insipid nitwit not only turns on the speaker but yells at the top of his lungs so everyone has to hear his stupid ass conversation. I was at Heathrow last week. The flight number's gate isn't usually posted on the screen until 1 hour prior to departure. So everyone sits in this great hall where there is no peace and quiet AND everyone has to listen to this crap. I had fun after sitting at one gate listening to some jerk who was talking, what I would perceive as sensitive company business...contract, pricing, company name, customer name, etc. So, since it is legal in my state to record without telling the other party...I recorded it. I then put that on a USB drive and sent it to the CEO of the companies involved. I have no qualms...no regrets. Once, another jerk was talking about having sex with someone OTHER THAN his wife. Can you imagine having to listen to this crap in an aluminum tube for 10 hours? It would have been great if someone nearby was a private eye hired by the wife!
Firstly, I think different cultures have different tolerance levels of noise, volume level and approaches to speaking in public and this will only become more obvious with more free WiFi being offered. Similarly, aircraft will be packed with pax on different time zones, so one person's day night may not coincide with his/her neighbour's.
Secondly, I am in the old person's camp that has flown his entire life in silent cabins. So, there need...
Firstly, I think different cultures have different tolerance levels of noise, volume level and approaches to speaking in public and this will only become more obvious with more free WiFi being offered. Similarly, aircraft will be packed with pax on different time zones, so one person's day night may not coincide with his/her neighbour's.
Secondly, I am in the old person's camp that has flown his entire life in silent cabins. So, there need to be clear rules and enforcement. If you're paying for a lie-flat bed the last thing you want is someone jabbering/shouting/pinging.
And unfortunately as with life outside the aircraft, you have to legislate for the likely worst excesses of our fellow human behaviours. And explain that pings constitute noise disturbance.
I flew LX JFK-ZRH last year and was disturbed by pings all of the short night. I received an enlightening response of apology but an explanation that there are currently no rules governing this. This was also in the designated quiet cabin.
Never to disappoint the organ grinder, the monkey dances a predictably poor jig to itself today. Obviously too much nut stuffing …. after all, it is the run up to Christmas and one should be merry not as miserable as usual …. Xxxxx
No and never. People lived without it and no one ever died.
I have to admit that to being a little surprised that nobody has mentioned the availability or use of WiFi signal jammers.
Or your monkeys?
Which, in some countries, using one is a federal offense!
Obviously this will be dificult to enforce / put the crew in a bad spot. But please please enforce this!
I was just now on a TK flight HAV -> IST that was technicaly a daytime flight but arrived in IST at 6am, so I already had a hard time to get some sleep towards the end of the flight. Then there was a constant chime coming from somewhere. Sometimes a couple of times...
Obviously this will be dificult to enforce / put the crew in a bad spot. But please please enforce this!
I was just now on a TK flight HAV -> IST that was technicaly a daytime flight but arrived in IST at 6am, so I already had a hard time to get some sleep towards the end of the flight. Then there was a constant chime coming from somewhere. Sometimes a couple of times in a row, then when I thought it finally stopped it started again 15 minutes later. Even with earplugs I could hear it - so annoying.
Ban it. Full stop.
A 777 cabin in J normally is aroundd 78 decibel. Sp tp be heard over phone you must get over this, this is close to screaming. There are no ways to have a quiet call on an airplane.
Voicecalls? Pffft...wait until Influencers are live-streaming to their fans......
F the influencers and their egocentric worlds they live in!! Throw their asses of the plane for good if they do not comply!
No calls please. It’s bad enough people forgetting to switch off their alarms!!
What about converting the bar area into office space with a couple of noise-proof pods?
Absolutely no voice calls in flight. The interior of a narrow body airliner cabin is about the same as an average American apartment.
Except that is occupied by up to 200 people. It doesn't take a genius to see that would be horrifying to have people speaking in telephone voice...
(Sadly, people being what they are, we need to set this as a rule because common courtesy is not a cultural phenomenon outside of a few lucky places like Japan)
Introducing a data limit or charged access is the only way that will deter any casual consumption that usually attracts this sort of behaviour.
Pax that pay for the privelege of using high-speed wifi will usually be more mindful of what they do with it.
Win win.
People playing videos without using headphones are problem even without calls allowed. This is simply something cabin crew must monitor and handle, restricting features doesn't really solve it.
Any airline that does not adequately monitor voice calls or use of speakers on an airplane are immediately on my do not fly list.
Goodbye Qatar.
Couldn't agree more.
Immediate no go for me.
Am generally against Wi-Fi on planes to begin with.
It's the one place in the world where I am unreachable and I'd prefer to keep it that way.
Absolutely should not allow video or voice call PERIOD. Speakerphone usage in public is becoming a major issue with me. So inconsiderate to act like you are in a private room. If I get on a flight and that starts, I have no problem walking to the galley and telling the crew. I’m paying full fare for premium seats to relax and sleep, not hear a speakerphone video phone call, or audio alerts.
Ben - worried about a MIA-Latin Am flight?
What about a MIA-NYC with a bunch of NYers screaming into their phones?
It would force me to use Frontier!
Airlines provided headphones to allow passengers to access the IFE provided on-board: there was a reason for that.
Recently returned from Vienna with Qatar in J. On the Vienna-Doha sector (A320) pax directly across the aisle decided to watch a movie on her phone without the ear buds. Typical loud tizzy distorted phone speaker sound. I asked politely if she would use her ear buds; she did, but gave me the filthiest look. Was not happy. On the Doha - Brisbane sector, Q suites, pax threw open all his window shades mid flight,...
Recently returned from Vienna with Qatar in J. On the Vienna-Doha sector (A320) pax directly across the aisle decided to watch a movie on her phone without the ear buds. Typical loud tizzy distorted phone speaker sound. I asked politely if she would use her ear buds; she did, but gave me the filthiest look. Was not happy. On the Doha - Brisbane sector, Q suites, pax threw open all his window shades mid flight, flooded the cabin with light , and proceeded to have a speaker phone conversation at a massive volume. Qatar’s 777s are very noise to start with, this guy just went way over the top with his bellowing. I asked crew about it, they said it is now a big issue, and that even when asked to use earphones or turn it down, some pax simply refuse.
It really doesn’t help that the current (dreadful) Qatar safety video has some USA dude (no idea who he is, allegedly someone famous) SHOUTING at the top of his voice at pax in the cabin, then making a loud speaker phone call - all at the start of the safety video!!!! What an example to set.
What does opening the shades have to do with it? Unlike loud videos/calls, that's a perfectly legitimate thing to do, especially if you opted for a daytime flight to fight the jetlag.
As for the window shades, it’s being considerate to others around you.
If you don’t have earbuds or a headset and choose to watch videos or make calls at the expense of those around you, you’re a moron. If they fail to listen to the crew instructions they should be penalised for causing a disturbance.
How is not using the window considerate towards others? What do you think is the point of installing the window in the first place? There's a reason there's not just a wall like on cargo planes. - it's to provide daylight, which is crucial for jetlag management especially on long westbound daytime flights. If anything, turning the plane into a dark coffin because the crew is too lazy to work is the inconsiderate towards passengers' wellbeing.
Terrible to find out, we used to fly business class with QR, but if their free WiFi allow this selfish behave i will swift to airlines that have a zero policy about making phone calls onboard. The world has become mad. The sky was the only quiet place for decades.. We have already enough headaches on the ground where even small kids have to be online 24 hours aday.,
The current idea should apply. No calls. No video calls. Wear headphones, etc....
I consider the lack of wifi (paid or free) on an upcoming 17 hour transpacific QF flight is a feature, not a bug!
What aircraft are you flying?
I'll stop flying.
I've been dreading the onset this behaviour, and have heard several anecdotes about boorish dolts who just don't care about anyone else. Complaints must be made to the cabin crew, and then to the airline in writing. This was a dumb idea when it was first mooted, and is even dumber now. To make a call in satphone days gone by cost a fortune, thus limiting their appeal. If it costs nothing to yap on FaceTime for ten hours, people will do it.
I’ve been on a few JFK-DOH (and return) flights in J recently where incredibly rude pax blast their speakerphone conversations and YouTube videos, violating the quiet cabin policy. First time, I asked the pax to stop and he did. The second flight, multiple pax were doing this (and just in the rear J cabin), and I asked the cabin crew to tell them to knock it off, and it worked. The third time, same thing,...
I’ve been on a few JFK-DOH (and return) flights in J recently where incredibly rude pax blast their speakerphone conversations and YouTube videos, violating the quiet cabin policy. First time, I asked the pax to stop and he did. The second flight, multiple pax were doing this (and just in the rear J cabin), and I asked the cabin crew to tell them to knock it off, and it worked. The third time, same thing, and the cabin crew *refused* to do anything about it (not in a rude way, but in a way that it seemed it was out of her control). This led to me getting no sleep on the flight. At the end of the flight I told the cabin service director that because of the inability of his FAs to enforce the quiet cabin policy and allow other pax to materially impact the quality of the business class product, I will unfortunately have to email the tellus customer care line and complain (which does make a difference to cabin crew, or so I’m told). I only got a (probably ai generated) boiler plate response. So I then booked my following trip to Asia with EY, and then the next one with SQ. QR will be loosing many of us frequent travelers who value sleep on a 13hr flight.
I've spent time in Qatar, and in my estimation Qataris are the most, entitled, obnoxious, petulant brats in the Arab world. They have everything handed to them on a platter, and virtual slave labourers to do anything even remotely resembling hard work. A singularly unpleasant people from a singularly unpleasant place.
I remember when I used to fly coach 30 years ago there was a sky phone in the back of the seat. It was really expensive but I mean it was available. Is that not the same thing. Kinda...
No, because it cost an arm and a leg to make a call. There was a financial disincentive to using the service unless it was absolutely necessary. When it's free, morons will abuse it.
Yet another bad decision by Qatar, to allow voice calls on flights...
HEADPHONES ONLY! For all uses, listening to music, watching movie/TV, or other use. I don’t really like the idea of allowing phone calls but since I wear my noise-canceling Bose headphones from takeoff to landing I am not bothered by calls.
Same rules as trains in Europe : put your phone on silent and place your calls from the galleys/platforms.
Will airlines establish business centers like in hotel lobbies? I'd be in favour of cones of silence like in Dune:)
It's a worrisome trend, but I have hope that if we can manage to keep our phones on silent in a cinema (or movie theater as you call it in the US) in the past three decades, we can manage in a plane. Airlines need to reinforce the message and have FAs remind pax at the start of the flight to turn their phones to silent and use headphones etc. (or we might expect this...
It's a worrisome trend, but I have hope that if we can manage to keep our phones on silent in a cinema (or movie theater as you call it in the US) in the past three decades, we can manage in a plane. Airlines need to reinforce the message and have FAs remind pax at the start of the flight to turn their phones to silent and use headphones etc. (or we might expect this to be one more thing to be shown as standard on the in-flight safety video). Once the expectation is set then this gives legitimacy for FAs to later enforce it during the flight as they might any other kind of pax disturbance.
I honestly don’t care. I can barely hear anyone talking with my headphones on anyways. No different than two people next to me chatting the whole flight.
During a daytime flight, sure. But I'd say most of us would like to sleep without putting on noise cancelling headphones.
Did you know it's not unusual for Airlines in AFRICA to collect your cell phone upon boarding and retaining it securely away until deboarding?
I have travelled to 38 African countries and do so pretty regularly and have never seen this. You’d have to cite specific examples and define “not unusual”.
I’ve discussed this with flight attendants on United. They’ve already had issues with zoom calls, fearing it will only get worse. Of course I had to test the speeds via Teams, albeit for 10 seconds in the lav.
You just found the elephant in the room.
Sure - right after they begin mandatory weigh-ins for all pax... anytime I see someone loudly yapping away in public with no respect or consideration towards other around them they weight well over 300 lbs. Funny how that works...
I'm not sure that "elevating productivity" is a goal we shoul even be aiming at. A flight is an opportunity to switch off and relax a bit in the certain knowledge that the boss can't get to you. I was in a lounge recently and there was one guy, you know the type, on the phone, loudly, walking around the whole place. The entire lounge knew how important he was. Total tw*t. Anyway if he'd...
I'm not sure that "elevating productivity" is a goal we shoul even be aiming at. A flight is an opportunity to switch off and relax a bit in the certain knowledge that the boss can't get to you. I was in a lounge recently and there was one guy, you know the type, on the phone, loudly, walking around the whole place. The entire lounge knew how important he was. Total tw*t. Anyway if he'd had the facility to call on the flight, there'd have been issues, let's say. Please let's not think of this as a good thing.
Since flights have reached the point of regularly encompassing an entire workday it’s not a surprise. I am strongly against video and voice calls/meetings on board - people always seem to talk louder ln the phone than they would to someone next to you. If airlines are going to permit this I think they need to designate specific times on a given flight that it’s allowed. Maybe say it’s permitted during meal services and that’s it? Slippery, sloppy slope.
I did not intend for that to be a reply to you. Whoops!
I would also add the strobe light phone alerts to the list.
No. Not now. Not ever!
Allow video calling for the first 90 minutes and the last 90. Phones on silent the rest of the flight.
Can we use this as an opportunity to standardize policies of acceptable speaking volume (regardless of medium) during a flight. My last two flights I had people yelling at each other or just cheerfully talking to each other so loudly most of the flight. I asked the FAs to try and deescalate the yelling couple be they didn’t do much. I’d rather someone make a few quiet comments on a zoom call than listen to people speaking loudly the whole flight
This has just completely eliminated any desire I had to fly Qatar
How does talking to someone over the phone differ from talking to someone next to you, in terms of annoying people sitting nearby?
If there's no difference, then maybe the issue isn't the phone per se, but rather the volume of the conversation.
Listening to only one side of the conversation is subconsciously much more jarring than listening to a dialogue, in fact.
A lot of people seem to speak considerably louder when using a phone. Perhaps raising one’s voice ensures the sound will carry farther thru the wireless system.
Indeed a widely-held and annoying assumption.
No. Absolutely not.
It must be annoying that you are taking a 10+ flight that you need to rest and somebody its in a call next to you loud.
I'm curious about the tech stack behind blocking video/voice calls. There is so much video/voice call software out there that people will always find a way to communicate, even using applications that were never designed for that purpose.
No. No. No.
They tried to make you go to rehab?
I had that recently on a Qatar flight as well. In Biz class, a guy seating a row behind me and in the window (I was in the middle row) was on talking on the phone for the entire flight! And, at a volume that was equal to someone being alone in their apartment/home. It seems some people have ZERO clue (or just don't care) that there are other people around them. I think that...
I had that recently on a Qatar flight as well. In Biz class, a guy seating a row behind me and in the window (I was in the middle row) was on talking on the phone for the entire flight! And, at a volume that was equal to someone being alone in their apartment/home. It seems some people have ZERO clue (or just don't care) that there are other people around them. I think that there should be a no voice call policy. Should there be an emergency need for one then allow on very small case by case.
PS. This is why I love Japan. So quiet and peaceful when it comes to noise.
You can't complain about such behaviour if you can't be bothered to ask an FA, or the person directly, to ask the person to stop being an asshole.
Exactly....... AS & HA have current policies and will need to keep enforcing it!!
I know airlines like Hawaiian (Alaska) have a no voice and no video call policy on their planes equipped with Starlink. So far, I haven't had any problems back in economy. I'm taking a flight with HA to JFK in J in a few weeks. Since it's a redeye flight, I hope people up front are just as good as the people in the back.
Exactly....... AS & HA have current policies and will need to keep enforcing it!! So should ALL other airlines.
HELL NO!
HELL YEAH!