In-flight Internet access set to launch
Business and leisure travelers soon will be able to go to their home Web pages, check e-mail and surf the Internet -- all while on a transcontinental flight.
Itasca-based Aircell LLC (www.aircell.com) has finished its continental U.S. network that will serve commercial airlines in coming months. The first will be American Airlines, possibly by June, on the New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco routes. Virgin America will follow later this year.
All you'll need is your laptop or handset, such as an iPhone, with WiFi capabilities, said Tom Weigman, Aircell's senior vice president of wireless services.
"As soon as the plane goes to about 10,000 feet, you'll be free to use your personal communication devices," said Weigman.
The in-flight mobile broadband Internet service will be called Gogo (www.gogoinflight.com), a first for the broadband and aerospace industries, said Weigman.
"Users will be able to access their home pages and e-mail accounts as if they were at home or at the office," he said.
It will be just like using a WiFi hotspot, enabling passengers to log on to their home or corporate network. In addition, each session includes access to The Wall Street Journal Online.
The cost is expected to be $12.95 per session for six-hour flights, but other shorter flights could be about $10, he said.
Other flights, including Chicago routes, and services, such as movies and TV programs, will be available later, he said.
In addition, in-flight phone calls from your own devices may be possible in the future, but are prohibited now due to regulatory issues, Weigman said.
"At first, we thought mostly business travelers would use this, but our studies have shown that a lot of leisure travelers want to stay connected too," he said.
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