Web In Flight

Aircell to launch GoGo on AA

2008-03-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

Brad Stone blogs on the NY Times site that Aircell will launch a broadband wireless service for airplanes very soon.

"Aircell will start the service, called GoGo, with American Airlines this spring and then expand it with Virgin America over the summer."

Read on...

Southwest is Nuts about Broadband

2008-01-23T11:37:00.000-08:00

Check out Southwest Airlines' blog for a post today describing their new broadband inflight internet offering.

Actually, save yourself a click and go directly to their press release, as their blog only lists the link.

Actually, I'll save you all the clicks. Here's the release in its entirety (I'm sure they'll let me know if they mind) -

Southwest Airlines Bringing the Internet to the Sky Via Satellite

DALLAS, Jan. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines will be the first US carrier to test satellite-delivered broadband Internet access on multiple aircraft. With this innovation, Southwest Customers with a wi-fi enabled device will have full access to the Internet including e-mail, music, shopping, and virtual private networks (VPN) via a high-speed connection. Southwest Airlines is partnering with Southern California-based Row 44 and hopes to begin testing Internet capabilities on four aircraft this summer.

"Southwest Airlines is pleased to announce its partnership with Row 44, and we intend to deliver the highest bandwidth available to commercial airlines in the United States," said Dave Ridley, Southwest Airlines' Senior Vice President of Marketing. "Southwest's selection of satellite technology will offer a more robust experience for more Customers per aircraft versus other solutions available in the marketplace."

"Southwest is looking for the best solution for our Customers not only for Internet e-mail access, but for additional inflight entertainment as well," Ridley said. "We look forward to exploring this cutting-edge technology with Row 44 and hope this will keep our Customers productive and entertained inflight."

"We're excited to partner with Southwest Airlines to keep passengers informed, in touch, and entertained," said Gregg Fialcowitz, President of Row 44. "This service will set the standard for excellence in inflight connectivity."

After almost 37 years of service, Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other airlines-offering low fares and a reliable product with impeccable Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the most efficient airline in the sky and offers Customers a pleasant traveling experience. Southwest recently updated its gate areas and improved its boarding procedure to make flying Southwest productive and convenient. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), the nation's largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers boarded, currently serves 64 cities in 32 states. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and has more than 33,000 Employees systemwide.

Row 44 is the fast, global, fleet-wide solution for inflight broadband services -- high-speed Internet, video entertainment, cell phone support, and airline operational services. The system offers wide-body, narrow-body and even regional jet support along with flexible service deployment options. And its cost effective because installation is quick, the hardware is light, and the service leverages existing satellite networks.

SOURCE
Southwest Airlines

CONTACT:
Public Relations of Southwest Airlines, +1-214-792-4847

American to start testing in-flight internet access

2007-12-24T05:06:00.000-08:00

Partnering with AirCell, American Airlines says it will be the first major U.S. carrier to feature in-flight Internet access. Is this a slap in the face toward JetBlue, who said they would start offering instant messaging and email a few days sooner? What if JetBlue upgrades to full Internet access in flights before American is done "testing"?

American will test AirCell's broadband Internet service next year on 15 planes that usually fly transcontinental routes.

AA currently is thinking they will charge about $10 per user, but JetBlue and others who go first will probably help establish the true market price.

Web In-Flight REALLY Happening This Time

2007-12-23T20:37:00.000-08:00

The buzz is out there. The gauntlet has been thrown down. A line in the sand has been stepped over. We've reached the tipping point.

INFLIGHT INTERNET ACCESS IS COMING, YESSSSSSSSSS IT'SSSSSS COMINGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!

JetBlue has launched their inflight internet service.

It must be true because I red it on over a hundred news websites today, many claiming that the current round or providers have learned from Boeing's mistakes with Connexion.

Here are a few:
The News Press
Forbes
AP

Jet Blue takes the lead

2007-12-06T20:58:00.000-08:00

Susan Stellin of the NY Times reports today that:

On Tuesday, JetBlue Airways will begin offering a free e-mail and instant messaging service on one aircraft, while American Airlines, Virgin America and Alaska Airlines plan to offer a broader Web experience in the coming months, probably priced at about $10 a flight.
I'm not sure why we haven't seen broad adoption of or a demand for Internet access in the air. It's been 13 years since I had my first AOL account... 11 since I worked for my first "dot com" company. I've got Google on my phone and hundreds of channels on my flat TV, on which, by the way, I can rewind shows that I am watching even as they are being broadcast with the magic of Tivo.

Why then, why, can't I check my email at 35,000 feet?

Wi-Fly

2007-11-28T13:53:00.000-08:00

Glad to see this topic back in the news so that I could post about it. haven't seen much since the failing of Connexion (which I personally like to pronounce with a fake French accent - connex-ee-OWN).

CNN just ran a Fortune article entitled, Wi-Fly: Boeing couldn't make a business out of in-flight Internet. AirCell bets it can.

According to Wikipedia: On August 17, 2006, Boeing announced that it would discontinue its Connexion service, stating that, "the market for this service has not materialized as had been expected."

Sky Way Aircraft

2006-05-04T21:27:00.000-07:00

Sky Way Aircraft's Airline partners are

Southeast Airlines, a small charter airline located in Largo, Florida.

Executive Charter Inc. a Clearwater Florida based executive jet charter service.

The US Government.

Tenzing

2006-05-04T21:26:00.001-07:00

Tenzing’s Airline partners are

Cathay Pacific (email launched March 2003)

Emirates (wireless email)

Iberia (email; SMS currently on several aircraft)

Northwest Airlines (SMS currently on several aircraft)

Virgin Atlantic (SMS currently on several aircraft)

Continental Airlines (the email portion of Verizon Airfone's JetConnect service)

United Airlines (same as above)

US Airways (same as above)

Connexion

2006-05-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

Connexion’s Airline partners are

British Airways

Japan Airlines

Lufthansa

Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS)

Singapore Airlines

All Nippon Airways

Wireless Connectivity takes flight!

2006-05-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

Attention Air Travelers:

You’ve become accustomed to finding Wi-Fi available on the ground in hotels, coffeeshops, convention centers, airports and many other locations. Using your Wi-Fi enabled laptop computer or a PDA like the Palm Tungsten C you are able to surf the web, access your corporate intranet and/or extranet, and check your corporate and personal e-mail accounts. Soon, you'll be able to do all these same things while in flight as well.

After several months of testing, several commercial and charter airlines are now offering or planning to offer Wireless Internet Access as an in-flight service on many of their Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific flights and in the case of United Airlines, their domestic USA flights (E-mail only).

At present, the major providers of Wireless Connectivity to the Airlines are Boeing’s Connexion service - http://www.connexionbyboeing.com - Tenzing - http://www.tenzing.com/ - and Sky Way Aircraft - http://www.skywayaircraftsecurity.com

Web In Flight News

2006-05-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

WebInFlight.com for news about Internet access on airplanes, at airports, in space, and generally "in flight". Where there is web access that isn't attached to the ground or floating on the water, we will find it and let you know about it here.

Web in-flight related Announcements

2005-12-31T21:28:00.000-08:00

12/27/05 - Etisalat launches broadband inflight WiFi internet access service

10/04/05 - To Surf Web While Aloft, Fly Foreign (for Now) (NY Times)