Too bad I won't get this on my trip to New York this summer on Northwest. Link United Airlines to Offer Internet Access Tue Jun 7, 7:48 AM ET NEW YORK - United Airlines, the world's second-largest carrier, received regulatory approval Monday to install wireless Internet access to its fleet in a partnership with Verizon Communications Inc. ADVERTISEMENT The Federal Aviation Administration will let United's parent, Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based UAL Corp., install the cabin equipment necessary to provide wireless Internet connection to passengers and crew members on U.S. domestic flights. United becomes the first domestic airline to get FAA approval that allows passengers to surf the Internet while riding through the sky. United Airlines and Verizon, which already provides airfone capabilities for the carrier, said it must still get approval from the Federal Communications Commission before the new service can officially launch. Both companies expect to have a date within the coming months, following an FCC spectrum auction where service rights and ranges of frequencies will be awarded to one or more onboard Internet access providers. "Our research shows that connecting to the Internet is customers' most preferred form of communication to the ground, and this certification is a crucial step to bring this in-flight wireless access to our customers," said Dennis Cary, United's senior vice president of marketing. "We are thrilled by this accomplishment and proud to lead the industry in North America with Verizon Airfone in this endeavor." Wireless Internet access is broadly available at airports around the world, and has even begun to pop up on some international flights. Both Lufthansa and Japan Airlines are among a number that provides Wi-Fi for a fee. Pricing for United's service ¡ª which will likely launch in about a year ¡ª has yet to be determined. Lufthansa charges international fliers a flat fee of $29.95 for an entire flight or $9.95 for a half-hour. The FAA approval comes after both companies worked for more than a year to demonstrate Wi-Fi access will not interfere with a plane's operations. The approval currently applies to the cabin of United's B757-200 aircraft, as it was used to test the technology, and is part of a larger strategy to enable Internet access on board all United aircraft
I'm still waiting for KLM to get this.... but first they should upgrade their planes. Think I might fly Luftansa out to the middle east instead of KLM next time. You could be the first for mankind to be connected online to the BBS while airborne?.....or has someone already done this? ....I vaguely remember someone already doing it.
This thread might be of interest to you: http://bbs.clutchcity.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74949&highlight=plane
Actually, I think I am the first one. Well technically, I didn't access the bbs. It was January of Yao's rookie year, so that'd be January 2003. I was flying on Luftansa from Amsterdam to Houston. Though I had told my friends to tape the Rockets game for me (it was the first ever Laker Rockets matchup with Yao vs Shaq) I couldn't resist. The game was the previous night and I even had tickets to it, and had to give them away. Anyhow, Luftansa was on it's trial period and they gave out laptops to flyers who wanted them to try out high speed internet. So, even though I technically didn't log into the bbs, I did go to the www.ClutchCity.net front page and saw this http://www.clutchfans.net/game.cfm?gameID=334 . I know I spoiled it for myself, but I still immensely enjoyed the tape, which I still have somewhere.
