AirlineMeals.net forum

Marco · 01-December-2004 17:44:24

On my flight Amsterdam AMS - Milan MXP on Nov25/2004, I experienced problems for the first time.
The F/A told me that photography with a digital is camera is forbidden, since AZ think digital cameras fit into the "electronic equipment interfering with the plane's navigational system" category (?!?!).

After asking 2 or 3 times, he started to threaten me with the fact that police would be waiting for me at Milan MXP Airport if I continued taking pictures!
I showed him their own safety card for this plane (MD80) and asked him to show me the symbol that says photography is not allowed...

He just said "put away camera now" and walked away.
A couple of minutes later, when he walked by, I showed him pen & paper and asked him for his name, he made the "wait a second" sign and went away. He came back with the purser, who told me the same. He offered to write down his own name for me, and he asked me if I also wanted the captain's name. I said "sure why not" and the purser said he'd be right back after updating the captain with the situation.
After 1-2 minutes he came back and asked me to join him to the cockpit, where the captain explained me the same: if I'd continue taking pictures, they would inform police at MXP Airport.
Since trouble with Italian police is not what you really want, I decided to give in and shake hands with the three of them... I already had my pictures anyway :-D

BUT what I still want to know.., do digital cameras really interfere with the plane's navigational system?
Portable computers, cell phones, game computers, okay, I understand... but a digital camera?? Anyone out here ever experienced the same?

Or is it the type of aircraft? Since on my next flight MXP-CAI, in an Airbus 321, it was no problem at all. Something wrong with the MD80?

Wayne · 02-December-2004 01:08:35

That is most interesting. There must be some electronic engineers out there to explain the situation.

Maybe Alitalia is too ashamed of the meals they served.......

Wayne

billl142 · 02-December-2004 01:51:28

send a letter and ask for alitalia's policy about the use of digital cameras in flight. Infact that could be a good thing to put on the website.

Markus · 02-December-2004 03:12:05

I browsed through airliners.net and found a lot pictures of the MD80 cabin which were taken during the flight

hm... I think they're f.....

Cyrille · 02-December-2004 09:26:47

In my opignon there are no technical objections at all.

A lot of F/A don't like passengers with cameras because they think you want to make paparazzi-style pictures of them.

Think of all the sightseeing flights: Passengers do nothin else than taking pictures... The same about the national topographic institute: they make pictures of the country all the year!

Cab · 02-December-2004 23:27:21

Just looking at the card and am surprised to see

- discman
- gameboys

As I understand they don't emitt any signals either, and can see why they might see dig cams the same way.

As a precaution I know they want people to switch off all electronic devices during take-off and landing but during flight ok to have some them on which is moderately understandable.

Thanks for the warning.

If I ever fly Alitalia (unlikely cos the food looks and sounds bad by your description, and you are not fussy Marco) I will get a throwaway instamatic camera (or better still) disguise my digital camera inside a cardboard box of a throwaway camera.

Cyrille · 03-December-2004 02:07:26

Just looking at the card and am surprised to see

- discman
- gameboys

As I understand they don't emitt any signals either, and can see why they might see dig cams the same way.

All devices with a laser (CD-Drive, Discman, Minidiscmam...) are forbidden during take-off and landing, but permitted during the cruise uppon approval by the crew.

I checked my safety-card collection (nearly 100 cards) and the handling of this problem is very different.
I found one card (Denim Airways, Fokker 50) where they say that the use of film/digital cameras is permitted, however only during the cruise.

The main rule in a plane is: "You must follow the orders given by the crew", even if it's not logic...

Very Frequent Flyer · 03-December-2004 02:33:08

Just slightly off topic.

We all know that mobile phones MUST be switched off as soon as we board the plane and CANNOT be switched back on until we are inside the terminal.

But I wonder how many passengers don't obey this rule and leave the phone on at all times?

Kevin English · 03-December-2004 03:05:13

Just slightly off topic.

We all know that mobile phones MUST be switched off as soon as we board the plane and CANNOT be switched back on until we are inside the terminal.

But I wonder how many passengers don't obey this rule and leave the phone on at all times?

Yeah you're right!
On a flight from London to Hamburg, I've even done it by mistake.
I left my phone in my coat pocket, which I stowed in the overhead lockers. Luckily, my phone was in Vibration mode so no one could hear it!

Very Frequent Flyer · 03-December-2004 03:13:51

Just slightly off topic.

We all know that mobile phones MUST be switched off as soon as we board the plane and CANNOT be switched back on until we are inside the terminal.

But I wonder how many passengers don't obey this rule and leave the phone on at all times?
Yeah you're right!
On a flight from London to Hamburg, I've even done it by mistake.
I left my phone in my coat pocket, which I stowed in the overhead lockers. Luckily, my phone was in Vibration mode so no one could hear it!

So all those claims by airlines that mobile phones interfere with navigation systems are wrong?????????

billl142 · 03-December-2004 03:43:46

Just slightly off topic.

We all know that mobile phones MUST be switched off as soon as we board the plane and CANNOT be switched back on until we are inside the terminal.

But I wonder how many passengers don't obey this rule and leave the phone on at all times?
Yeah you're right!
On a flight from London to Hamburg, I've even done it by mistake.
I left my phone in my coat pocket, which I stowed in the overhead lockers. Luckily, my phone was in Vibration mode so no one could hear it!
So all those claims by airlines that mobile phones interfere with navigation systems are wrong?????????

the closer you are to the front of the plane the higher the chance that it will interfere wit the nav systems. The chances of it happening, from what I have heard, aren't all that high. However it is still a very real danger and it is better to be safe the sorry. Hence the airlines taking the precautions.

Cyrille · 03-December-2004 07:21:05

Right, billl, they take precautions, it's not proven yet that the phones really interfere. However, in the pilots headset, you can clearly hear blows providing from cellular phones, and that's not that nice for the PIC.

Markus · 03-December-2004 07:28:08

Right, billl, they take precautions, it's not proven yet that the phones really interfere. However, in the pilots headset, you can clearly hear blows providing from cellular phones, and that's not that nice for the PIC.

Right!

The problem with mobiles is that the higher and farer you are from a network-station, the stronger the signal gets and the more you can hear the result in headsets.

I once heard from a pilot (heard, I don't know if it's true) that a plane full of BC-passengers once landed at a german airport, and while the aircraft was still rolling, the paxes were switching on their mobiles which resulted in an uncontroled plane rushing into an airport building... :shock:

or maybe it's just a story you're telling those who won't hear

Cyrille · 03-December-2004 08:59:53

It is still NOT proven, that cellular phones interfere with the navigation system. Your story would be a prouve, therefore I think it's not thrue.

Very Frequent Flyer · 03-December-2004 12:42:00

What the hack, I did not like Alitalia at all. If a camera is forbidden than they also should ban your watches or your calculators. They should not fly lower than 12 km because then you get signals from GSM Mobile antennas.

Hence all their financial problems!

billl142 · 03-December-2004 18:14:21

What the hack, I did not like Alitalia at all. If a camera is forbidden than they also should ban your watches or your calculators. They should not fly lower than 12 km because then you get signals from GSM Mobile antennas.
Hence all their financial problems!

And the no amount of money the government throws at it will be able to save it.

Wayne · 03-December-2004 19:41:27

R.I.P. Alitalia......

Wayne

Cab · 04-December-2004 01:36:03

I wonder if there is a worse airline list?

Alitalia must come close

While we are in the kick Alitalia mood
I did find this in the airline nickname list

Always Late In Takeoff Always Late In Arrival
Always Late in Takeoff Always Late In Arriving
Always Late In Transit Always Late In Arrival
Airplane Landed In Tokyo And Luggage In Atlanta
A Little Italian Tradition And Lotsa Italian Attitude
Always Late ITALIAns
All landed in Turin, All luggage in Athens

Airlines really need to treat Airlinemeals.net contributors (particularly the founder? ) a little better.

Cyrille · 04-December-2004 09:05:38

The list of airlines I'll NEVER fly with is unchanged since about 5 years:

- Alitalia
- Iberia
- Air Plus Comet

Very Frequent Flyer · 04-December-2004 18:01:41

Airlines really need to treat Airlinemeals.net contributors (particularly the founder? ) a little better.
That is not the way you help to promote yourself Alitalia ^**
I think the best thing to do is offer Marco a free ticket to do the article again.

Maybe you and Marco can write something bad about them and post it in an Italian magazine or newspaper somewhere.

Marco · 05-December-2004 09:39:10

Very nice but this happened to me so I think I should be the one to contact Alitalia, thank you.

Besides, the purpose of this trip was not to write an article about Alitalia, I just happened to be on AZ because I was going to Egypt for work...

Markus · 15-December-2004 03:22:56

hey Marco, any results yet?

I've heard that KLM and ALITALIA are the worst airlines what lost baggage concernes :shock: (KLM once lost a suitcase from us in Amsterdam, we got it back three days later)

billl142 · 03-July-2005 08:31:06

Well from what I've heard the philosophy at alitalia is, if there is a job that requires one person, hire three.

alatoo_ch · 04-July-2005 04:31:56

haha, using the cell phone during cruise cannot be so harmful, Russian people do it all the time on internal flights

Markus · 04-July-2005 07:43:20

alatoo_ch wrote:
haha, using the cell phone during cruise cannot be so harmful, Russian people do it all the time on internal flights

really?!

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#1 01-December-2004 17:44:24

Alitalia problems

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