Virgin America lights up entire fleet with in-flight WiFi

Hold up AirTran -- not so fast with those wild claims of in-flight WiFi superiority. If you'll recall, the aforesaid airline proclaimed that it would soon be the first to have its entire fleet doused with Gogo, but it looks like Virgin America has swept in to claim that title. We should point out just how unfair the challenge is, though: VA has 28 planes as of today, whereas AirTran has 136. At any rate, we're still thrilled to see airlines duking it out in order to get more WiFi to more fliers, and we fully anticipate that every new aircraft added to Virgin America's fleet will be lit from day one. Now, if only they'd allow Skype functionality for more than just an Oprah demonstration, we'd really be playing with fire.

[Via Gadling]

[Kiwi616 @ May 20th 2009 5:51PM]

Bring on the annoying typists and chit chatter when I am trying to sleep and I will personally knock the signal.

[OneLove @ May 20th 2009 6:02PM]

I want to ride virgin!

[Lazerface @ May 20th 2009 11:47PM]

I want to ride a virgin!

[Jimmy Jones @ May 20th 2009 5:52PM]

what does Oprah has to do with WiFi in the post picture? She must be a big sponsor? yes?

may be the smiley white teeth can search as antenna........perhaps

[jack @ May 20th 2009 5:57PM]

She is the Virgin

[Peter @ May 20th 2009 5:55PM]

Yeah, you get free WiFi. On Air Canada, you'll be lucky to get a free meal! I'm not even sure they still give those little sesame snaps anymore.

[greg @ May 20th 2009 6:35PM]

the wifi isn't free. you haven't pay so its really not the same as a meal. As for me I just want some wifi on those transatlantic flights. I'd gladly pay upwards to $30 for some wifi...oi

[va jj @ May 20th 2009 6:01PM]

screw wifi, i'd be lucky to find a economy class plane can i can charge my damn laptop

[Sriram Santhanam @ May 20th 2009 6:05PM]

actually if I remember right, virgin has power outlets on all their seats

[attathomeguy @ May 20th 2009 6:10PM]

all virgin america flights have standard 110v outlets so you can charge your laptop.

[Icello @ May 20th 2009 6:18PM]

Virgin is cheap and has power outlets on all seats.
I'm so happy we went with Virgin for our flight to NYC this year.

[jkudlacz @ May 20th 2009 7:13PM]

Well you are in luck, Virgina America has electrical outlets at each seat, just plug in and enjoy.

[copeys @ May 21st 2009 12:48AM]

@attathomeboy

Standard 110v?!? Very helpful for international travellers.... wi-fi only handy for the first several hours b4 the devices go flat! lols

Whats wrong with good old plain tele/radio/books?!? Now we need wifi?

[Dado @ May 20th 2009 6:02PM]

If the SKYPE association means VoIP calls, watch for a battle royal. They'll need separate sections like in the days when there was a (so called) smoking section. If they mix people on phone calls all through the plane someone's going to die. There are some real short fuses out there and 50 people yakking away will light them real quick. Could make for some great you-tube fun though.

[OneLove @ May 20th 2009 6:03PM]

cause you drink too much hater-ade

[Frankie Dumlao @ May 20th 2009 6:08PM]

Awesome... those transatlantic flights... are LONG

[yincrash @ May 20th 2009 6:16PM]

Virgin America does not have transatlantic flights. it has transamerica flights. Virgin Atlantic has transatlantic flights. :)

[Frankie Dumlao @ May 20th 2009 6:18PM]

That sucks

[Adam Stewart @ May 20th 2009 6:23PM]

ooVoo (not Skype) was actually first to the punch on the in-flight video chat on Virgin America. No Oprah on that call though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6makeCsVeJ0

[KeegdnaB @ May 20th 2009 6:25PM]

When Virgin flies to more than 1 city that is more than 10 miles inland from either coast, they can start making claims about being the "first" to do anything. AirTran's Wifi is alot more significant because they actually have a full coast-to-coast (and everything in between) network.

[jello00 @ May 20th 2009 6:40PM]

I think when they equip their entire fleet with WiFi they can claim that they are the "first" to equip their entire fleet with WiFi... right? What does it matter where they go? At least now I know that when I fly with Virgin America I'll have WiFi. Your reasoning makes no sense.

[Samurai Jack @ May 20th 2009 6:43PM]

Yes, but they are still ValuJet. They can fly wherever they like, but I will not be flying with them.

Buying another company so that you can get their flight certificate, then changing your name to match it -- all because your negligence led to an air disaster -- has to earn you a special place in one of the circles of Hell. Other airlines have incidents too, but they don't go to such extremes to hide that fact from the public.

[ED @ May 20th 2009 8:36PM]

I am the first person to equip my office with me!

[jasonshort @ May 21st 2009 1:04AM]

I used iChat video conference on a Virgin America flight last month (NY to SF.) It worked perfectly!

[tigernate9 @ May 20th 2009 7:10PM]

Delta still has the most planes with WiFi - and you have more than 6 routes to choose from

[Agent .25i @ May 21st 2009 12:06AM]

Y'all be goin' on vacation? See the thing is... if you 'bout to be up out this biatch, beep Delta. We be flying all over this bitch. Let me aks you something: you fian to raise up and get your travel on? From the interior to da exterior, you've got to get your posterior into one o' deez big ass planes. Shit, dawg! You be laying the cut, straight chillin' on yo ass, gettin' you drink on and yo snack on, while we floss and fly this mofo all over this bitch. East coast, West coast, it don't matter! We'll get you to your ho and back lickety split, no shit. Then you'll be back at yo crib, chillin' with a fat spliff, thinkin' we was some crazy ass angel. Hell, these fat, round, thick-ass vessels run up in the sky so deep, it be cryin! Yeah, you thought it was rain! So bring a towel, cuz at Delta, it's laid out like that. Call one of these fly-ass Delta coochies, and let all them punk-ass coworkers of yours catch the vapors as you be off and up out!

You goin?
We fly you dere.
You been?
We done already flew up in dere.
We got you covered like a jimmy-hat. At Delta, we loves us some flying, and it be showing like a motherfucka.

[Razloga @ May 20th 2009 7:49PM]

THANK YOU..

I have been hating her for a while though... Not sure what it is about that bitch, just don't like her...

[Amun @ May 20th 2009 8:06PM]

I would trade all the in flight WiFi in the world for the ability to board a plane without feeling like ripping someone's head off (be it the security morons, the people in the line ahead of you, or the person who's taking all of the shared armrest for him or herself). Sigh.

[kevin @ May 20th 2009 8:18PM]

She is definitely not a Virgin American

[Ed @ May 20th 2009 8:52PM]

It's been a few months since I've flown VA, so maybe things have improved... But when I flew them, their inflight entertainment system, Red, SUCKED. It looked like it was using Flash, and it was painfully slow and satellite TV had too many dropouts to be watchable.

[sumeet @ May 20th 2009 8:57PM]

I need to fly with Virgin. Wifi and hot flight attendants.

[wako @ May 20th 2009 10:05PM]

SWEET! I have a flight on Saturday that was booked as not having WiFi! I guess I will be bringing my laptop now!

[PhotoGuru @ May 20th 2009 10:38PM]

Virgin rocks- great stuff- just wish they'd add a penny to every ticket and remove change fees. Wifi will rock though- nice.

[Sean @ May 20th 2009 11:00PM]

I was lucky to be on a SouthWest plane on Monday (they only have 3 planes with wifi) from MHT to MCO. It took about 10 minutes after we reached 10k before the service was up but once it was the throughput was awesome. I ran a speakeasy speed test and got 8Mb down and a pokey 200Kb up. I was able to VPN (Cisco) into work without any issues. I was even able to place a couple of skype calls that worked perfectly.

[Agent .25i @ May 21st 2009 12:02AM]

How long till terrorists kidnap some North American computer engineers, and force them to hijack the plane through hacking it's WiFi network? Hope they aren't running XP :P

XP, you know I love you...

[Agent .25i @ May 21st 2009 12:11AM]

Oh! I just coined it. No longer will it be called Hijacking, but rather, Hihacking. Baa-zing!

[Jason @ May 21st 2009 2:13AM]

Delta Airlines actually has the most number of planes equipped with WiFi.

http://blog.delta.com/2009/05/12/welcome-to-the-wi-fi-club/

[Dave Forster @ May 21st 2009 8:34AM]

This is brilliant... I can just see the script writers for 24 rubbing the hands at this one.... Lets hijack a plane using an iphone... of course it's do-able because everyone knows they have the flight controls linked to the wi-fi network and due to budget cuts they aren't using WPA2 security.... roll on Day 8 ! tick - tock - tick - tock

[The Club @ Jun 14th 2009 9:54AM]

Easy people. There's no wi-fi that works. If it did, everyone would have cause everyone wants it. However, broadband is coming. And it won't be long now either..