American Airlines has become the first US carrier to offer a Wi-Fi service on
domestic flights.
The airline is using Aircell’s Gogo system, which uses a network of 92 towers
across the United States to establish data links with aircraft. Delta had
already announced its
plans
to offer the Aircell service, but not until the autumn.
“Today, U.S. air travel changes forever,” said Jack Blumenstein, president of
Aircell.
“American Airlines is the first to bring in-flight Internet to the market, and
today the days of being cut off from the rest of the world while in the air
become history.
The service will be available on American’s Boeing 767-200 aircraft on
nonstop flights between New York and San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles,
and New York and Miami.
The airline will charge $12.95 on flights more than three hours, just as will
Delta’s proposed service, and voice over IP calls will not be allowed.
“With today’s launch, American Airlines makes history as the first and only
U.S. airline to offer customers full in-flight Internet connectivity,” said Dan
Garton, American’s executive vice president of marketing.
Airlines have had the ability to offer Wi-Fi on board for some time but with
the rising costs of fuel causing shrinking margins the economic case is now
clear and more and more
airlines
are rushing to offer the service, despite
earlier
failures.
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