Next time you fly, you may have more options than just reading a book or passing out. American Airlines, joining others such as Virgin and JetBlue, are teaming up with carrier Aircell to offer passengers free Wi-Fi on Boeing 767-200 aircraft next year. If everything goes well, American Airlines might expand the program to its entire fleet of planes, rather than just a select few flying transcontinental routes. It'll also be interesting to see what kind of restrictions ease because of this. Will we all be nudging the person next to us to please please please not scream into their cell phone as we try to sleep? Not to be a Luddite, but books are looking better and better.
In-flight Wi-Fi is not really not a matter of if at this point, but when.
CrunchGear, via Boy Genius Report
editor@dvice.com
By webRat at 12:52 PM ON 12/07/07
So, why did you, Kevin Hall the author, even mention "Will we all be nudging the person next to us to please please please not scream into their cell phone as we try to sleep?"
I'm seriously confused. Offering free wi-fi means that you'll be able to browse the internet with your laptops or use your mobile devices.
T-mobile is the only cellphone carrier that has devices that will use your wi-fi network if you have one, but I don't think that's what this "free wi-fi" is intended to be used as.
By Kevin Hall at 1:06 PM ON 12/07/07
All good points, Webrat. My mention of cell phones does stray a little bit. It was intended as a "What's next?" remark.
While offered Wi-Fi won't mean you can use your cell phone, it's only a matter of time, I'm sure, before some carrier makes the service available (for the cell phone you already own - not a special one or a phone supplied by the airline). Still, as you point out, we're talking about Wi-Fi here.
Thanks for reading.