Remember I mentioned back in November about MAS allows passengers to use mobile phones on board?

It’s here! It’s here.

Read all about it here. Shall I quote a little bit here and there from Mobile World.

Mobile Phones now useable on MAS planes
- Nigel. Friday, 06 March 2009

Yes you’ve read it right you can now use your mobile phones on MAS planes. More specifically mobile phones that use a Maxis postpaid line. Maxis Communications’ cellular postpaid subscribers can now use their mobile phones and BlackBerry devices to make and receive calls, send and receive SMS, e-mail and access GPRS data services while airborne in Malaysia Airlines aircraft. This follows a partnership agreement reached on 5 March between Malaysia’s leading mobile operator, Maxis, Malaysia Airlines and world leading in-flight mobile operator, the UK-based AeroMobile which is owned by ARINC, Inc and Telenor ASA.

But, with all that, the cost is going to be expensive. Very expensive.

Call and data charges are however rather hefty compared to terrestrial charges, with voice calls charged at RM15 per minute for outgoing and incoming calls; data sent or received is charged at RM100 per MB and SMS message sent are charged at RM3 each but are free for SMS received, with charges billed to the user’s postpaid account.

The charges are crazy!

A phone conversation as simple as:

Tom: Hey Tim, how are you?
Tim: Hey Tom, I am good. Where are you now?
Tom: I am reaching Kuala Lumpur already! Can you come and fetch me?
Tim: Wat time is your arrival?
Tom: 3:30pm. Can?
Tim: Ohkay. I’ll see you at the airport.

*slam* RM 30 charged to your phone. Usually? RM 1 only.

Those of you who wants to use your mobile phones during flight, better make sure you talk business and close a deal out of it. Best is to adopt the “No Money, No Talk” policy with your counterpart. Else, you will cry over the charges that is being sent to your phone.

Definitely, talk is not cheap above the clouds…