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"I just hope they do the sensible thing and don't allow people to talk on their cellphones during flight," said Pizzarello, who flies 150,000 to 200,000 miles a year. "There are plenty of people that don't have the social skills necessary to make a phone call on a plane without annoying the people around them. Some things are better left alone." "It'll be nice not to have to power down and wait, but it never really bothered me. As long as they don't allow calls I'll be happy," said Ian Petchenik, 28, a Chicago-based consultant and frequent flier. Airline consultant Robert Mann said the biggest benefit would come on short flights, where passengers would have much more time to use the devices since they are above 10,000 feet for a shorter period of time. That would ultimately give the airlines more time to sell stuff
-- whether that's Wi-Fi or movies and TV shows on demand. Henry Harteveldt, an analyst with Hudson Crossing, said airlines would only profit if the FAA also amended the rules to allow passengers to access the Internet earlier
-- something that is not being suggested. "Unless the FAA is considering relaxing the rules on Wi-Fi access, this is not about making money. This is about keeping the passenger entertained," he said. Heather Poole, a flight attendant for a major U.S. airline, blogger and author of the novel "Cruising Attitude," said easing the restrictions would make flight attendants' jobs "a whole lot easier." There is a lot of pressure for airlines to have on-time departures, she said. Flight attendants are dealing with an "out-of-control" carry-on bag situation and then have to spend their time enforcing the electronics rule. "These days, it takes at least five reminders to get people to turn off their electronics, and even then, it doesn't always work," Poole said. "I think some passengers believe they're the only ones using their devices, but it's more like half the airplane doesn't want to turn it off." But there is concern about whether easing restrictions will result in passengers becoming distracted by their devices when they should be listening to safety instructions. On a recent flight that had severe turbulence, a business class passenger wearing noise-canceling headphones missed the captain's announcement to stay seated, Poole recalled. "Takeoff and landing is when passengers need to be most aware of their surroundings in case
-- God forbid -- we have to evacuate," she said. "I don't see that guy, or any of the ones like him, reacting very quickly."
[Associated
Press;
Mayerowitz reported from New York.
Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy.
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