It's inevitable. Airlines will be offering in-flight Internet access in greater numbers over the next several months. As with the use of mobile phones in flight, surfing the web at 35,000 feet might pose some common courtesy issues that may lead to disputes among passengers about what is proper.

Once airlines announced the availability of in-flight Internet access earlier this year, questions began to emerge about the type of access that would be permitted. Initially, airlines said that passengers would self-police themselves against openly accessing Web sites deemed inappropriate for the in-flight environment. Other passengers wondered if Internet phone conversations were going to take off while at cruising altitude. The answer to both questions may be at hand.

There is near unanimous consent that phone calls over an in-flight Internet connection will most likely be blocked. It's not so cut-and-dry for Web sites. Preferring to head off complaints from passengers and crew about potential Internet surfing improprieties, some airlines are now backing off claims that in-flight Internet use would police itself. They had hoped that common sense and decency would prevail, but flight attendants at some airlines have warned that settling passenger disputes over what is considered proper to view over the Internet would distract from their duties during a flight. In response, airlines like American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are adding filters to their Internet products to curtail the risk that some ill-mannered traveler might sneak a peek at offensive material within view of nearby passengers. Several other airlines are taking a wait-and-see approach to filtering.

Comments around the travel blogs have been fast and furious, showing a 50-50 split between critics and supporters of in-flight Internet filtering. One quote warns: "decency and good sense and normal behavior will likely be enough to induce self-censorship? I don't think so. If there's anything that takes decency, good sense, and normal behavior out of people, it's air travel. And I can't imagine the kind of fights that could get started if someone tried to disconnect another's [adult entertainment]."

Other concerns raised by travelers deal with the possible scope of filtering. While most travelers agree that objectionable adult material is a fair target for filtering, others wonder if airlines would even go as far as restricting access to competitors' Web sites or any sites that contain information critical of the airline. It remains to be seen whether filtering will actually achieve its intended purpose. While Internet use in flight will be fairly new, the widespread use of hand-held video players and the tried-and-true printed materials can just as easily offend the sense of good taste of other cabin mates.

What do you think? Is Internet filtering much ado about nothing? Are there any unforeseen issues that might arise out of in-flight Internet access? We'd love to know!