The United Airlines Wifi rollout is proceeding rapidly, with the full mainline fleet expected to be fitted in just a few months. But there is much more to come from the company once the kit is installed.
internet
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.
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!
Inside a Gogo ATG4 installation
There’s a lot of work which goes in to putting the Gogo hardware on to an airplane. Take a look inside a Delta 737-900ER as the kit is installed. Hard to believe that the first thing they do with a brand new aircraft is rip it apart like that.
Roaming coming to in-flight satellite providers
Limited global coverage hampers the adoption of Ka-band satellite connectivity for many airlines. Two major providers will share networks to address the issue. Of course, they’re still limited to only having coverage where satellites are flying, so we’re still years away from a global solution.
In-flight: The JetBlue Mint experience
Welcome on board the very first passenger flight for JetBlue Mint, their new business class product. With flat-bed seats, premium meals and even four mini-suites on board this is very, very much not the JetBlue of 15 years ago.
JetBlue extending free Fly-Fi trial
Free wifi is good; on a plane is even better. And JetBlue’s FlyFi is the fastest service flying in the skies today which makes it pretty compelling. Of course, it is still free because it is a beta product which isn’t perfect. But still a nice price point.
Still the best in-flight internet. When it connects.
The Fly-Fi in-flight internet product from JetBlue (same hardware as United’s 737s, too) remains the best connectivity solution I’ve ever used on a plane. Alas, there are still reliability issues. It is spectacular when it works, though.
Could patent wars skew the in-flight connectivity market?
In-flight connectivity is improving rapidly as multiple companies work to improve the products on offer. New patent applications may slow that progress. Should we be concerned that the intellectual property battles will derail the current pace of innovation? Or is the IP protection a necessary part of the innovation process?
JetBlue A321s now certified for FlyFi, LiveTV
Be on the lookout for Fly-Fi internet service and in-seat TVs on JetBlue‘s A321 planes coming soon. The carrier is expected to announce later this afternoon announced Thursday that they have received certification from the FAA to install the hardware on their newest aircraft type. This will allow the carrier to retrofit the first few A321s […]