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Airlines to Offer In-Flight Internet Service
Ponca City, We Love You writes "JetBlue Airways will soon begin testing 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. A recent survey found that 26 percent of leisure travelers would pay $10 for Internet access on a two-to-four-hour flight and 45 percent would pay that amount for a flight longer than four hours. The airlines plans to turn their planes into the equivalent of a wireless hot spot once the aircraft reaches its cruising altitude but service will not be available on takeoff and landing. While the technology could allow travelers to make phone calls over the Internet, most carriers say they have no plans to allow voice communications."
"most carriers say they have no plans to allow voice communications."
and how could they limit that? wouldn't it all be packets at that point?
Watch the Teaser Trailer for "The Lightning Thief" Her
FTA: "Many travelers find the prospect of phone calls much less palatable than having a seatmate quietly browsing e-mail."
Yes. Imagine sitting in the center seat between two obese passengers talking non-stop about things you don't want to know about.
What would you do?
What could you possibly do at that point?"I think 2008 is the year when we will finally start to see in-flight Internet access become available..."
Note to everyone, declaring this "the year of implementation x of tech y" automatically sets that tech back indefinitely. This is how this will work out now. The service will be used for years by technically elite fliers who rave over its superior stability when compared to ground based wi-fi. Then several years down the road a group with the motto "airline wifi for humans" will again attempt to make the year of "in-flight internet access", only to realize that the people are still reluctant to adopt it. It's a proven paradigm.
So remember, if you are passionate about a technology, do not declare this "the year of it," as you are only hurting it.
I got a catholic block.
Seems a little arbitrary...
Unrelated to in-flight internet service, but has anyone ever tried playing a flight simulator on a laptop while on a plane? I'd love to see how quickly you could get yourself kicked off by doing that. : p
This guy's the limit!
That sounds to me like a recipe for FAIL. I guess they could make the connection high latency and low bandwidth - i.e. crappy.
w00t a flying cyber cafe! Now we just need some starcraft CDs and a bunch of angry koreans to scream at each other
Yes, we'll see the first planes with this service in 2008. On lines that are heavily contested and where competition is high, so passengers will choose carrier X over Y because they can get internet access. Don't count on it being available on domestic flights where only one or two lines have already split the market up between them, or on lines that are overbooked anyway.
Not to mention that the first planes to be fitted with this will take off in 2008 (allegedly). That doesn't mean that every plane there is will suddenly become equipped with it. Usually, such things take a long, long time.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
It would be nice for long courses. But I do not believe not many people will really be using it except netmaniacs that spend 12+hour daily on the net (like me) or business people who need to be constanly online (oh... like me too). Other people will rather take a nap and not even bother turning the laptop on.
What about connection speeds? Data limits? Which satellites? Connection stability?
Onda Technology Institute
...but I need a power source. I usually travel with my "lite" laptop, and a spare battery, but even that's not always enough. Some of my flights (ORD->BOM) last nearly 20 hours (with 1 stop, where I could theoretically recharge somewhere).
I don't mind paying upwards of $40 for a flight for web access, actually, but I'd assume few others would. Speed/latency isn't an issue, but I do wonder how well it would work over large bodies of water.
1) This has been tried before - Lufthansa? United? Wasn't popular.
:-)
2) If they don't provide power plugs at the seats, it'll be a 1-2 hour internet experience before the blasted battery drains...
Note: American Airlines, to its credit, provides power to about half the seats in coach.
Note to self: sell tickets when the first networked FPS game occurs and the staff, well, melts down
everybody can have their internets except the pilots, of course
This would be great for those long trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flights where a Crackberry addict like myself goes into withdraw and the iPod battery finally dies.
http://www.CelloFourteGroupie.net
Some planes do have in-seat power. The Airbus A330-300 which I've flown to Europe many many times has in-seat power in coach. In fact, Lufthansa (Germany's national airline) had free wifi last year on their transatlantic Boeing jets. Not sure what happened to that service, but it was great...only problem was THOSE jets didn't have power. Just bring extra batteries for your laptop I suppose :)
"If at first you don't succeed, lower your standards."
...what about during waiting time on the ground at the gate after the door is shut or sitting on the taxiway? If not then, then they're missing a big opportunity to pacify some agitated customers.
This is a nice idea, and I sincerely hope it's implemented at some point in the near future. I imagine they will use satalite connections to provide the internet, similar to the way that XM Radio is available on AirTran Flights. But what about power? Being able to charge my battery in flight perhaps off a onboard generator would make me happy to pay that $10 fee plus a little more for the service. Especially if it means I can get to my meeting/conference, which a mostly charged battery.
If you're willing to pay 40 bucks a flight for simple internet access you'd think you'd be willing to spend a bit more and buy an extra battery for the laptop.
Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
I keep hearing say this is coming, but when is someone actually going to go through with actually doing it?
Think about much more quiet and easier this will make Hijacking. The terrorists can boot up and IM each of the pasengers... nice and quiet like... "Yea ur being hijacked lol dun move kk?" Then they can hack into the planes controls without having to go through the old and tiresome banging-on-the-cockpit-door-with-a-gun routine...
Of course this all hinges on whether or not they have valid Vista regkeys.
Slashdot is too nerdy for me.
Almost all seats now include either a plane power adapter or a standard plug. If you will pay $40/flight, you can surely buy an air adapter.
-eric
Trekkie Monster was right! Can't wait for the first time a flight attendant has to ask a customer to stop surfing for porn.
Sure, it's no +5 post, but it expands slightly on what it's replying to.
Unless JetBlue/LiveTV acquired another license, they're seriously bandwidth limited. In 2006 they got a license to use a 1 MHz slice in the 841 to 851 MHz spectruum. Increasing the number of ground stations and using directional antennas helps, but we're definitely not talking anywhere near broadband speeds if they're still using that spectrum (which used to be used by GTE Airfone).
Between the DRM, performance issues, and lack of drivers, the terrorists will be frustrated indeed!
"We are experiencing a little RIAA turbulence and so the Captain has turned on the no downloading sign. Please refrain from downloading anything until the airplane has come to a complete stop and you are safely within the terminal building."
Genesis 1:32 And God typed
I get maybe 1hr15mins out of my laptop's battery. This is only a marginally useful development, unless they also provide a power outlet. I've seen power on a few planes, but a vast majority are still missing this key component.
Monitor bandwidth usage on IIS6 in real-time: http://www.waetech.com/services/iisbm/
We've been told that notebook computers with wireless internet and cellphones interfere with the avionics and are dangerous and must be kept off the entire flight. Now internet access from planes is O.K. What has changed?
Just asking.
-sb (dreading the horribly long flight across the Pacific he faces to go home for Christmas)
I know this won't help you in your case, but American Airlines MD-80's (a fairly old aircraft) have power adapters in coach under the seats. When you book your next flight, check out Seat Guru and it will tell you if a particular aircraft has power adapters.
Call me when there's even enough room to open my laptop to a viewable angle.
You never expect irony, do you?
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@iyfwrestling
It works great over water. I used Boeing's Connexion service in ANA to and from Tokyo before the plug was pulled last December. A Skype test call was a little "chunky", but web, POP, and SSH sessions were OK.
So is this the end of the flight attendent shpeal that goes something like this:
"OMG WTF!? Turn off all your wireless devices or we'll all die!"
In-Flight Service .
Thank you for voting for the Military-Industrial-Congressional (a.k.a Your War Machine) Complex.
Cheers,
K. Trout
As soon as I can level my toons while stuck in a chair for 4 to 6 hours at a time, I will be a happy nerd.
I don't know about any other companies but Lufthansa started offering in-flight net access in Sept 2004 (I was heading to Japan via Munich). It didn't seem too expensive, and they had some freebie minutes since it was only just being introduced.
The only problem was I had a massive P4 powered laptop with a 17'' screen and no wireless card, so I got to look at people with their fancy vaios checking their email. gggrrrr......
Actually many airlines (most?) are disabling the power in economy and sometimes for the entire plane. IIRC, seatguru.com (no affiliation) has info for specific airlines and aircraft.
I'm kind of naive about this stuff, so I hope you will all be gentle and point out the errors. That said, allow me to think out loud for a bit:
Couldn't a wifi enabled aircraft open a large hole in security? Couldn't a potential terrorist/bomber buy a ticket on one of these and not even have to get on board? Seems to me all that needs to be done is make sure the luggage is loaded. Is stuff that's going in the baggage compartment scrutinized as closely as carry on luggage? What if the luggage contained a wifi enabled detonator and a significant amount of explosive material? Would it be possible to retreat to a safe haven and wait for a ready signal when the connection is made, then press a button on the keyboard ( delete comes to mind)? Maybe it wouldn't even have to be the one loading the luggage that presses the button. Maybe there won't even need to be a button; maybe set it up to detonate when the wifi is detected. Maybe incorporate GPS tracking and bring the plane down over a large city. Could it be possible to set off several bombs from a central location?
I sincerely hope all this is way off base and not possible. Again, I ask that I not be given a public flogging here, but if someone will point out why it can't happen, I'll feel more at ease.
Woot! I currently live up here, and though I'm planning on moving out of state, I'll probably come back up here every year or so to visit family. Alaska Airlines has always been on of the best in the country, as far as service goes, glad to see them leading the way with this as well.
Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
Really. While I am utterly against anything but net neutrality and hate with a passion any who throttle traffic/block ports/protocols, etc. (that means you, Comcast!), I do think that it is probably right of them to prevent the usage of VoIP services. I wouldn't really appreciate the guy squished two inches to my right having an "interesting chat" with his girlfriend, and I don't want to hear the girl three inches to my left arguing with her husband for three hours. As stated by others, it would probably be enforced more by flight attendants than by any real attempt at a firewall (they being to easy to overcome). If you really need to communicate with the outside world, I'd say there is little you can do with VoIP (that can't wait two hours) that can't be done with IRC/e-mail.
Fear the penguin.
If you could put a bomb on a plane without boarding yourself you dont need wifi to set it off. A 2 dollar digital watch is good enough as a detonator. In countries which have faced terrorist problems (like India where at least 2 flights were blown up by unaccompanied luggage) a common security measure is after security every passenger has to go and reidentify their luggage and any luggage not identified is not loaded. Also at all Indian airports even check in luggage is xrayed with separate high power x ray machines and then sealed with a strap. You do this before checking in with the airline and the airlines will not take your luggage without the security strapping and the luggage handlers will not load the luggage if the strap seems to have been tampered with. Further if someone does not board (the airhostesses do a name check) the plane does not take off till their luggage is tracked down and offloaded. Inefficient like hell and probably the reason Indian and Israeli state airlines always run at a loss but necessary when you are a target. US airlines may need to start doing the same if they continue to be targets and the flying experience would get worse. Oh and I forget about Indian Airlines doing its own separate security checks and frisking at the boarding stairs in Nepal as they dont trust Nepal airport officials to do a proper job ever since IC 814 got hijacked from Kathmandu after Pakistani terrorists managed to get AK 47s through Nepali security. (very easily bribable security it seems)
**Life is too short to be serious**
If someone can just incorporate the following into a post:
- pr0n
- the phrase "...in their upright position before landing..."
that would be great, thanks.
Shiny. Let's be bad guys...
http://slashdot.org/~brian.gunderson/journal/168251
That's a first for me!
Appended to the end of comments you post. 120 chars.
Plugging ports and shaping traffic is the worst thing they could possibly do. Instead of having normal conversations, everybody will be shouting...
The "neat" thing about voice traffic is that it's highly dependent on a steady flow of packets.
I'm going to guess that the latency on the aircraft internet is going to be quite high. If latency is not large enough to make voice unusable, they can randomly slow outbound packets, just enough to make calls unusable. A little extra latency here and there won't hurt web browsing, email, or most other things...
Guess what, if you allow data, you allow anything. "Voice" can be stored as "data". And while perhaps the providers could block well-know ports used for VoIP services, they'd have a hard time blocking a port-hopping protocol. In fact, the initiation could be done via https (since they can hardly block that - Im sure a lot of business travelers might want to check their online banking or investments, which would require that), and the https transaction could specify the source and destination ports which would be random (and since the https would be encrypted anyway, they could hardly sniff them dynamically)
Of course, if they restrict the bandwidth to 56K or something then it would affect usability, for BOTH VoIP as well as any other use.
Almost all seats have power outlets? And yet despite having a job where I fly dozens of times every year, I have yet to see one of these mythical in-seat power outlets.
I remember I paid $10 for a trans-pacific flight back in 2006 to have in-flight internet access. I believe it was co-branded between Boeing and the airline. I also remember they discontinued the service at the end of 2006. So in-flight internet access like this isn't new at all. I guess someone figured that this time, it would be profitable.
-- "This world is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel."
In-flight gaming systems would be neat. Battle against other passengers in a range of FPS or card games! Or, if they could get direct plane-satellite-plane links going, battle against ALL other passengers of that airline, whether in flight or at a terminal. Annoying, though, if you're halfway through a meal when the frenzied spastic keyboard-thrashing of the n00b next to you sends your orange juice into your lap. Maybe if the seatbacks included an LCD and a small-size spillproof plastic keyboard/trackpad was available. That way, the airlines could control exactly what input devices there were (no microphones), the size of the gear for each seat, and the available software (browsers etc) as well. They'd be able to maintain their own security, antivirus, firewalls etc, and wrap the client experience up in a virtual environment they could simply dump and restore between flights. Maybe they'd allow thumbdrives, but block executables or something. You'd still be able to open up the usual 'common' range of stuff - text files, MS-Office stuff, MP3s/MPGs to play back through the airline headphones/screen. They'd probably even allow email send/receive from removable media. What - you thought internet access meant you'd be able to use it with YOUR laptop, did you? Bwahaha.
The service was called Connexion by Boeing, check out the Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connexion_by_Boeing. Used it a couple of times on SAS flights, rather frustrating latencies for web surfing, pulling teeth would have been preferable for SSH and other interactive usage. However, it still beat the pants out of spending 10+ hours on a plane with only in-flight entertainment. Price was around $15 for a few hours. The best part was when Boeing had already announced they were shutting down the service so the last few months of 2006 were for free.