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Well, I won’t be flying in Europe anytime soon. The European Commission has allowed for in-flight calls while over European airspace. This service is actually expected to roll out as early as next month. It will be available once the plane hits heights of 3,000 meters, which is I-don’t-know-how-many feet, since we’re America and don’t bother with a system of measurement based on units of 10. Anyway, the idea is to put a small cellular transmitter on the plane, which will cover all passengers on board. Kinda sounds like Femtocel.

Of course, it won’t be as cheap as calling on the ground. While pricing has not been announced, European Union Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding is already a bit concerned. “If consumers receive shock phone bills, the service will not take off,” she said.

If I was European, you could color me annoyed. As if people yakking on the phone on public transportation wasn’t bad enough. If someone’s talking on the bus or train, I can usually move — that is, if it’s not rush hour. On a plane, though, there’s no recourse. You’re stuck with the person next to you for the duration. And if that person is talking while I’m trying to sleep, well, there’s going to be trouble.

Reding also shows concern about this: “I also call on airlines and operators to create the right conditions on board aircraft to ensure that those who want to use in-flight communication services do not disturb other passengers,” she said.

Last week in America, the FAA cleared in-house WiFi, a far saner option. See, I can be silent on the Internet. This will be available on select American Airlines flights, and Virgin America flights soon thereafter.

Here’s an idea for in-flight calling: You can only use it in the lavatory. Eh? Any takers?

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