So, even though Congress ordered the FAA to issue a rule prohibiting airline flight crews from personal use of electronic devices in the cockpit in January of last year, no rule has been issued to date.

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But for travellers who dread the prospect of a long taxi ride on top of a cross-country flight, the perimeter rule is an unnecessary hassle.

ECONOMIST: Airports in Washington, DC: Breaching the perimeter | The

No flight has been that dismal since the rule was put in place, the DOT said.

WSJ: The Worst Flight in America

If true, that would rule out an in-flight explosion as the cause of the crash of Air France Flight 447, Defense Minister Nelson Jobim told reporters.

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Rule No. 1 about in-flight wi-fi (at least in the U.S.): no phone calls allowed.

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Not in flight from London or fear of the consequences of UK rule but motivated by a sense of self-assurance.

BBC: Job centre

The standard would significantly expand the FAA's so-called "sterile cockpit rule, " which prohibits pilots from engaging in non-flight-related conversations during take-offs and landings.

CNN: Pilot texting a factor in deadly copter crash

The Flight Attendant's Union (FAU) said it may implement work-to-rule measures to begin with, which could limit the services offered to passengers.

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Airlines and their crews have been given discretion over implementation of a "one-hour rule, " which prohibits passengers from leaving their seats during the last hour of flight, sources said.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Unfortunately, a rule proposed by the Internal Revenue Service would overturn this practice and likely result in the flight of hundreds of billions of dollars from U.S. financial institutions.

FORBES: Lawmakers Fight IRS Proposal For Banks To Report Interest Earned By Foreigners