By Allen Tsai | Tue Mar 31, 2009 4:16 pm |
American Airlines plans to expand its in-flight Wi-Fi Internet service to about half its fleet of aircrafts over the next two years as it attempts to lure passengers with popular revenue-generating perks and raise revenue.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based company said it will install the service on its domestic McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and Boeing 737-800 jets, beginning with 150 MD-80 aircrafts this year.It will charge up to $12.95 for browsing the Web, sending email or connecting with corporate VPN sites. American has been testing in-flight Internet service for several months on 15 Boeing 767-200 aircrafts. "American Airlines is a very financially driven airline," said Doug Backelin, American's manager of in-flight communication and technology. "We are especially careful in how we're spending, but this is a good strategic investment, something our customers will value." The company is one of several U.S. carriers racing to get Internet access on their flights in hopes of gaining a competitive edge in the troubled airline industry. Delta Air Lines, the world's largest airline operator, plans a quicker rollout, from about 80 planes currently to more than 300 late this year and more than 500 by the end of 2010. Both airlines will use the Gogo service from Aircell, which sets the prices and shares revenue with the airline. Travelers can sign up on the ground and connect once the plane reaches 10,000 feet in altitude. They'll use their browser to connect to Aircell's Gogo portal site. Prices will range from $5.95 for some redeye flights to $7.95 for using a handheld device, $9.95 for using a laptop computer on a flight up to three hours, and $12.95 for using a laptop on a longer flight. Aircell plans to add other prices for day passes and perhaps monthly subscription rates for frequent fliers.
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