Anonymous

South

Consultant

On board calling from seat back and other wired phones was never widely used, despite being around for years. In flight internet has proved a dead duck. The same will be true of in flight mobile provision, and for all the same reasons - too expensive, too indiscreet in such crowded conditions and too intrusive. Apply a sense check airlines - don't waste your time and our money implementing it.
Texting might just work (probably not so much in the US where it is only just coming into use - largely by teens) because it is at least (a) discreet (b) might be a reasonable price. Even so, I doubt mass usage will take off (pun pun).
If airlines want to do something useful - make the fundamental service better - eg more spacious and comfortable seats. Travellers are not stupid. Nobody is going to choose their flight on the basis of being able to text while in the air! But they might just pay a bit more for not being treated like a sardine.
Ryanair, masters of extracting cash from customers, will simply make sure that this is another way of adding a profitable, is small revenue stream. They are also sharp enough to remove it swiftly if this is not the case!