To connect or not to connect?

United Airlines recently confirmed that in-flight web access would begin in 2012, using a different breed of Internet, that it. Passengers of other airlines have had Internet access for quite some time. Virgin Atlantic, American, AirTran, and Delta all offer in-flight Internet access but it is either chargeable to flyers or not available during long haul flights. This is because most of them use systems like Gogo, which transmits signals to the aircrafts from the ground. Geographically speaking, Gogo’s wireless capabilities are limited. 

But United Airlines has forged ahead of the great airline web race and will begin installing satellite-based Internet aboard its fleet. It’s quite simple: planes fly in the air close to satellites in space, which transmit signals to the planes that allow passengers to access wireless Internet. Drawbacks to satellite-based system include its price tag. It is expensive to install a receiver on each plane. Lufthansa has had a similar system up and running for some time, but passengers have to pay the price to click away. Lufthansa charges passengers about $15 for one hour of access and about $28 for 24-hour access. 

United Airlines passengers could also be facing similar fees, but the figures are still unclear because United has not spoken to the public yet about numbers. Pros of the new system include easy installation, which is valuable to an airline that needs its fleet up and running (flying) fast. Passengers may be getting the opportunity for Internet access on long flights, but many believe they should not have to pay for it. Hundreds of airports, coffee shops, shopping malls, and restaurants across the world provide free wireless Internet access for clients, so why should the airlines charge when flight prices are soaring? 

First it’s the dawn of disappearance of peanuts and free headphones, then it’s the overweight charges for bags you actually need, and now it’s extra fees to access the worldwide web. It can be argued that a new form of extortion is in our midst- mile high robbery.

Ana Lambrakopoulos

11/15/11

Source: www.cnn.com