Gadget convergence is making the FAA’s rules against cellphones on flights look somewhat arbitrary. Right now it’s alright to use a wireless PDA to check your email in-flight, but connecting to the same cellular network on the same frequency with a cellphone is against the rules. The jury is still out on whether cellphones actually interfere with navigation, but it is pretty clear that the airlines stand a lot to lose if passengers are able to use their cellphones for calls rather than those horridly expensive AirPhones. Of course since getting stuck sitting next to someone chatting away on their cellphone is even worse on an airplane than it is on a bus or in a restaurant, maybe it’s not so bad that making a call in-flight costs $4 a minute.
