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Virgin America and Google gift flyers with free WiFi for the holidays
While those legacy airlines are scheming to charge you more to fly over the holidays, Virgin America is making it even easier to choose its services over the rest. Announced today, the airline (which should expand to more cities on the double, just so we're clear) has teamed up with Google in order to bring gratis WiFi to all flyers throughout the holiday season. If you'll recall, VA recently made known that every single one of its aircraft was equipped with in-flight internet courtesy of Aircell, and between November 10th, 2009 and January 15th, 2010, your surfing will be on the house should your find yourself in a seat. Not a bad way to spread a little holiday cheer, huh?[Via Engadget Spanish]
US Airways launching Gogo in-flight internet next year, to show WiFi logo when booking
Our wildest, most frenzied dreams are coming true, airline by airline. As Aircell steps in to infiltrate yet another legacy carrier here in America, US Airways has finally caved to the pressures of being an airline in 2009 by announcing its intentions to get Gogo on a select few of its planes. Starting in early 2010, Gogo in-flight internet will be added to its fleet of 50 A321 aircraft, and while that's certainly not a jaw-dropping amount, it's better than zilch. Of note, US Airways also has plans to let consumers see if their proposed flight will have WiFi when booking online, and while we can't help but celebrate such an achievement, we're also mighty fearful that this will lead to yet another fee for the privilege of riding on a WiFi-equipped plane. You know -- considering that this airline once refused water to passengers on a 6.5 hour flight last August.[Via Gadling]
Stronger airline seats with airbags might just save your life, even on a business trip
If you're a product recall specialist hoping for your relatives to bank it big on an airline disaster-related life insurance claim, this post isn't for you. For everyone else who'd like a greater chance of walking away from a decidedly rough landing, here's your ticket. New airline safety regulations going into effect this fall require that all airline seats stay intact even under an impact of 16 times the force of gravity -- nearly double the old nine G requirement. As of now any aircraft model introduced after 1988 has the sturdier new seats, but starting October 27 all planes will. Additionally, a number of airlines are starting to have seats sporting airbags but, wouldn't you know it, they're largely found in first class. Ostensibly that's because the greater gaps between seats means in an impact your calm, blank face won't get restrained by the tray of the seat ahead, but you know the truth, don't you?
American bringing in-flight WiFi to over 300 planes
All hail the laggard! With pretty much every other US-based legacy carrier already on board, we were beginning to wonder if American Airlines even got the memo that in-flight WiFi was in serious demand. At long last, the company has made clear that it plans to equip more than 300 MD-80 and Boeing 737-800 aircraft used primarily in the United States with high-speed WiFi capability (over the next two years). If you'll recall, American announced early on that it was game for trialing the tech, but until today, it had yet to make a commitment large enough to make you consider signing up for its credit card and bankrolling those frequent flyer miles. We're expecting more details to emerge soon, but feel free to start pestering its agents with the whos, whats, wheres and whens.
Ryanair brings in-flight calling to 20 aircraft, but you'll never use it
Oh sure, the idea of having in-flight calling capabilities is pretty awesome, but actually biting the bullet and paying international roaming fees in order to indulge is likely to be a stretch. Ryanair, one of Europe's low-cost airlines, has finally equipped 20 of its planes (all traveling to / from Dublin) with in-flight mobile service after promising it around 1.5 years ago. Ryanair confesses that typical prices will be around €0.50 to send a text message and between €2.00 and €3.00 per minute to make and receive calls. In other words, you'll probably be keeping your conversations to yourself until you touch down, but at least it's there in case of emergency. Or something.[Via Gadling, thanks Conrad]
Delta pushes in-flight WiFi plans ahead, Gogo to hit 2,000 planes in 2009
Here's something that doesn't happen everyday with legacy airlines -- an announcement that something is actually ahead of schedule. After hearing that Delta would equip its entire US fleet with Aircell's Gogo in-flight WiFi in 2009, along comes a release from Aircell that says otherwise. In fact, it proclaims that "Delta Air Lines is expected to launch service before the end of 2008." Furthermore, the company has confessed that "most major US carriers are in advanced discussions with or are already contractually committed to Aircell," which certainly bodes well for avid travelers who take issue with long periods of disconnection. Aircell is hoping to have its in-flight internet tech installed in 2,000 commercial aircraft by the end of 2009 -- talk about making the friendly skies "friendly" again.[Image courtesy of Gadling]
Cellphone boarding pass gets tested, experience gets journaled
The biggest problem with a new scheme -- particularly one involving you, technology and the TSA -- is the very real fear that introducing something fresh into a traditional system will create more havoc than good. As Grant Martin of sister blog Gadling discovered, there's a reason that belief exists. Upon realizing that he could utilize a mobile boarding pass on his flight from Detroit to New York, he excitedly pulled up a one-time use QR code on his iPhone and shuffled through to security. Upon reaching the checkpoint, he was greeted by a less-than-enthusiastic boarding pass checker who seemed to take entirely too long to send him onward; at the next step, the agent seemed miffed and discomposed by the fact that the passenger couldn't simultaneously rid himself of all electronics and keep his boarding pass on his person while passing through the metal detector. In the end, Mr. Martin concluded that the system holds a lot of promise, but it's still going to take some time before everyone else working at the airport adjusts to the year 2008.
American Airlines getting in on that cellphone boarding pass fad
American Airlines has joined its peers at Continental in offering boarding pass barcodes that you can download to and display on your BlackBerry, iPhone, G1, or whatever have you. Presently the airline is only offering the option on domestic, non-stop flights departing from O'Hare -- LAX and Orange County will start on the 17th. Some eastern yanks might be asking, "What, no JFK or Logan? Where's the east coast love, AA?" Don't get too bent out of shape, boys and girls -- tech-savvy business travelers love their BlackBerries, so we could see this pop up just about everywhere before long.[Via Mobilitysite]
Ask Engadget: Best PMP for long flights?
It's Thursday evening -- do you know what that means? Besides being the unofficial start of the weekend (party people, what's up?), it's time for another round of Ask Engadget. This week we've got a college freshman who's scared to death about 8-hour flights between his hometown and his new school... without gadgets. "I'm about to start college all the way across the country from my hometown. What this means for me, other than unprecedented freedom, adulthood, etc. [and a dose of this thing called the "real world," might we add] is lots of long flights back and forth. I'm looking for a device to entertain me during these trips. Is there anything out there that the readers can find that can play DVDs (ideally from any region, but that's not a deal-breaker) along with my AVI files and maybe some audio formats, too? The biggest issue here is battery life. I'm willing to spend $300 - $400 if I have to. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!" We're not so sure there's a portable DVD player / PMP hybrid out there that's extra longevous, but you can always get those discs onto a vanilla PMP with a little work. So, jet-setters -- what's the best solution here? Video playback really takes a toll on handheld battery life, but are there any hidden gems that just keep going and going? Hook a brother up, and then send in a question of your own to ask at engadget dawt com.
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]
JetBlue expands in-flight connectivity options on BetaBlue aircraft
During our time on JetBlue's BetaBlue aircraft, we came away mildly impressed with what was available. Thankfully, the airline isn't resting on its laurels, and has today announced expanded services for those lucky enough to secure a seat on the connected Airbus A320. By utilizing LiveTV's Kiteline platform, patrons can now check their Gmail, AOL Mail, Hotmail and Windows Live Mail from the comfort of their seat, and just in case you get bored with that, a "customized in-flight version of Amazon.com" will also be accessible. Yeah, we're talking really minor updates here, but at least the whole gamut of what's available is still totally free. Gratis and airlines just don't go together these days, so it's certainly a welcome change.[Via Jaunted]
Man ticketed for making call mid-flight, plane doesn't crash
Despite the on-again, off-again worries about in-flight calling interfering with an airliner's many navigational gizmos, we have to admit, there's a part of us that really loves to hear a story about what happens when someone actually has the stones to ignore federal law and breaks out the phone. That's exactly what Texan Joe David Jones did on a flight from Austin to Dallas last week, receiving a message on his cell -- which he'd forgotten to turn off -- about his father's health and felt compelled to return the call immediately. He ignored flight attendants' requests to hang up, spending some 20-odd minutes chatting away, apparently with no ill effect on the plane's ability to fly without exploding, barrel rolling uncontrollably, or falling out of the sky. We'd expected that such a blatant disregard for ignoring crew instructions would result in some jail time, but apparently the gentleman simply got slapped with a disorderly conduct ticket that carries up to $500 in fines. If we'd been in the seat next to him, we'd have probably hogtied him with his seatbelt and thrown his phone down the scary vacuum-powered lavatory toilet, but at least we know exactly what happens now when someone says "screw you" to the in-flight phone ban.
Continental Airlines expands paperless boarding in US
Handset addicts traveling domestically through Houston's Intercontinental Airport have likely utilized the paperless boarding option if hopping on a Continental flight, and apparently the initiative is going over so well that the aforesaid airline and the TSA are expanding it to three more venues. As of now, passengers traveling within the US can enjoy the same luxury at Boston's Logan International Airport and Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C; later this month, the program should slide into Newark International Airport in New Jersey. As expected, only folks traveling alone can take advantage, as the airline feels that pulling up passes for an entire group would actually slow the flow of boarding. There's been no word given on future expansion plans, but at this rate, we wouldn't be shocked to see it hit even more airports in the not-too-distant future. [Via WBZTV]
House bill proposes ban on in-flight cellphone use
This could -- at least temporarily -- put an end the nightmarish scenario involving you, lack of sleep, and some freakish chatty Cathy plopped next to you by the airline. Lead co-sponsor Rep. Peter DeFazio, hopes the "Hang Up" -- madly clever name here -- bill will stop Airlines from finding yet another avenue to gouge you and maintaining peace and harmony by banning any in-flight calling. Of course, the door will remain wide open for SMS, mail, IM, and other types of electronic conversation, but we're hoping Skype and friends are on the muzzle list, too.
TSA can't believe MacBook Air is a real laptop, causes owner to miss flight
The TSA has been known to take issue with products designed in Cupertino before, but for one particular traveler, it was Apple's thinnest laptop ever that caused the latest holdup. Upon tossing his ultra-sleek slab of aluminum underneath the scanner, security managed to find enough peculiarities to remove it from the flow, pull it aside and wrangle up the owner for some questions. Apparently, the TSA employee manning the line was flabbergasted by the "lack of a drive" and the complete absence of "ports on the back," and while hordes of co-workers swarmed to investigate, the user's flight took off on schedule. Thankfully, said owner was finally allowed to pass through after some more in-the-know colleagues explained in painfully simple terms what an SSD was, but the poor jet-setter most definitely paid the price for trying to slip some of the latest and greatest under the sharp eyes of the TSA (and cutting it close on time, of course).[Image courtesy of ABC]
Report: Americans get productivity shaft with in-flight phone ban
This seems sort of obvious, but in case it wasn't crystal clear, a report from some company called Freesky Research points out that travelers on US airlines -- where cellphone use is categorically banned -- suffer an in-flight productivity hit versus their counterparts in Europe and Asia who are flying airlines that now allow yapping and / or data services from the comfort and convenience of their seats. The firm really makes it seem like a desperate situation, too, saying that the FAA, FCC, and other powers that be are "allowing other countries to leap ahead with in-flight productivity, while facing mounting evidence that there is no safety benefit to passengers." Perhaps what they failed to consider, though, is the safety benefit of not getting slapped by your neighbor when you're mouthing off on the celly for a good 40 minutes straight.[Via textually.org]
Norwegian Air rolling out in-flight phone use, internet access
Passengers on Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA will soon have something to talk about... literally. The company is joining the growing ranks of airlines that allow mobile phone and / or wireless internet service on flights. According to the Scandinavian airline, the new features will be offered sometime later this year, and will be provided by a new subsidiary, Norwegian AS. Now, if only they'd allow smoking again.
United offers up LCDs, in-flight entertainment servers on recent flight
It's not like adding in a few LCDs and a swank entertainment system is groundbreaking in the airline industry, but it's still far from commonplace. Earlier this week, United Airlines Flight 952 departed from Washington Dulles and treated its passengers to an impressive array of luxuries. Beyond the elaborate meals and lie-flat beds, fliers were able to kick back and enjoy over 150-hours of on-demand entertainment from a personal 15.4-inch LCD; additionally, economy class customers even had access to (presumably smaller) displays and a digital in-flight entertainment server. Gene Fowler, who spends more time on United flights than most of us would care to imagine, was able to capture the inaugural flight to Frankfurt with a bevy of snapshots, so be sure and hit the link below if you're curious to see what you missed.[Via FlyerTalk]Read - United Flight 952Read - Gene Fowler's photo gallery
RFID, robots aim to handle luggage more effectively
RFID and luggage have certainly been used in the same sentence before, but IBM and Vanderlande Industries are hoping that their efforts will "cut down on the amount of baggage lost as it is being transferred between connecting flights." Truth be told, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is likely most concerned with travelers' baggage, as it has allowed the aforementioned firms to implement a "baggage management system to control and track each bag using robot handling software." Reportedly, a half dozen bots will manage the bags, which will purportedly "improve the working conditions of the people" -- the people who've yet to be replaced by machines, that is.[Via InformationWeek]
Japan bans Wi-Fi in the friendly skies
Ever since Monday, flying became that much more painful in Japan, as a new law was passed banning passengers from playing wi-fi capable systems while in transit. While the merit of a good book has always been one frequent travelers have never forgotten, it looks like their chances of getting paper cuts are increasing to drastic proportions. No more can one enjoy the boredom-killing capacity of smashing blocks with ones head or finding contradictions in a witness' testimony.Now, if you still have a GBA and live in the country, you're set. You can still whip that puppy out and play some Metroid Fusion or something, but rocking a DS is just plain old out of the question.[Via Joystiq]
