Gizmodo: friendlier skies

Virgin America Getting In-Flight Wi-Fi on November 22

Adam Frucci — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:42:35 EST

At long last, Virgin America is finally bringing in-flight wireless internet access to its flights. On November 22, a beta flight above San Francisco will be the first to test the service, with it then rolling out to more flights after that at a rate of one per week. The plan is to have Wi-Fi available throughout the entire fleet by early next year, making it the first US carrier to do so. There's no word on whether or not the service will be filtered for porn. Update: They will not be filtering their Wi-Fi. Solo mile high club, here I come! [Virgin America via PSFK]

Alaska Airlines and Row 44 Planning First U.S. Satellite-Based In-Air Wi-Fi

Matt Buchanan — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 06:15:00 EDT

It looks like the first U.S. carrier to offer in-flight Wi-Fi using a satellite-based setup will be Alaska Airlines, which plans to roll the service out to its entire fleet by 2009, pending the results of a monthlong test this spring. Using Row 44's satellite system instead of an air-to-ground one, a la Virgin America and AirCell, means more bandwidth and wider coverage, at least according to Row 44's CEO.

Either way, since AA's routes go outside of the continental US and therefore AirCell's coverage, satellites seem to be the only way to cover every route they offer. Unlike past satellite offerings though, supposedly Route 44's setup is fairly quick and easy without exorbitant overhead, so hopefully the free access proposed for first and elite class passengers will trickle down to coach—though "a few dollars" for all-day access is reasonable enough not to awaken our inner Scrooge. [WSJ]

Virgin America Bringing In-Air Wi-Fi to Its Flights in 2008

Adam Frucci — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 12:40:00 EDT

Man, Virgin America is really making all other airlines look horrible. First they started flying with awesome high-tech Linux computers on every seat, seat-to-seat chat, games (Doom!), movies, music and food ordering, not to mention sexy mood lighting, and now they just announced something even cooler: air-to-ground broadband.

Yep, starting next year, Virgin America flights will have Wi-Fi in the air as well as Ethernet jacks at every seat and connectivity on their seatback computers. You'll be able to check your email, IM, play Nintendo DS games against your buddies on the ground, and basically thank your lucky stars that you aren't on a US Airways flight the whole time you're in the air. So awesome. Now all they need to do is start servicing more cities. [Virgin America]