American Airlines Launches In-Flight Wi-Fi Today

For $13 bucks, passengers flying select American Airlines routes, including San Francisco to New York, will now enjoy in-flight Internet access. According to the Baltimore Business Journal, the service, which was launched today, allows customers with Wi-Fi enabled devices to send emails, surf the web or instant message; Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) services are not available.

Video: How in-flight internet works

Gogo To Connect Flyers To The World - At 30,000 feet

Those needing an Internet or email "fix" during flights will soon get it. Several airlines are working on installing technology which will enable passengers to connect - textually - to the rest of the world, even at 30,000 feet.

A program called Gogo, combined with ground towers positioned throughout the United States, will provide reliable connectivity, at a fairly decent speed, to passengers flying high above. Check out this marketing video describing Gogo, followed by a review by USA Today, putting Gogo to the test.



So how well does the technology work? Check out this review (text & video) from USA Today's Walter S Mossberg, who tested Gogo during a recent flight from San Francisco to Denver.

Free Wi-Fi Now Available At San Jose Airport

Travelers flying through Mineta San Jose International Airport will now have access to complimentary WiFi on their next trip. According to the Silicon Valley Business Journal, the airport officially began offering the service on Thursday, and is available throughout the entire airport facility. In addition to San Jose, Sacramento airport also offers from WiFi for Bay Area flyers.

The complimentary San Jose WiFi service will eventually include ads, but users can opt for ad-free service for an $8 per day charge. About 30,000 passengers fly through San Jose airport each day.

A race to the finish line: Which U.S airline will offer internet first?

First came Southwest, followed by American, now Virgin America is in the race...the race to see who offers Internet first onboard their U.S flights. But, we've been here before. Sift through your archived Business Week and Technology mags, and you will locate mounds of chatter about how planes are "ready" for Internet service. Many airlines have taken an interest, some have even tested the product since receiving FCC approval back in 2001. But, now in 2007, still no carrier has actually launched the service. That may soon change.

Now a company called AirCell, partnering with Virgin America (and other airlines), has asserted that Wi-Fi will spring to life sometime in 2008. In a press release, AirCell said passengers can "check e-mail, surf the Web, tap into an office network and stay current on the latest news, using either Virgin America’s Red™ in flight entertainment system or their own Wi-Fi enabled laptops, Smartphones, PDAs, BlackBerrys and portable gaming systems - while in flight."

United, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Alaska and American are all somewhere between considering and testing stages for Internet service on their planes. Hopefully with Virgin America advancing to the head of the pack, this will encourage the other carriers to speed up their techie folks and make the Internet an industry standard in the coming years.