Please no "yapping away" on Skype in the air

The Associated Press takes a look at the prospects for airline passengers to use Skype once in-flight Internet access becomes less of a novelty and more of an expectation.

That transition, incidentally, is expected to significantly progress in this next year.

AP reporter Anick Jesdanun notes that while in-flight Internet access solutions provider OnAir sees an upside to facilitating voice service access for its European airline partners,  North American-based airline companies are decidely unenthusiastic about letting Skype-like services on planes.

"With possible exceptions for crew and federal air marshals, flights on AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and Alaska Air Group Inc.'s Alaska Airlines won't have access to Internet-based phone services like eBay Inc.'sSkype

Discount startup Virgin America is also considering a ban," Jesdanun writes.

"An airborne environment is a confined environment," Jesdanun quotes Charles Ogilvie, Virgin's director of in-flight entertainment and partnerships, as saying "You don't want 22B yapping away or playing on a boom box."

Charles, you got it. Quiet at 33,000 feet, please!

Yes, and as to your boom box remark, presumably even if a piece of music bought at a Virgin Megastore is playing on the boom box.