People don’t really want to talk on airplanes; they just want to be connected. It’s the way it should have been all along. Portable electronic devices (PEDs) are not threats and everyone knows it. Now Virgin Atlantic has announced thatit will allow passengers to make calls with their cellphones during flights between London and New York.

Last month, I was on a Delta Air Lines flight (1063) that struck birds during take-off from JFK in New York. I recorded the take-off for my oldest daughter with whom I often share aspects of my travels. During those 16 seconds, I caught on video a flock of black birds being sucked into the rotor blades of the 757 jet I was on. Shortly after the media frenzy that ensued around this event, I received a stern letter of warning from the FAA that I would be put on some sort of record and that this would remain on file for two years. It also said that a civil penalty was pending consideration.

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However, the FAA did not do a full investigation of my situation because they didn’t even check if my iPad was or wasn’t on airplane mode. They made no attempt to call or get in contact with me to clarify the circumstances surrounding this. Everything they knew was received via a broadcast on CNN. The agency needs to fully embrace the era of transparency we are living in – not exist in a state of ignorance and fear. The FAA needs to provide up-to-date evidence on why there is actual reason for concern. The FAA's letter says, "Your failure to comply with flight attendant instructions during a critical phase of flight and an aircraft emergency could have affected the safe outcome of the flight." Every day, 450 million people are on one of 29 million aircrafts. I can guarantee that all of these people do not have their electronics turned off. Between the people who think their PEDs are turned off and really aren’t and those that are texting and playing games, there are not 450 million PEDs turned off during flight. We need to be provided with accurate information by the government agencies that regulate PEDs.

The airlines need to up their game to become more than buses that provide basic transportation in skies throttled by outdated rules and regulations.If it truly is a danger for “the safe outcome of the flight,” the FAA has a duty to collect all electronics at check-in and return them to the passengers after the flight. Or, they need to ban all electronic devices from the aircraft. Don’t get me wrong, I am not for increasing the number of regulations already imposed. Any flyer knows we have enough rules at our airports and on flights since 9/11.

Virgin's announcement is telling; the service is being offered on a British airline and not a company that is U.S.-based. The airlines need to up their game to become more than buses that provide basic transportation in skies throttled by outdated rules and regulations. They would be well served to take a page from Silicon Valley and get in the game of innovation. Few would deny that most airlines need to recreate their brands to deliver a level of value that trumps price. Southwest has already cornered the market as a low-price leader, leaving the legacy airlines to rely on a cycle of boom and bust. Practically every domestic flight that I have flown on (I flew 3 million miles in 2011) have been an average experience. In fact, U.S. airlines offer a product that has become a commodified service. I select an airline now for convenience, first and price, second – same considerations used for filling up my car. Any considerations about using a phone on a packed airplane should be focused on whether it will bother your fellow passenger – not because talking on a cellphone will bring the plane down.

Editor: Caitlin Roper