I noticed this a couple of weeks ago. Continental airlines is starting to roll out DirecTV, IM and limited web access on their US flights as early as January of next year. At first I thought, AWESOME, something to do on my next long cramped flight. (As if magazines, my laptop WITHOUT web access, my iPod, Sudoku, the Mensa test in American Way or even, as crazy as it sounds, conversations with whoever I am traveling with aren’t enough to fill a few hours.) But then I realized there are hundreds of thousands of business travelers who have the airways as their only solace from work. No cell phone calls, no email, no interwebbing… ahhhhhhhhh. But that is no longer going to be the case and I am sure other airlines will follow suit. Multiple manufacturers are also working on land and sat based cell phone coverage in planes as well.

Which leads me to my second life-and-death question. What happened to switching off all your cellular and wireless devices that may interfere with integral flight electronics? LIES I tell you, its allllll a lie!

Fortunately I like my job. Doing a little graphic design or something like that isn’t the end of the world for me. But seriously, I bet there are a large contingent of air travelers who will AVOID web savvy flights as long as they can. Work is finally catching up to the final frontier. (Well, besides outter space, but, they have the web their. I read an email from an astronaut once. Pretty stinking cool I tell ya. He sent pictures to a coworker of mine WHILE he was on the shuttle.)

So what do you think? All cheers for you, or is it a little less rest on your next trip?

-Travis