You little anarchist. They told you to switch to airplane mode, and you just … didn’t. Maybe you were sending one last Slack; maybe you decided not to take PTO and you’re in the middle of a Zoom call; or maybe you just don’t like being told what to do. Either way, you’re not alone. A 2017 Allianz Travel Insurance survey of over 1,500 Americans found that 40 percent admitted to sometimes skipping airplane mode. Nearly 14 percent said they had sneaked in a mid-flight call or SMS.
But does it even matter? If cell phones were such a threat to aviation, wouldn’t the Transportation Security Administration confiscate your smartphone instead of that water bottle you forgot in your backpack? After all, there are no documented catastrophic incidents directly caused by someone’s FaceTime. Is airplane mode just another outdated travel ritual from the flip-phone era, like applauding the landing? (Maybe we should revive that one …)
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The Deep, Dark Truth
Your phone, when left to its own devices, is a needy little thing. It constantly pings cell towers, searching for a connection. On the ground, that’s no biggie. In the air, those pings can interfere with cockpit radios, creating an incessant buzzing sound in pilots’ headsets—like a mosquito in your ear. It’s just a little annoying, not a problem, except that you’re annoying the person who is trying to, I don’t know, land the plane.
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According to the Federal Aviation Administration, airborne cell phone use is banned because it can mess with the radio altimeter, which helps pilots gauge altitude. This is especially important during takeoff and landing. A single phone won’t disrupt much, but a cabin full of them is a recipe for noise pollution and irritated pilots. The concern is bigger in the US, where 5G operates on frequencies close to those used by radio altimeters. In the UK and EU, some airlines allow 5G to use mid-flight, because their networks operate differently.
There’s also a basic awareness factor. Emergencies happen most often during takeoff and landing. If there’s an issue, flight crews can’t afford to fight for your attention over whatever FaceTime you’re on.
Will They Stop You?
Refusing crew instructions is a federal offense. Depending on the airline, you could also be violating posted signage. But in reality, no one is getting frog-marched off the plane for forgetting to toggle airplane mode. If you’re particularly defiant, sure, you could be removed from the flight or fined. But for most people, the worst consequence is a passive-aggressive reminder to follow all crew instructions.
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If you won’t do it for the collective, do it for yourself. Your battery will last longer. Your phone will charge up faster. You won’t accidentally connect to insecure networks. Plus, if you’re on a limited data plan, airplane mode keeps your usage in check.
So, are you the asshole if you don’t put your phone on airplane mode? Kind of. Not because you’re dooming the plane but because you’re making someone’s job harder for no good reason. It’s the in-flight equivalent of refusing to mute yourself on a Zoom call. Don’t be that person. No one likes that person.
