Ryanair offers inflight calls, texting, email

Ryanair Offers In-Flight Mobile Phones
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/europeinsight/archives/2009/02/ryanair_offers.html

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary unveiled the discount airline’s latest money-making plan: inflight mobile service. Although several other airlines such as Air-France KLM and BMI British Midland have run in-flight cell phone service trials, Ryanair is the first European airline to actually begin kitting out 20 of its 170-strong fleet.

The service is provided by OnAir, a company 67% owned by aviation company Sita and 30% by Airbus. O’Leary aims to offer it aboard the entire fleet within the next 18 months. Calls aren’t cheap, though, costing between $2.15 and $4.28 a minute, with text messages costing 60 cents and e-mails up to $2.85.

What do you think about the service...and the prices?