What Happens If You Don’t Switch Your Phone to Airplane Mode When You Fly?

27.07.2023 - 17:58 / smartertravel.com / Airlines

It’s a familiar routine: You board the plane, settle into your seat, and then text frantically, trying to eke out just one last message before you hear the flight attendant’s announcement to switch your portable electronic devices to airplane mode.

For now, switching to airplane mode is a federal requirement on U.S. domestic flights. You must disable wireless transmission functions such as cellular voice and data.

But why?

Here’s the answer: Cell phones are designed to send out signals strong enough to reach great distances. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which originally put the ban in place back in the early 1990s, the radio frequency emitted by these and other electronic devices could interfere with cell tower networks on the ground.

Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them.

5 Smartphone Essentials You Should Never Travel Without

If you don’t switch into airplane mode then your cell phone or cellular-enabled tablet will keep attempting to make connections with every cell tower on the ground that the airplane passes.

Not only will the signals cause interference with airplane navigation, but the effort it takes your cell phone to keep scanning and tower hopping at fly-by speeds will also drain your battery and still not maintain a constant signal.

“Cellular does not function as well with the speed and altitude of the plane and so needs an alternate off-aircraft connectivity solution to make it work,” says John Wade, EVP and Chief Operating Officer at Gogo, a technology company that provides in-flight connectivity and wireless entertainment services for Delta, United, and others.

“Wi-Fi usage takes advantage of the aircraft’s off-aircraft connectivity, enabling a better connection and functionality.”

Almost all airlines nowadays offer in-flight Wi-Fi, which is made possible because it’s satellite-based and not dependent on cellular tower connections. Almost every domestic airline offers in-flight Wi-Fi but there is only one airline that offers it for free, and that is customer-favorite, JetBlue.

Through this network, you can surf online, read emails, check social media, or chat using Internet-based messaging apps like iMessage, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. Although you can’t now text with SMS over cellular, you can use Wi-Fi.

And although you can’t now make in-flight voice calls over cellular, you could use Wi-Fi. But U.S. airlines won’t allow it. All domestic carriers prohibit VoIP calls even though many international carriers do not. And what happens to that plane when it