American Airlines to test in-flight WiFi tomorrow

You heard right, folks. American Airlines is planning to open up the world wide web to passengers on board an unspecified round-trip flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles. The Gogo service, provided via Aircell, will be free for patrons tomorrow, but will eventually run users $12.95 for flights greater than three hours and $9.95 for trips under said threshold. We're also told that more trials are expected to get going on flights between New York and San Francisco and New York and Miami, though no time frame is given for when the service would escape the beta stage and hit mass implementation. Additionally, the Gogo system is supposed to "prioritize the flow of data so that passengers downloading movies or large documents won't prevent other passengers from getting their email," so don't expect to use that excuse for not sending in those Q2 close reports.

[Via Jaunted]

[thedesolate1 @ Jun 24th 2008 1:08PM]

MYSPACE ON A PLANE!

[adelossa @ Jun 24th 2008 1:13PM]

no, porn on a plane!

[Lowest Ranked @ Jun 24th 2008 1:24PM]

No, snakes on a plane!

[Who Knows @ Jun 24th 2008 1:34PM]

no, soap on a plane
snakes on a plane on a plane!

[TJ @ Jun 24th 2008 1:42PM]

Well, there aren't anymore peanuts on the plane, that's for sure. :(

Damn gas prices.

[Who Knows @ Jun 24th 2008 1:50PM]

everyone eats pecans now.
lol

[xtole @ Jun 24th 2008 1:53PM]

Warcraft on my flight? I wonder what the bandwidth restrictions will be.

[ethana2 @ Jun 24th 2008 2:00PM]

I am so $($^(& tired of all these #%(# &%( pervs on this $(# $%(& plane!

[The_Steven @ Jun 24th 2008 3:55PM]

No, Tilt on a plane....

Hmm...maybe I don't want my plane Tilt-ing...

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Jun 24th 2008 1:13PM]

Torrenting hits the skies at long last. Tis the Future you know.

[HyperHacker @ Jun 24th 2008 4:45PM]

If they're charging you for it, they can certainly monitor traffic and link it to you. Torrents may not be such a great idea. Don't even think of downloading MS Flight Simulator.

[Drew Scott @ Jun 24th 2008 1:18PM]

This is a great idea, but I just can't see myself paying $9.95 for a two hour flight ... especially if I'm just using my ipod. Considering the price of flying already, especially with many airlines starting to charge for baggage, I just don't know how willing many people are going to be to fork out even more.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jun 24th 2008 1:28PM]

America Airlines already started charing $15 for your first checked bag and $25 for the second.

They claim its because of the gas prices.

[Dave @ Jun 24th 2008 2:24PM]

Yeah seriously the only thing this will do is encourage people to use their existing data plans they already have on their phone and pray for reception...sorry but I see this being used about as often as the now defunct Airfone.

[ShogunMaster @ Jun 24th 2008 1:21PM]

I never even thought to look until this came up, but apparently they have Bittorrent for Mobile: http://www.adisasta.com/wmTorrent.html

'Borrowing' copyrighted material was never so convenient!

[thedesolate1 @ Jun 24th 2008 1:29PM]

Wait technically if you are downloading "Get Smart" over international waters then you aren't doing anything wrong right? can we say "Loophole" or "Gray Area" oh and wouldn't Wifi on cruises give new meaning to the word "Pirate Bay".

[ethana2 @ Jun 24th 2008 2:06PM]

Screw copyrighted material, get the HD version of Big Buck Bunny ;)

[--Ed @ Jun 24th 2008 2:36PM]

Why wouldn't you download whatever you need to download "before" you got on the plane. That way you wouldn't waste half your flight waiting for downloads.

I think this service is just mainly for checking email, IM and surfing.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jun 24th 2008 1:27PM]

Uh, which version of the TyTn, Tilt, 8925 is that? It has a forward facing camera?

[rock99rock @ Jun 24th 2008 3:01PM]

Its the original, OEM, TyTN II/Tilt direct from the manufacturer. Pre-aTT stripping of all the awesomeness Post-HTC not applying decent drivers for awesome hardware.

Something like that.

[j.nikiel @ Jun 24th 2008 1:27PM]

so they install some hardware to allow weefee for a fee which will pay for itself in a matter of flights and then AA starts rollin in the big bucks. maybe if enough people use it they'll be able to stop charging for luggage check, food, drinks, pillows, use of the bathroom, and the ability to look out the window...

[Boarderwoot @ Jun 24th 2008 1:32PM]

so they install some hardware and start charging for weefee usage which will pay for itself in a matter of flights, Then AA can start rolling in the big bucks. Maybe if enough people use it they'll stop charging for luggage check and peanuts and soda and the ability to use the restroom and also return your soul.

[Boarderwoot @ Jun 24th 2008 1:35PM]

I wonder if that time frame is from the "You may now use your portable electronics announcement" to when you have to turn them off or the entire duration of the flight, considering that'd be a difference of about half an hour.

[munir @ Jun 24th 2008 1:43PM]

does anyone know whether iphone software 2.0 will allow you to have wifi on, but turn off the cell portion?

[Echo1 @ Jun 24th 2008 1:56PM]

Seeing as the first iPhone has an airplane mod, the second generatin should have it

[Echo1 @ Jun 24th 2008 1:58PM]

sorry I ment mode, not mod

[ethana2 @ Jun 24th 2008 2:07PM]

HAHAHA so telling..... Apple and their crap fascist limitations they're always trying to put on people..

[phanbouy @ Jun 24th 2008 2:29PM]

yeah, how dare they allow you to turn the cell radio off! FASCISTS!!111

[StealthMonkey @ Jun 24th 2008 1:48PM]

Yay, internet on planes! *dances*

[NHAnimator @ Jun 24th 2008 2:20PM]

No dancing on the plane, sir.

[Cactus @ Jun 24th 2008 5:49PM]

--Ed:
Their website - gogoinflight.com - goes on to say that Skype and the like are blocked and otherwise "voice calls are banned" (see: "netiquette" video).

While they can go on and block everything but port 80, I'm not sure that would necessarily completely defeat VoIP use. I'm sure you'll soon hear about some UMA or Vonage V-phone users getting right through...

(I would rather just go online and bother people through text messaging, anyway. "OMG GUES WHR IM TXTNG U FRM!! A PLANE!!!! LULZ")

[tiuk @ Jun 24th 2008 2:14PM]

I'd be willing to pay that for a long flight. For a short one I'd probably just watch a movie. Of course, I'd rather it be free, but that's not going to happen.

Wonder what the speeds will be like, didn't see any mention of it in the article.

[Lloytron @ Jun 24th 2008 2:33PM]

Oh God please no!

VOIP on a plane... *shudders*

I don't want to spend 4 hours listening to some jackass next to me talking on VOIP. You are already imposing on my personal space with your pointy elbows, I don't want to hear you on the phone!

"IM ON A PLANE. YES WEVE JUST TAKEN OFF. THE CONNECTION IS REALLY BAD. I CAN SEE MY HOUSE FROM HERE" ad nauseum, from a hundred seats across the plane.

[Lloytron @ Jun 24th 2008 2:34PM]

Note to self. Click reply to thread, not reply to comment at the bottom of the page :D

[--Ed @ Jun 24th 2008 2:43PM]

I HIGHLY doubt they will enable VOIP and can probably say I doubt that will happen. I'm sure their will me many things filtered out. IM is about as good as it will get. Just hope you don't sit next to a noisy typist.

[Grant @ Jun 24th 2008 3:17PM]

air phones have been in planes for years, it was never a problem then.

[AndyRoss @ Jun 24th 2008 5:55PM]

From the Gogo link in this article:

"Fortunately, (or unfortunately depending upon your opinion) the service blocks all VoIP services like Skype."

So I think we're safe. For now.

[muddyh2o @ Jun 24th 2008 2:32PM]

anyone know if these guys roam with partners (like iPass et al)?

[Tom @ Jun 24th 2008 2:47PM]

The SSID for the service will be "Free Public WiFi"

[michas_pi @ Jun 24th 2008 7:26PM]

Or "linksys".

[dosguy @ Jun 24th 2008 2:51PM]

"...is supposed to "prioritize the flow of data so that passengers downloading movies or large documents won't prevent other passengers from getting their email."

What makes anyone think that a movie or large document would be any less important than an email? I could be a traveling doctor downloading a video of my colleagues' assessment of a critically ill patient, while you could be getting email jokes. No one should have the authority to judge someone else's Internet priorities. Not me, not you; no one.

What I dread most, however, is that this will eventually lead to cellphones on planes - a can of worms which most definitely should not be opened.

[Grant @ Jun 24th 2008 3:15PM]

My internet is more important than your internet.
Always.

[Grant @ Jun 24th 2008 3:14PM]

I can just see tomorrow's headline:
"Dozens of planes crash as unforeseen radio interference occurs"



i keed, i keed. it's perfectly safe.

[HyperHacker @ Jun 24th 2008 4:42PM]

Those of you who don't trust technology may want to invest in tiny umbrellas.

[Kevin @ Jun 24th 2008 3:51PM]

How are they going to be able to restrict it to just the people paying for the service? Wouldn't you be able to get the password from the dude sitting next to you?

[Derek @ Jun 24th 2008 4:18PM]

Services like this aren't password protected. They typically link your payment status to your MAC address and route your traffic accordingly.

[HyperHacker @ Jun 24th 2008 4:43PM]

Which makes MAC spoofing all the more interesting. :3

[Mae May @ Jun 24th 2008 4:57PM]

i think that is gonna want to b perves as usual and "use" it and like getting the flight ticket wasnt hard enough having to pay for it i would listen to my ipod anyway.

[everunman @ Jun 24th 2008 4:59PM]

Why charge?, advertising free wifi would sell more tickets surely!

[Zak @ Jun 24th 2008 5:17PM]

They're charging you money per bag just to check them, and you have to ask "why charge?" They'll charge you because they're desperate for money.