Using Kindle fwhile flying

[lacemad]

Can anyone tell me when the Air Hostess asks for all electronic items (ie Computers, Telephones etc) be turned off if that applies to your Kindle?  I usually have my wireless connection off so asked the Air Hostess at the weekend while on a trip and she did not know.

I would appreciate any help on this as I can not get an answer from Airline staff.

Thanks you in advance

Faye
Australia

[monkeydog]

I fly fairly often for business, and on a recent Delta flight, the flight attendant specifically mentioned Kindle's when rattling off the electronic devices that must be turned off during during take off. While this is the only time I've heard the Kindle specified (so far), I imagine they consider it similar to a smart phone with "airline" mode...a no-go.

[karinam78]

I flew recently and my take on it was like a mobile\smart phone, before I got on the plane I switched off the wireless and then turned it off completely and turned it back on during flight (when the seatbelt sign went off) and turned it pff again on dscent.

On the flight I was on, they said you could have non-transmitting electronic devices on after take off. By turning wireless off it is like putting your mobile in flight mode.

Karina 
Also Australian

[bamaspride]

I fly just about every week and they seem to have added "Electronic Readers" to the list of devices they specifically call. 

[skyblue]

I can understand having the whispernet turned off, but not the Kindle itself. 

[pidgeon92]

It is an electronic device, so it falls under the umbrella of everything they want turned off.

They do it so you are paying attention in the event of an emergency, not because it will interfere with the instruments.

[Rhiathame]

I just returned from a trip and on the way out when they made the announcement about electronic devices they even said "including Kindles". So yes they do need to be turned off.

[Steph H]

I haven't yet heard anyone specifically mention Kindles (then again, I don't fly much), but for over a year now I have heard them say a generic "basically if it has an on/off switch, it should be turned off" speech.

[Magenta]

I fly all the time. I just leave mine in sleep mode in the seat pocket until they say it is ok to use electronic devices. I've never had a problem.

[Cobbie]

I fly all the time. I just leave mine in sleep mode in the seat pocket until they say it is ok to use electronic devices. I've never had a problem.

Someone here lost a Kindle after leaving it in a seat pocket. Maybe takeoff, but not landing...

[Magenta]

Someone here lost a Kindle after leaving it in a seat pocket. Maybe takeoff, but not landing...

That unfortunate situation is quite common based on what others post in this forum.  I've always been obsessed with putting everything back in my carry on as I prepare for landing.  I do lots of long haul flights overseas and tend to "settle in" for the 8-18 hours.      And now after reading about kindles being lost in seat pockets, I'm doubly obsessed!

[ProfCrash]

I have flown many times with Tavar. 1/10 of the time the Flight Attendant asks me to turn him off. The rest of the time they are fine with it. I have even had a Flight Attendant tell me I need to turn off my Bose head sets but I could keep using m Kindle.

Go figure

[ayuryogini]

I fly all the time. I just leave mine in sleep mode in the seat pocket until they say it is ok to use electronic devices. I've never had a problem.

I do the same; I turn the wireless off, but not the entire Kindle; to me, it's like putting my phone in Airplane mode; I've never had any problems with it. In the back of the flight magazines, it lists electronics that need to be turned off until an altitude of 10,000 feet is gained, and e-readers are on that list.

[Kathy]

I travel often and I have to turn mine off. Now that the flight attendants have seen so many I can rarely get away with leaving it on. I have a tendency to start reading as soon as I'm on the plane and never hear the announcement. When they do a walk by they tell to turn it off. I always have the Whispernet off.

[loca]

Its kind of ludicris of them to even ask you to turn of your digital devices, as it has never been proven that anything electronic actually has any effect on the planes. 

[Malweth]

Its kind of ludicrous of them to even ask you to turn of your digital devices, as it has never been proven that anything electronic actually has any effect on the planes. 

Worse, it's been proven they don't have any effect. That includes Cell phones in "on" mode (they would have to be IN the cockpit to affect the radios, instrumentation, etc).

[LauraB]

Worse, it's been proven they don't have any effect. That includes Cell phones in "on" mode (they would have to be IN the cockpit to affect the radios, instrumentation, etc).

Is that one cell phone, or could perhaps a couple hundred a few yards in back of the cockpit have a different effect? I don't know. But, personally, when they ask me to turn anything with an off button off, and then when I can turn it on to leave the wireless off, I do it. Aside from being obstinate, I can't think of a reason not to do as they ask. Even if they are wrong, it is their companies plane and they have to follow the rules their company gives them and why should I make it hard on them?  I can live with it off a few minutes, and wireless off the whole trip until they change their procedures. There are enough senseless battles and to me this one is low in importance. JMO

[Geoffrey]

I don't turn it off - I just put Sister Yasmini to sleep and put her away then wake her up when we're off the ground.  I only ever once turned her all the way off and that was when the flight attendant stood there and made me go all the way to off (She musta had one, too) 

Most of my flights are overseas and a mix of American and foreign carriers.  From my experience, AA, United and KLM are the ones that seem to care the most.  Just this past January, I had an AA attendant tell me that kindles have interfered with airplane electronics in the past.  I don't believe a word of that anymore than the story about phones interfering but ....

I often sit in the front row of the rear economy section that has 6 feet or so of legroom and a flight attendant sitting there so I can't really 'cheat' when they're right in front of me ... but when sitting there, take offs are about chatting up the flight attendant and endearing myself to them in hopes of better service/free drinks.   

[Cobbie]

I often sit in the front row of the rear economy section that has 6 feet or so of legroom and a flight attendant sitting there so I can't really 'cheat' when they're right in front of me ... but when sitting there, take offs are about chatting up the flight attendant and endearing myself to them in hopes of better service/free drinks.   

lol...love your way of thinking.

[skyblue]

Someone here lost a Kindle after leaving it in a seat pocket. Maybe takeoff, but not landing...

Someone left a Kindle in a seat pocket???   I would be physically sick if that happened to me!  Did they get it back?  If someone tries to transfer ownership, can Amazon track that?

[Cobbie]

Someone left a Kindle in a seat pocket???  I would be physically sick if that happened to me!  Did they get it back?  If someone tries to transfer ownership, can Amazon track that?

Yes, someone here did that and never found it. I've searched but can't find the thread.

What I remember from reading around here is that Amazon doesn't track lost Kindles. If you lose one you should deregister it with Amazon. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong in that.

[dhajra]

I really think it depends on the particular carriers and the flight attendants.  I haven't flown since the summer -- so I haven't flown in post-underpants-bomber days -- but I had occasion to fly quite a few times over the summer on both domestic and international airlines.  I never was asked to turn my Kindle off, and I read through both take-offs and landings.  Of course, I didn't have my wireless turned on.  I never have that on unless I'm ordering, since it sucks the battery.  

Somebody above mentioned -- and I agree -- that it's pretty clear  now that small electronics DON'T interfere with the plane's operating system (in fact, I've read comments from pilots, either here or on the Kindle boards, which confirm that).  And I don't see how reading on a Kindle is any different from reading a paper book in terms of making sure people are paying attention for safety reasons.  

I always wear a watch with a battery, and nobody asks me to take the battery out of the watch on take-offs and landings.  I'm not sure why reading from a Kindle is any different.  

[pidgeon92]

I always wear a watch with a battery, and nobody asks me to take the battery out of the watch on take-offs and landings.  I'm not sure why reading from a Kindle is any different.  

Because they want you to be alert in case of an emergency. Not fiddling with your electronic doo-dads.

[skyblue]

Because they want you to be alert in case of an emergency. Not fiddling with your electronic doo-dads.

If that's true than they would forbid the reading newspapers and magazines.

Hearing aids and insulin pumps are electronic devices that use batteries, and they are not required to turn them off.

[pidgeon92]

If that's true than they would forbid the reading newspapers and magazines.

Hearing aids and insulin pumps are electronic devices that use batteries, and they are not required to turn them off.

In addition to alertness, there is also the crack someone in the skull aspect. Newspapers and magazines aren't going to injure anyone.

I should hope you would want to have your hearing aid on if the flight crew was trying to give instructions.

We can come up with little exceptions to everything. The safety of all of the passengers on the aircraft is what is most important.