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American Airlines To Offer Wi-Fi In Planes
Firmafest writes "In USA Today there's a scoop that American Airlines will offer Wi-Fi on domestic flights. Price is approx. $10 to get connected. Being a frequent international flyer I hope this will catch on. The LA Times reports that the cost is about $100,000 to equip a plane. While that number seems high, it will probably be worth it. If I had a choice between two flights both equally good, I'd pick the Wi-Fi enabled one." The article also says that JetBlue and Southwest Airlines are at least experimenting with Wi-Fi access aboard, while Delta already offers it.
Backelin said the Internet access will be filtered to block pornographic sites -- the airline at first said it wouldn't do that, but relented after hearing complaints from customers and flight attendants. And American won't allow voice-over-Internet phone service, to keep chattering to a minimum.
I don't fly often, but I'm going to start watching the sky for falling AA planes. With all the radio waves in planes introduced by offering wifi, there's no way the planes won't crash. At least, that's what the FAA has been telling us for as long as I can remember. Now that there's a way to make money from using radio devices in the cabin, there doesn't seem to be a problem anymore.
If it pays for itself within a few months, then good. Profitable airlines == more competition, and less nickel and diming for snacks and hydration.
...that it's perfectly safe to operate your wireless devices inside an airplane, as long as you're paying the airline for the pleasure.
That you can't be without it for a few hours?
Never been on a plane, huh? Let me enlighten you:
People on a plane will do anything to distract themselves from the cramped space, uncomfortable seats, stale air, stale body odor, and bad food. Including paying out the nose for booze, headphones to listen to a movie, or internet access.
Read a magazine? Oh, that's right, printed words cause a severe allergic reaction in most people nowadays. I forgot, sorry.
I've just stopped going to America.
Good solution, because we're the only country to spy on their own citizens or internet users.
Posts not to be taken literally. Almost everything is sarcasm.
They do not need any capture device plugged in. All communication to and from the plane are done through the air, which is free for most intelligence agencies to monitor.
cue to advertisements on the inner side of the "thing that looks like a pair of glasses and covers your eyes to make you sleep better" in 3..2..1..
Can I put a spell on those who can't spell?
Your wheels are loose and they're losing their grip, good you're there.
I understand that historically bundled services are replaced with fees that it is upsetting, however I really have enjoyed knowing that when you load up to 100lbs (50lbs weight limit per bag) that it is paid for while I carry on my only luggage (which I have done for up to 7 day trips easily).
Since I have yet to see an airline that weighs carry-on luggage, I can see why you would like this policy. The only real criteria for the carry-on is that you must be able to fit it in an overhead bin and be able to lift it there.
Flying now, it is quite obvious there is a lot more carry-on luggage, and much of it is often at the very limit of size to fit in the overhead bins (with no hope of fitting under a seat). Basically, people have just stopped checking luggage because it costs more, but the airplane has exactly the same amount of luggage as it would have before the charges started.
I'd much rather see the airline charge $2-5 per hour of flight time more for the flight and not charge for the first checked bag. Among other things, it would speed loading and unloading of the plane, as I wouldn't have to wait for the people who can just barely navigate their max-size carry-on while inside the plane.
FAA regulations dictate a more stringent set of requirements for equipment for use on aircraft. Hell, even the service carts have to be certified. Above that there's significant testing and product development that has to go into this kind of deployment.
As an example, ARINC qualified ethernet connectors run about $80 apiece.
There's also onboard servers to provide credit card support services, localized content so it's not just a Wireless Router solution.
Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
How is AA going to prevent me from setting up my Meraki repeater once I'm aboard and start re-selling their service for a lower price?
The fact that if you start hocking your nerdly wares up and down the aisle, someone is going to alert a flight attendant. It's the same reason you don't have people selling you non-internet goods on the airplane.
If you just repeat it to your 2 co-workers no one is going to care, it will just make you look cheap.
Societal pressure will do wonders for stopping shitty behavior in the real world. It works double plus good when everyone has spent at several hundred dollars to enter a confined space. This is why you DO have people hocking wares in the terminal, but not on the plane.
I was estimating around 3-4 flights per plane, per day (domestic), which, with your figures, would make it between 50-66 days to start being profitable given ideal circumstances.
Even assuming less than ideal circumstances it's still a very short time to get a 100% ROI.
I think he was actually speaking specifically about customs and immigration. I know myself and the company I work for have stopped going to the US because of the ridiculous mostly ineffective procedures one has to go through compared to the rest of the world, and we work in aviation ourselves.
Turning off electronics has never been about interfereance with the plane, if that were the case you wouldn't be allowed to bring items onboard at all.
Consider this: Your electronics are just as electromagnetically dangerous left switched on in your pocket as they are in your hand and all the airlines verify is that you're not holding any electronics, not that they're turned off.
Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day, but teach a man to phish...
Lose a few pounds.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on