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Alaska Airlines is offering VR movies during certain flights
Some first class Alaska Airlines passengers might find themselves face to face with a virtual reality headset rather than the plane's usual in-flight entertainment system. The airline will pilot SkyLights' Allosky Cinematic VR headset aboard its Seattle-Boston and Boston-San Diego routes. It will give passengers access to immersive 3D and forward-facing 360 degree films, though they can also choose to watch in 2D in case the combination of 3D and plane travel is a bit too much to handle.
US airlines plan to enforce new rules on smart bags
Travelers looking to use their fancy new smart luggage may soon face a hard time getting the bags on a plane due to safety concerns about their batteries. According to CNN, American, Delta and Alaska Airlines have all announced that starting January 15th, passengers checking smart luggage will have to remove the lithium-ion batteries (or keep them powered down if traveling in the cabin). The site also says that United Continental and Southwest Airlines both plan to announce similar policies soon. That's 80 percent of the US air traffic, according to CNN.
Alaska Airlines: Goodbye 'Virgin America,' hello comfier flights
Virgin America has been the airline of choice for many travelers due to its on-board amenities, including comfy seating, mood lighting, Netflix and Spotify. However, the name won't be around much longer. Alaska Airlines, which bought the airline last year, announced this week that it plans "to retire" the Virgin America name and logo "likely sometime in 2019." As you can imagine, many were upset the beloved brand was being shuttered, including Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson.
A traveler's guide to in-flight WiFi
You're on a nice, long domestic flight. In coach. There's a screaming baby two rows up; the pages of the in-flight magazine are stuck together with someone else's chewing gum; and the 9-inch overhead CRT is showing a 2-year-old episode of New Girl that you've already seen a half-dozen times -- without sound, because you always end up in the seat with a broken headphone jack. Oh, and you have five hours left to go to LAX. If you play your cards right (and pack some noise-canceling headphones), your next cross-country haul could be a whole lot more pleasant, thanks to in-flight WiFi. Nearly all of the major US airlines now offer WiFi in the sky. Thousands of passengers flying above North America are online right now, watching adorable kittens meow on YouTube, reading up on their destinations or researching a new device right here on Engadget. But while some carriers offer service on many of their planes, few have it available fleet-wide, making it difficult to plan your travel around connectivity. So, which airlines offer the best service and how can you sort what you'll have on board? Join us here as we explore the turbulent world of WiFi at 30,000 feet.
Alaska Airlines and US Airways join list of companies allowing almost gate-to-gate gadget use
More and more airlines are adopting the FAA's new (and more relaxed) gadget policy, and the latest ones joining the fray are Alaska Airlines and US Airways. Both carriers now allow you to keep your eyes glued to phones or tablets even during takeoff or touchdown. In Alaska Airlines' case, it's even slated to debut its first plane equipped with USB and 110-volt power outlets next month to make sure travellers' devices are juiced up. Of course, mobile devices have to be used in airplane mode, but you can make in-flight phone calls via Gogo's WiFi service, if available. While you still have to stow laptops and heavier electronics during departure and landing, you can at least continue playing Candy Crush to keep your aerophobia in check.
Sprint network outage leads to flight delays with Alaska Airlines
A network outage that leaves folks without data for a few hours is one thing, but some Sprint problems today are causing some bigger issues than usual in one part of the US. Alaska Airlines is reporting flight delays at several airports, including Portland International Airport, as a result of the outage that is says began at 7:30AM Pacific time when a fiber cable was cut in Wisconsin. The AP is further reporting that Alaska Airlines President and CEO Brad Tilden says the airline expects to have a full resolution by 5PM local time, and that it may have a partial solution by noon. The reports that we've received from Sprint users also suggest that the outage is largely confined to the Northwest. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: We've gotten an official statement from a Sprint spokesperson on the matter, confirming that two separate fiber cuts have disrupted service in parts of Oregon, Washington and Northern California. The complete statement is as follows: Some Sprint customers in parts of Oregon, Washington and Northern California are experiencing a disruption in data and voice services. This is the result of two separate fiber cuts on Sprint's network in the northwestern and midwestern U.S. Sprint network technicians are working to repair these cuts and re-route network traffic so service can be restored as soon as possible. Update 2: Alaska Airlines says its flights are now running close to normal. Travelers, rejoice!
iPads on the flight decks of Alaska Airlines aircraft
I've talked about iPads for pilots a few times here on TUAW, particularly when discussing kneeboards for the device, but our sister site Engadget just pointed me to a press release from Alaska Airlines that caught my attention. The airline with the smiling Inuit on the tail has started a pair of initiatives called "Bye, Bye Flight Bag" that replace paper manuals (and eventually paper aeronautical charts) with iPads. The first part of the plan is underway, and the iPads are loaded with the GoodReader app and PDF versions of various flight, systems, and performance manuals as well as other materials. The manuals have been enhanced with hyperlinks so pilots can find information faster, and updates are done with a single tap on the screen instead of replacing individual pages in the manuals with new ones. Like the iPad you may be carrying back in your comfy seat in the main cabin, the flight deck iPads are considered Class 1 electronic devices and the pilots have to stow 'em during takeoff and landing. Alaska Airlines expects to fully pay back the cost of the initiatives in terms of reduced fuel costs from not having to carry fully-loaded flight bags, which can weigh up to 50 pounds in some cases. The airline also expects savings from fewer employee injuries since the pilots won't be lugging those hefty flight bags around. Show full PR text Alaska Airlines Pilots Go Lean And Green With iPads First major domestic airline to use iPads to replace flight manuals 5/27/2011 9:12 a.m. SEATTLE - As part of an ongoing effort to use technology to enhance flight safety, improve efficiency and protect the environment, Alaska Airlines is issuing iPad tablet computers to its pilots. The 1½-pound iPads replace up to 25 pounds of paper flight manuals that pilots are required to carry when they fly. The iPads are being distributed to all Alaska Airlines pilots, a process that will be complete by mid-June. This follows a successful trial by 100 line and instructor pilots and Air Line Pilots Association representatives, who evaluated the feasibility of using iPads as electronic flight bags this past winter and spring. Alaska Airlines is the first major domestic airline to use the iPad to replace paper manuals. "We've been exploring the idea of an electronic flight bag for several years, but never found a device we really liked," said Gary Beck, Alaska Airlines' vice president of flight operations. "When the iPad hit the market, we took one look at it and said this is the perfect fit." The iPads contain an app called GoodReader that is loaded with PDF versions of 41 flight, systems and performance manuals, reference cards, and other materials. The electronic manuals include hyperlinks and color graphics, enabling pilots to find information faster and easier. Updating these reference materials can now be accomplished with one tap on the iPad screen instead of the former, labor-intensive process of replacing individual pages with new ones. The iPad is considered a Class 1 electronic device, meaning it is stowed during takeoff and landing under Federal Aviation Administration regulations. In conjunction with replacing paper manuals, Alaska Airlines is exploring the replacement of paper aeronautical navigation charts with electronic versions on the iPad, eliminating the need for every pilot to carry their own copy. The two initiatives, dubbed "Bye, Bye, Flight Bag," will save about 2.4 million pieces of paper. The cost of the project is expected to be offset by lower paper, printing and distribution expenses and reduced fuel consumption as some weight is removed from the aircraft. Further savings are expected from fewer back and muscle injuries caused by pilots carrying flight bags that can tip the scales at 50 pounds or more fully loaded. Note to news media: A high-resolution photograph of an Alaska pilot with the iPad on the flight deck of a Boeing 737 is available in the airline's online newsroom image gallery at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve 90 cities throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.
Alaska Airlines ditches paper flight manuals for iPads
The iPad has already gotten the go-ahead from the FAA as a replacement for paper flight charts and maps, and now Alaska Airlines has become the first major US airline to hop on board the paperless bandwagon. While it's not quite ready to ditch paper navigation charts just yet (though that is under consideration), the airline has announced that it will be replacing its traditional flight manuals with iPads, which will be loaded up with the GoodReader app and PDFs of 41 different manuals and other materials. According to the airline, that change will result in savings of about 2.4 million pieces of paper, and it says the cost of the project will be offset by fuel savings from the reduced weight, and additional savings that are expected from "fewer back and muscle injuries caused by pilots carrying flight bags," which can weigh up to 50 pounds. Let's just hope those newly lightened flight bags still have room for a charging cable.
Alaska Airlines fires up in-flight WiFi between Anchorage and Fairbanks, promises more in 2011
It's hard to say if Alaska Airlines' relationship with Row44 has fizzled, but unlike that WiFi'd route between San Jose and Seattle, the aforesaid airline is relying on Aircell to provide in-flight WiFi on flights between Anchorage and Fairbanks. Reportedly, Gogo service is live today for customers flying between those two locales, with it being completely gratis until the remainder of Aircell's network in the state of Alaska goes live over the next few months. Best of all, Aircell has promised to "expand its network to include Southeast Alaska by the end of the year," ensuring that it's not The Last Frontier in absolutely every possible way.
Alaska Airlines offering in-flight WiFi -- but not in Alaska
It's a sad, sad state of affairs. After nearly four years worth of announcements you're still more likely to get a good night's rest on a flight than find wireless internet, leaving us to wonder whether any airline will survive long enough to roll-out the system-wide access they've almost all pledged. Another player is now crawling tardily into the ring, Alaska Airlines fulfilling its promise and partnering with Row 44 to offer satellite-based internets on a very limited basis. You should know the drill by now: access is only offered on very select routes, or route in this case, debuting on 737-300 flights running between Seattle (SEA) and San Jose (SJC). At least the service will be free for the first 90 60 days, but the airline isn't saying how much it will cost after that. We'd guess somewhere between not free and way too much, leaning toward the latter.Update: Correction, it's only 60 days not 90, and we're told by Glenn over at High-Fi News that it's not just a single route it's actually a single plane, and while it will be starting out on the SEA/SJC route, it will be making appearances elsewhere -- maybe even in the land of the midnight sun![Via Electronista]
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Passengers evacuate plane after finding ownerless cellphone
Just in case last month's airport scare wasn't enough, today we're finding that an Alaska Airlines flight from San Jose was evacuated upon landing "after a passenger found an unclaimed cell phone tucked in his seat." Both the FBI and Port of Seattle police eventually concluded that the mobile "posed no safety threat," but apparently, it was worth looking into. When found, the handset "appeared to have been taken apart, put back together and shoved into the seat," but after all was said and done, no humans were injured, other flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport were only delayed for about ten minutes and some poor soul is wishing he / she had opted for that cellphone insurance back in the day.[Via SlashPhone]
