Frustrated flyers who feel bombarded by new fees often joke: "What's next, coin operated toilets on the plane?" That's usually followed by some comment warning against giving the airlines any ideas. Somewhere, sometime, someone must have joked about selling advertisements inside aircraft cabins. If the intention was not to give the airlines any ideas, it's far too late for that!

U.S. low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines has invited ad clients to board its aircraft to find ways they can use an aircraft's interior to reach the airline's customers. No details about the plan have emerged as of yet but this idea is not new or unique. For years, planes have been flying with advertisements painted on their exteriors. In-flight magazines, napkins, videos, tray tables and other service items have featured ads as well. Low-cost carriers such as Europe's Ryanair have been "adorning" their aircraft interiors with advertisements for a while now – a move that the larger, legacy carriers have largely avoided. However, some of these veteran airlines do manage to sneak in some ads using more subtle techniques. From the overt on-board credit card announcements to printed ads on flyers and napkins, just about every carrier is in the ad game.

So, why is it that the concept of in-flight advertising – something not entirely new – is suddenly gathering attention once again? The reason is that the lines between low-cost carriers and legacy carriers, particularly in highly developed and competitive aviation markets, have become increasingly blurred over the years. A competitive landscape that began with simple price matching has given way to add-on fees and ancillary charges, and now threatens to disturb the inner peace, if you will, of an aircraft interior. The financial struggles of many carriers, compounded by the prospects of a future full of high costs and unstable markets, seems to have given many carriers some breathing room when it comes to finding new ways to keep revenue coming in. But has the line finally been drawn or is the industry still willing to stretch the tolerance threshold? New entrants and low-cost carriers might have no qualms about their bare-bones approach to service. In-aircraft advertising might not seem like such a surprise inside these carriers' planes because the customer expectation is more about getting a bargain rather than comfort. But, what if more of the flying public is willing to put up with such tactics in exchange for a lower fare? Will this leave the aircraft doors wide open for any carrier to try more aggressive ways to advertise inside its airplanes?

The quality of the environment inside of an aircraft is an issue IAPA takes seriously. This is why we have sought your opinions on cell phone use, Internet access in flight, and more. Today's sophisticated headphones can tame a noisy aircraft cabin. You can briefly entertain yourself with the latest electronic gadgets. However, with very limited means of creating your own virtual space within the confines of an aircraft, how much of an intrusion would you consider expanded in-aircraft advertising to be? If the price is right, would you really care? Please let us know!