A couple weeks ago, I complained about the lack of Internet availability on airplanes. There is some positive news on that front — it’s coming, and maybe in a matter of weeks, according to PC World. Also, if you happen to be a user of the Internet access unifying service iPass, rejoice, because it may just be free for you.
IPass is teaming up with Aircell Gogo, the company that is expected to be the first in the United States to offer Wi-Fi service on planes (there are others working in this space as well). Users of iPass pay a monthly fee to gain access to the Internet via Wi-Fi, Ethernet or dial-up at over 100,000 locations throughout the world. Later this year, Internet access on flights with American Airlines and Virgin America will be included in those packages as well, and the price isn’t expected to go up.
For everyone else, the price of airplane Wi-Fi will be $9.95 for flights that are three hours or shorter and $12.95 for all other flights. As PC World notes, this is really not bad at all compared to similar rates at airports and hotels. If it makes me forget about how uncomfortable I am in my seat, I would pay in a heartbeat.
[photo: flickr/spcummings]
10:17 am
Delta loves to fly and it shows (in the form of Wi-Fi) » VentureBeat said:
[...] system is becoming quite the belle of the airline’s ball. Back in May it was announced that users of iPass, an Internet access service that a lot of travelers use, would soon get free access t…. At the time, it was announced that American Airlines and Virgin America had deals to implement [...]