American Airlines rolling out in-flight WiFi to 15 more jets

American Airlines ran a "dress rehearsal" of its AirCell-powered in-fight WiFi service last month, and it looks like it was a success -- the airline is set to expand the trial to some 15 jets over the coming weeks, with tests expected to last six months. The tests are apparently more to evaluate the speed and reliability of the wireless connection, rather than to study the impact on the plane's avionics, so it looks like this is finally happening -- we'd recommend against wearing your WiFi-detector shirts through security, however.

[Via Wired]

[spil @ Jul 17th 2008 10:39AM]

Wi-fi or any other wireless connection doesn't mess with the airplaine's avionics, unless you are using a scanner to listen in to the radio frequency they are on. The only reason they make you turn off all electronics during takeoff is to ensure that you are listening to the rules so some ignorant person who does something stupid doesn't sue and say he didn't know not to get up and start his daily jog around the plane while the plane is lifting off from the runway.

...first!

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Jul 17th 2008 10:59AM]

I think people just say "first" now out of joy at getting flogged, and they have the benevolence in their heart to give us the target to aim our flogging tools at.

There's no joy in being first to comment. Especially when you get 27 e-mails when people barnacle onto your comment.

[erislover @ Jul 17th 2008 11:40AM]

Using barnacle as a verb. Excellent.

[dale_nx26 @ Jul 17th 2008 12:30PM]

i believe his "first" is warranted because he provides some useful insight in his post. and yea, people get over-the-top by others saying first. just let it go, it's not gonna end.

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Jul 17th 2008 1:36PM]

Let it go? I pointed out how I believe it's mutually beneficial. I've clearly made peace with it.

FIRST TO MAKE PEACE WITH IT

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 17th 2008 3:36PM]

Sterile?! Then what the hell does that make me.

[From My Cube @ Jul 17th 2008 10:49AM]

you had me till you said first.....thats like a girl saying " want to have sex.........................................................and i have herpes"

[From My Cube @ Jul 17th 2008 10:50AM]

damnit, i hit reply ENGADGET....please fix the comment system....

[spil @ Jul 17th 2008 12:13PM]

Heh, even I voted you up on that.

I don't see what the big deal is about people saying first. I mean if the only thing the person says in the comment is "F!R$T!!111oneone!!!!1111eleven!!1!1!," I could see how that could be irritating, but I actually made a real, valid comment pertaining to the blog post, so I don't think I deserve to be flamed. Besides, I can almost guarantee that there will be about ten people who respond to my original comment with a comment that pertains less to the article that mine.

NUMBERS:
my post was 90 words long (contractions=2), and "first" is only one word, so only 1% (well, 1.1repeating%) of my post was NOT pertaining to the article.

OK, now I just realized that I spent like 5 minutes justifying the use of the word "first" to some people that I will never meet or even see in real life. Oh well.

[Jay @ Jul 17th 2008 10:50AM]

I thought that the airlines were trying to reduce the weight of their jests to conserve fuel? Won't all those intertubes add to the weight?

[OneLove @ Jul 17th 2008 11:33AM]

So another reason to raise ticket prices, and then cry to the government for help.

[Flashpoint @ Jul 17th 2008 10:56AM]

I think WiFi fees might be a good way for airlines to gain revenue considering how hard they are getting HAMMERED by fuel costs.
So far they've raised ticket fees and increased their fees on services which used to be free. They charge you on some airlines to carry on bags and soon they will all be charging for peanuts and premium drinks (soda).

The next thing to come will be charging large people for the need to use two seats.

Wifi fees will only work across the board if they scale back their premium services such as televisions in every headrest or DVR's for every passenger.

my only problem with Wifi is that it might allow people to use skype to make endless phonecalls unless they are being charged heavily for it.

[Dave @ Jul 17th 2008 11:10AM]

No one will be using skype off of this wi-fi. You know why? Perhaps you've heard of QoS/Packet Filtering?

[Chris G. @ Jul 17th 2008 11:11AM]

Not to mention I imagine the latency for the wireless would be too annoyin for skype.

[Kris @ Jul 17th 2008 11:29AM]

SouthWest locked into a contract and bought tons of fuel at ~$2.00 so they're not hurting at all on fuel for quite a while.

... I believe it was SouthWest.

[Kespar @ Jul 17th 2008 11:35AM]

...coupled with the fact people talking on phones on a plane are 100% likely to get a bunch of fives in the face from surrounding in-flight buddies.

[BigReg @ Jul 17th 2008 11:56AM]

Clearly you haven't flown AA domestically much. The only planes AA flies with displays in each seatback is a 777. Very few of those fly inside the US. Most of AA's flights don't have IFE (in flight entertainment) at *all*.

[Dave @ Jul 17th 2008 12:29PM]

@Kris

Those future contracts you are referring to that Southwest had have been expired now for about a year...

[Kris @ Jul 17th 2008 12:54PM]

@Dave, that is incorrect. In fact, they have fuel hedges going into 2012 which will be estimated at costing them $63 a barrel.

http://www.247wallst.com/2007/04/southwest_airli.html

[Dave @ Jul 17th 2008 2:34PM]

@Kris

Guess you're right...surprising then that they are also under bankruptcy watch...interesting. I thought the reason they were in trouble (along with every other airline) was due to the massive fuel hikes of the past year. Thanks for clearing that up.

[MadMike @ Jul 17th 2008 11:19AM]

Great - overpriced WiFi and STILL no power-outlets for domestic flights. That and flight costs are killer now and they are charging $7 for a frigging beer.

[linderman @ Jul 17th 2008 11:52AM]

American Airlines installed power outlets on most of their seats in their fleet. They have had them in place since the late 1990's and they make it very clear when you book your flight and select your seat that the row has the power outlets. They designate a lightning bolt on the row. I bring a splitter and inverter with me so the person sitting next to me can share an outlet if they need power on cross country flights.

American was planning to do this in 2001 with Boeing Connexion but 9/11 changed all of their plans.

[NHAnimator @ Jul 17th 2008 11:26AM]

"They charge you on some airlines to carry on bags and soon they will all be charging for peanuts and premium drinks (soda)."

Premium drinks? Hell, they're going to do it for water as well. It's really beginning to resemble that Southwest commercial where they charge you to use the bathroom and to press the flight attendant call button.

I understand about fuel charges, as do most who travel. But this nickle-and-diming does nothing but draw negative attention to your airline. If Southwest raises their rates from $69 to $84, I just chalk it up to higher fuel costs. If other airlines choose to make up the difference by charging me because I am wearing a sweater and that makes the plane heavier, then they will NOT be getting my business if I can help it.

They are also dumping video services on many domestic planes due to the fact that the equipment weighs something in the order of 500 pounds. Then they go and load up the planes with handhelds.

Bail yourselves out, morons.

[OneLove @ Jul 17th 2008 11:36AM]

Maybe they should hire hookers as flight attendants and charge you to mile high them....oh wait?

[linderman @ Jul 17th 2008 11:55AM]

Hey American Airlines...

Want more of your customers to test this system out? Try giving us bonus AAdvantage frequent flyer miles. The entire plane will test it out for you and really tax the system so you can work all of the bugs out of it. It will be great to have Internet access for my laptop on the five hour cross country flights! Way to go American Airlines!

[bjrcboy @ Jul 17th 2008 12:14PM]

Psh I can't use my AA miles for anything its always "not avaliable" well unless I book it a few months in advance to LAX from the bay area. After the taxes and what not I'd rather just drive for cheaper!

[linderman @ Jul 17th 2008 12:29PM]

I use mine to upgrade to business or first class on overseas flights and long hauls. Never had any problems using them. Also, I give them to family members and business associates and they have never had problems using them. I would never use them for a 380 mile flight from LAX to SFO...what a waste of 25,000 miles when you could have used them for a much longer trip. For those short hauls, take Southwest and save your money...cheaper than driving at today's gas prices too!

[linderman @ Jul 17th 2008 12:13PM]

Wow...

Just think, now you can multi-task on American Airlines...read Engadget and respond to the articles on Engadget at 35,000 feet! If you do not like the articles or if a response makes you sick to your stomach, the barf bag is right on the seat in front of you...how convenient!

This technology will make a five hour flight seem to go extremely fast. I have already tried my Verizon EVDO Rev A modem on a six hour Amtrak trip and it seemed like the trip took an hour. This idea will definitely fly! For those of us road warriors out there, $12.95 per flight is a small price to pay for the productivity. Also, I have heard that Boingo Wireless is looking at including this in their package to lower the price even more.

[Don Corleone @ Jul 17th 2008 12:52PM]

I suppose this justifies the $15 per bag checkin fee? NOT!

[Peter F @ Jul 17th 2008 4:24PM]

Is that a Tilt running Opera? Awesome......

[eric styot @ Jul 25th 2008 7:05AM]

American Airlines still doesn't have anything against JET BLUE. i fly with them all the time because they know how to travel!!!!!!! not to mention they are also getting WiFi on board flight, so i get all the leather interior, great prices, cable television on the back of every seat, and leg room i want, as well as the convenience of on the go WiFi.......... IT JUST DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT. NO OTHER AIRLINE CAN COMPARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!