How Much Would You Pay for a Quiet Flight?

Malika Begum is one of those people you’re afraid of.

Begum is a consultant who flies about eight times a month; she hates losing work time while in flight, and wishes she could talk on her phone at 30,000 feet. “For people like me, we need to be in touch with other people all the time. It’s a very good convenience to have,” she said Friday while rushing her way through Reagan National Airport.

Indeed, Begum said she’d pay an extra $20 per flight for phone privileges.

Andrew Marshall said he’d pay $300 to not hear her — or anyone else — during his time in the sky. For Marshall, a Navy senior chief petty officer fresh off a flight home from Southeast Asia, the prospect of cell phones interrupting his peace of mind provokes a visceral reaction. Read more...