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Canadian airlines will let you use devices during takeoff and landing
American airlines may let you use your mobile devices at every stage of flight, but their Canadian counterparts still insist that you power down until you're in mid-air. That's going to change shortly, though: Transport Canada has greenlit the use of electronics during takeoff and landing. As long as carriers can show that passenger gadgets in airplane mode (that is, with wireless off) won't interfere with avionics, you'll get to use your gear at any time. Of course, you'll get to switch on WiFi for most of a given trip if you're on an aircraft with internet access.
Air Canada to offer WiFi across many of its North American flights
If you've flown to or from Canada in recent years using one of its airlines, you've probably noticed the lack of in-flight WiFi; apart from a couple of aircraft, you're incommunicado until you reach the ground. You won't be stuck reading books and taking naps for much longer, though. Air Canada has announced that it's rolling out Gogo-based WiFi on many of its continental North American flights, keeping you connected even if the US is on the itinerary. The company will outfit 29 aircraft with internet access between May and the end of 2014, and 130 narrow-body models should get online by December 2015. The initial service will stick with Gogo's regular (that is, fairly slow) cellular-based technology, but Air Canada will be testing advanced satellite broadband from both Gogo and Inmarsat next year.
Air Canada embarks on its first biofuel-powered flight from Toronto to Mexico City
Not looking to be left out of the biofuel party, Air Canada is the latest to try out the eco-friendly alternative for its jet engines. An Airbus A319 will make the outfit's pseudo-sustainable flight from Toronto to Mexico City powered by a 50 / 50 mixture of the aforementioned material and regular ol' jet fuel. This particular blend is derived from recycled cooking oil and meets all standards to avoid any modifications to the aircraft's existing systems -- while still offering a 40 percent cut in emissions. In addition to green-powered trips, the airline is implementing several other measures to improve its impact on Mother Nature, including the use of iPads over paper documents for pilots. Here's to hoping that the company will be fueling it's own 787s with the blend in the near future. [Thanks, Renaud]
Air Canada inks deal with Aircell for in-flight WiFi
Check it, Canucks -- Air Canada is following in the footsteps of several other airlines by finally taking the plunge on in-flight WiFi. Similar to American Airlines, it has landed a deal with Aircell in order to bring the intarwebz to the friendly skies on select flights. Starting next spring, certain transborder flights from the Great North to the West Coast of America will give passengers the option of hopping online for C$12.95, and Charles McKee, the airline's vice-president of marketing, has asserted that it has every intention of rolling the service out "across its North American fleet" in the future. Now, if only every other airline would follow suit...[Via Jaunted]
