It should come as no surprise that Gogo filters content to passengers on board; the company is pretty clear about that. But how it is happening has touched off a bit of a firestorm this week. And I think the company is probably in the wrong.
in-flight internet
American Airlines’ $2bn commitment to catch up
A $2bn budget means American Airlines business class seats are getting an upgrade. So are lounges. But is it just a case of keeping up with the Andersons or is there really something special here?
JetBlue falls to Wall Street
Financial analysts have managed to convince JetBlue it needs more passengers on each plane. Look for tighter pitch on the A320 fleet starting in 2016. At least WiFi will remain free for now.
New planning tool helps airlines budget for satellite capacity
Bandwidth planning is complicated. For a satellite operator the stakes are incredibly high thanks to hardware costs and amortization timelines. SES has a new tool to help them beat the odds.
AT&T disconnects in-flight wifi plans
AT&T’s on-again/off-again relationship with in-flight internet is, once again, on the outs. The telco is walking away from the announcement made just 6 months ago that it would compete in the market.
United’s approach to in-flight wifi is different and that might be a good thing
United Airlines has a different approach to in-flight wifi from the rest of the market. Each plane will be a “node on the network” not just have an augmented in-flight entertainment system.
Gogo, Virgin Atlantic partner for connectivity upgrade
Get ready for faster in-flight internet service on Virgin Atlantic flights. Gogo’s 2Ku system will be retrofit into the existing fleet. Still open questions on timing, however.
Vietnam Airlines signs on with Gogo, GX Aviation for in-flight connectivity
More and faster internet is coming to the skies. Vietnam Airlines, Gogo and Inmarsat have agreed to install the GX Aviation solution with global, high-speed satellite coverage on the carrier’s long-haul fleet.
The future of IFE: Ads & revenue
The future of in-flight entertainment and connectivity will be focused on ads and revenue generation for the providers. That’s the message at this year’s APEX Expo conference. Consider yourself warned.
In-flight wifi now live on some United 777s
More of the United Airlines international fleet has wifi now. The carrier has started deployment of Panasonic’s Ku-band satellite connectivity on their 2-cabin 777-200ERs. Hooray, internet!