Good news from in-flight connectivity provided Gogo in their Q3 ’13 financial report which came out on Monday: more passengers are buying in-flight internet service and, on average, they’re paying more for the privilege. The company hit a trifecta on the revenue side in their North America segment, as explained in their release: The increase […]
PaxEx
Gate-to-gate wifi: Coming soon, but someone has to pay for it
Now that personal electronic device use is permitted gate-to-gate on the bulk of flights in the USA (and most of the rest should be on board soon) the question becomes what about gate-to-gate connectivity? When will travelers be able to use WiFi throughout their trip rather than only above 10,000 feet? Alas, the answer isn’t […]
Gogo goes global with JAL
The skies over Japan will be a bit more connected starting in 2014 thanks to a deal between Japan Airlines and in-flight internet provider Gogo. The deal calls for the entire domestic JAL fleet – 77 planes – to be fitted with Gogo’s gear, keeping them online during their flights within the country. The addition […]
United to slim(line) their 737 fleet
Remember a few months back when United announced that their Airbus narrow-body aircraft were getting new seats? Seems that the same change is now on tap for the Boeing half of the narrow-body fleet. The 737s are on tap to receive a similar slimline seat starting in 2014 according to sources inside the company. The […]
Might the new in-flight electronics rules be a bad thing?
The panel convened by the FAA one year ago to consider changes in rule on in-flight electronics usage is reportedly ready to deliver their final report to the Agency. And while the final details are not yet entirely known, multiple reports indicate that the recommendations will include the provision that gate-to-gate usage will be allowed […]
Tales from APEX Expo 2013, part 2: IFE systems that rock
I spent last week working at the Airline Passenger Experience (APEX) Expo in Anaheim, CA. The event features both airlines and vendors covering everything from seat manufacturers to IFE systems to the companies which make all the wiring harnesses and other behind-the-scenes stuff. Oh, and it was collocated with the IFSA conference which was all […]
Tales from APEX Expo 2013, part 1: All about in-flight wifi
I spent last week working at the Airline Passenger Experience (APEX) Expo in Anaheim, CA. The event features both airlines and vendors covering everything from seat manufacturers to IFE systems to the companies which make all the wiring harnesses and other behind-the-scenes stuff. Oh, and it was collocated with the IFSA conference which was all […]
ViaSat promises 12 mbps for cabin-wide web browsing, not streaming
It has been a long path to deployment for ViaSat’s Ka-band connectivity service, but the solution is finally ready to take flight now that partner, JetBlue subsidiary LiveTV has received a supplemental type certificate. And in a week where everyone is talking about bandwidth and how much more they can provide to customers, the claims from ViaSat are quite interesting.
JetBlue receives FAA approval for in-flight wifi system
Late last Friday JetBlue‘s LiveTV subsidiary received word from the FAA that the Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for their new in-flight internet service was approved. This STC covers the carrier’s A320 fleet. The activation of this service has been a long time coming, but it now appears that JetBlue will be able to implement the […]
Bundles of unbundling
The airlines have been quite vocal about the “value” they can provide to customers by unbundling services and making them available a la carte throughout the travel experience. It is better for the customer to pay only for what they use, right?? And then, not surprisingly, came the new bundles. Rather than the old bundles […]