jenstravel posted on December 11, 2009 14:02
The long wait to use WiFi on domestic flights is quickly coming to an end.
High demand from business and leisure travelers has prompted every major US carrier to begin the process of outfitting their aircraft with Wifi.
AirTran has become the first US carrier to offer the service on every flight; they have already equipped their entire fleet!
Meanwhile, most airlines are still deciding how much to charge, which planes to connect and how much to invest; testing the service.
AirTran charges $5.95 for access on flights under three hours and $9.95 for three hours or longer. Passengers can also choose a 24-hour pass for $12.95 or a 30-day subscription for $49.95.
Airlines have said that Wifi puts the entertainment choice in the hands of the user, rather than the airline trying to figure out what people want to see or look at.
Keep in mind that there are still few power ports on most planes, so most passengers have to rely on their own batteries. Some features like streaming video are blocked because of bandwidth or other concerns.
Wifi also gives carriers the opportunity to increase revenue – at this point not sure how much the carriers stand to make. It costs an estimated 500,000 per plane to outfit an aircraft with wifi. And it has to be foolproof. The last thing they want to do is burden the flight attendants with technical support. The revenue certainly won’t be as much as the half billion dollars they make from baggage fees. But it should be significant. And airlines need all that they can get – anything extra is very good news for them.