According to the Wall Street Journal, American Airlines is loading up another 150 planes this year with Wi-Fi Internet service. They began offering wireless Internet to domestic customers on 15 of their Boeing 767’s last August. Their next step is to start adding service to 153 of their Boeing 737’s in time for 2010. This is just the latest sign that high-altitude, high-speed Internet is becoming a standard on domestic flights.
Several U.S. airlines are planning on or considering offering Internet on domestic flights. Delta Air Lines plans to equip more than 300 planes with wireless Internet access by year end. Southwest Airlines Co. began testing a satellite-based Internet service on four of its planes earlier this year. United Airlines plans to offer air-to-ground Internet service on 13 of its planes in the second half of the year.
But it’s not for free—with airlines looking for ways to make money any way they can these days, American is charging $7.95 for customers who use hand-held wireless devices, fees for laptops range from $9.95 for short flights - $12.95 for longer flights. Delta’s prices are the same. United’s air-to-ground internet service will cost $12.95 and be restricted initially to flights between New York and California. While Continental Airlines Inc. and U.S. Airways Group Inc. are still studying the situation before offering in-flight Internet access to their customers.
Both American and Delta are using air-to-ground technology developed by Aircell LLC, an Illinois-based company. Customers can surf the Web and check emails at speeds of up to three megabits per second, faster than many connections on land. Download Speedplexer to your laptop and you can clock your speed while you’re in the air!