Working at 30,000 feet: Silence is golden, isolation is not

The New York Times’ Matt Richtel writes about in-flight phone calls and attitudes toward working at 30,000 feet in Silence Aloft Is Under Threat.

For some business travelers, they feel that their mid-air travel time is an oasis of “digital downtime.” Others think it’s a great opportunity to get caught up with work and want to have as many communication options as possible available.

The F.C.C. has received an earful from the citizenry about the subject in general. In a public comment period from February to August, more than 8,000 responses were received, many from people who do not want to hear others chatting in flight. Some of the objections have been more organized; the Professional Flight Attendants Association, for example, argued that chatting in the tight confines could lead to greater stress.

I personally agree with Charles Lax, one of the business people quoted. He’s very connected and has two cell phones with him at all times. The article says “Mr. Lax said he could do without phone access on planes, but would like e-mail, which he said was a more efficient way to get business done anyway.”