American urged to filter in-flight Net access

DALLAS - American Airlines flight attendants are urging the world's largest carrier to filter its in-flight Internet service to block access to pornography and other websites the workers said were inappropriate.

Union leaders discussed the issue with management, without making a formal request to bar specific sites, David Roscow, a spokesman for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said yesterday.

"We've heard a lot of complaints from flight attendants and passengers" about travelers pulling up objectionable Web pages, said Roscow, who didn't cite any examples.

"It's a tricky door to open," said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy and Information Center in Washington. "Where do you draw the line once you start policing the information your customers can access?"

In-flight Internet use is a new challenge for airlines as they balance their cabins' close quarters with the push to offer more amenities to win business and boost revenue from sources other than fares.

The "vast majority" of travelers use good judgment in what they look at, said Tim Smith, a spokesman for Fort Worth-based American. "Customers viewing inappropriate material on board a flight is not a new scenario for our crews, who have always managed this issue with great success."

American offers Internet access for $12.95 on 15 Boeing 767-200 jets that make 25 daily flights between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles or San Francisco, and between New York and Miami.

The program is in a three- to six-month trial period, Smith said.