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In-Flight Wi-Fi Makes its Debut

Posted by simoniker on from the fly-by-wi-fi dept.

mindless4210 writes "German airline Lufthansa will become the first carrier to provide Boeing's Connexion service to its passengers. The service will be unveiled on May 17 on non-stop flights from Munich to Los Angeles, with plans to outfit their entire fleet over the next year. Passengers will be able to purchase access using their credit cards and Wi-Fi enabled laptops. The cost is set at $30 for the entire flight or $10 for 30 minutes."

33 of 336 comments (clear)

  1. Whole new world.. by baudilus · · Score: 5, Funny

    mid-air LAN party!!

    1. Re:Whole new world.. by Otto · · Score: 5, Funny

      I really don't want people yelling out "Look out for the rocket!" during my flights, personally.

      --
      - Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set him on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
    2. Re:Whole new world.. by frenetic3 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Anyone know what the latency (ping times) would be on the Connexion service? Would it be like satellite (hundreds of ms?) (I know parent was referring to the plane's LAN in which latency is negligible, but what about communications to the rest of the world?)

      -fren

      --
      "Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?"
    3. Re:Whole new world.. by NanoGator · · Score: 5, Funny

      "mid-air LAN party!!"

      Finally! Geeks can join the Mile High club! Too bad it won't have the same significance...

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    4. Re:Whole new world.. by baudilus · · Score: 4, Informative
      from the CBB FAQ (currently /.ed):
      What is the Connexion by Boeing service infrastructure?
      * Airborne system: airborne antennas, airborne servers, routers, and associated wiring.
      * Ground system: network operations center, associated satellite uplink and downlink equipment, and business operation center.
      * Space system: leased satellite transponders.
      It looks like they do use satellites, but they also seem to have ground NOC's and antennae. They don't say which is used for what, but it's safe to assume that it won't be as fast as my optonline connection :D
    5. Re:Whole new world.. by Shakrai · · Score: 4, Interesting

      mid-air LAN party!!

      I'm sure your just joking around to get your +5 funny FP but in all seriousness why would you pay Lufthansa $30 to have a mid-air LAN party? If you wanted to have a LAN party (not a bad idea on a eight hour+ flight -- I'd do it if I had a few friends tagging along with me) and they allow Wi-Fi on the plane then why not setup your own Ad-Hoc network that doesn't cost you anything? Unless you need access to the Internet (which you won't for a LAN Party) why give them the money?

      That's a pretty interesting idea too. If they are going to allow you to broadcast in the 2.4Ghz range on the airplane then they can't refuse to let you do this. Could be interesting on those long flights. Now your only problem is how long your battery will last :)

      Another (slightly evil) idea would be to have one person buy the Internet access and then share it with the rest of his buddies using a second wireless NIC and the aforementioned ad-hoc network. I wonder if they'd get peeved if you did this? Kinda doubt they'd find out but what's the worst they could do? Boot you off? Something tells me that the crew has better things to do then monitor the Wi-Fi network to make sure you aren't sharing it.

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  2. Wink wink by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does this mean that us nerds can now join the "mile high club"?

    1. Re:Wink wink by josh3736 · · Score: 4, Informative

      I don't believe your own right hand counts for admission to the mile high club.

  3. Plane 2 Plane by SirChris · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Any use for plane to plane communications? quickly sending your vital stats, etc. or just as a log of who you have passed.

    1. Re:Plane 2 Plane by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Any use for plane to plane communications? quickly sending your vital stats, etc. or just as a log of who you have passed. "

      Incoming Message from user NanoGator
      ___________________________________

      If u can recieve dis message, UR 2 FRICKEN CLOSE!!!!!!

      --
      "Derp de derp."
  4. Interesting... by Sv-Manowar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can't wait till someone acidentally starts controlling the plane with MS Flight simulator
    "Pull up!, Pull up!"

    --
    Business Voyeur
    1. Re:Interesting... by Soko · · Score: 4, Funny

      Captain: Ummm... Where did you say we were?
      Navigator: My instruments read that we're over LAX.
      Captain: Then why the FUCK are we over Hawaii?
      Navigation Screen: *LOL, d00dz! U R too dumb t00 n0t uze W1|\|d0z3 on ur navsystems!! hanhan, surfs up!!!*

      Soko

      --
      "Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm." - Anonymous
    2. Re:Interesting... by Prince+Vegeta+SSJ4 · · Score: 5, Funny
      Can't wait till someone acidentally starts controlling the plane with MS Flight simulator

      You mean *Crashing* the plane don't you

      Either

      • Microsoft Flight Simulator has encountered errors and needs to close
      • or...
      • Microsoft Windows XP has detected a new device (plane) and is unable to find a driver for it
  5. feels strange by Chuck+Bucket · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I used to look forward to flights because it gave me time to get lost in a book while sipping some whiskey. now I'll be answering (and dealing with) crap from work? I'm not sure if I'll do this; some times you just can't reach me (this is why all of my phones are off when I'm asleep).

    CVS

    --
    free ipod and free gmail!
    1. Re:feels strange by TopShelf · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Sad days, indeed. Instead of the old, "coffee, tea, or me?" it's become "coffee, tea, or 802.11b?"

      It would seem our priorities are getting seriously out of whack.

      --
      Stop by my site where I write about ERP systems & more
  6. How long will it be.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...before we start hearing horror stories about sitting next to sketchy guys who are checking out pr0n on the plane?

    1. Re:How long will it be.... by Gr33nNight · · Score: 4, Funny

      You dont need the internet to check put porn on a website. Why do you think people have 6 120-gig hard drives on their PC? Not that I am saying I have 6 120-gig hard drives on my computer full of Jenna Jameson DIVX, organized by year or anything.

    2. Re:How long will it be.... by Neil+Blender · · Score: 5, Funny

      ...before we start hearing horror stories about sitting next to sketchy guys who are checking out pr0n on the plane?

      May 17th.

  7. The guys doing flyovers for wifi hotspots. by linzeal · · Score: 5, Funny
    Will have a moving target now, this ought to be fun. Maybe we will see cessnas darting in and out of 747 flight paths to get free internet access, right?

    --
    An Education is the Font of All Liberty
    1. Re:The guys doing flyovers for wifi hotspots. by ryanwright · · Score: 4, Funny

      Only on /. can two people named "Penguinshit" and "drinkypoo" have a meaningful, intelligent conversation about the flight characteristics of aircraft, air turbulance and subsequent problems associated with navigating a larger craft's slipstream.

      --
      -Ryan, with the unoriginal sig
  8. Interference by RobPiano · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I would love to have wifi on a long flight and $30 isn't completely unreasonable for a flight from Germany to California. This is all fine, but can someone explain to me if we can have wifi on a flight, why can't I have my CD player turned on when the plane first takes off? I've never understood how a CD player could mess with their equipment very much, but I can imagine wifi being a bit of a problem...

    1. Re:Interference by UrgleHoth · · Score: 5, Funny

      I get around this restriction by bringing aboard my trusty old victrola.

      --

      Dogma - "let's just say we'd like to avoid any empirical entanglements."
  9. stealing the connection by jridley · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I can see people who don't want to pay for the connection sniffing someone's traffic, then cloning their MAC address and surfing for free after the guy switches off.

    1. Re:stealing the connection by Progman3K · · Score: 4, Interesting

      What about proxying?

      If you're flying with office mates, one buys service time, and proxies the other(s).

      --
      I don't know the meaning of the word 'don't' - J
  10. VoIP by Chairboy · · Score: 5, Funny

    What are the odds that VoIP ports are either blocked or the latency makes it unusable? The airline industry has put quite a bit of effort into explaining why Airphone is The Only Right Way to talk from a plane.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, we must ask that you not use your laptop as a phone over the internet as it... may cause cancer."

  11. Flash vs. no Flash by Big+Nothing · · Score: 4, Informative

    A Flash-free website with information on Boeing Connexion can be found here.

    --
    SIG: TAKE OFF EVERY 'CAPTAIN'!!
  12. Re:Pricey by krisp · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You still don't have an electrical outlet. Lets hope you have 9 hours of battery life to get your money worth!

  13. Re:How long by drinkypoo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    put two wifi cards in your laptop and run an open "ap", and everyone with you (or optionally, everyone) can use the service for the price of just you.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  14. Why you can't listen on takeoff & landing by k2dbk · · Score: 5, Informative
    I've never understood how a CD player could mess with their equipment very much...
    I once asked why, and was told that they don't want you to not be able to hear any announcement that might be made during those "critical" times.
  15. Across the country for $200 you have to be kidding by razmaspaz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    the airfare, which on any flight is ample

    You can cross the country for ~$200. That's cheap by any standard. Seriously. how can you say that airlines are overcharging and should be adding services for free. The idea that you can get from New York to LA in 6 hours. That is madness. Tell that to the pioneers that took 6 months and spent hundreds of dollars (in 1850's money) and they would shit a brick.

    If anything you should get free airplane flights with your starbucks. They are the ones overcharging. $2-3 for a cup of coffee. At that price it better come with some pr0n.

    --
    I tried for 5 years to come up with a clever sig...only to realize that I am not clever.
  16. PPP multilink over Air phones by Danathar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bah...

    I'm getting decent speeds by taking three airphones (three seat wide section) and using a uunet dialup account to bind all three together using ppp multilink. I just charge the airtime back to my company!

    I tried to use more phones from the passengers seats infront and behind me....but the cords are too short! DAMN!!

  17. Analysis by wowbagger · · Score: 5, Insightful

    OK, to do security one must think like the bad guys. So let us put on our black hats for a moment.

    Only fairly well off people will fork over $30 to feed their Internet addiction - most of all the super-type-A types who cannot tell the difference between "being busy" and "being productive".

    Most of those people will be running Windows, probably Win98 or WinXP.

    So, if I just sit back, wait for them to get their mail, sniff the password they use for email, and then use that password in an attempt to access their computer, I will probably get right in.

    Then I can Trojan their machines (for later access to the inside of whatever corporate network they use), download their My Documents folder and desktop, and see what I can dig up.

    The beautiful thing about this is that I have every excuse to be close to these people for extended period times, then I get off the plane and go my own way, never to cross the guys path again. /me removes black hat

    Gosh, I am SO glad I am not in IT management....

    --
    www.eFax.com are spammers
  18. Re:Entirely bizarre - why not Ethernet? by mean+pun · · Score: 4, Informative
    Given that each seat already has a myriad of cabling going to it, I simply can't see why they've opted for WiFi connectivity - other than as a gimmic.

    Two good reasons are weight and maintenance. All that extra wiring may be a small fraction of total takeof weight, but why waste it, when you can get paid for air freight or burn less fuel? Also, keeping all those connectors functioning is much harder than keeping a wireless access point running.

    Oh, and installing all that wiring would require a lot of expensive maintenance time, whereas installing a wireless access point is fairly simple.