American Airlines’ Customers a Gogo over in-flight Internet

Your next flight, already made more expensive by rising fuel costs and surcharges, could get even pricier, as you quickly empty your wallet for checked pieces of luggage ($15 each way for first checked bag on American), “premium” seats ($25 on Northwest), snack boxes ($5 to $7) and now, in-flight Internet service on American Airlines ($12.95 for longer flights).

Announced in concept almost a year ago, American Airlines’ test of in-flight broadband finally took off this week with virtual shake-downs of the new service on flights from JFK to LA, San Francisco and Miami.

As reviewed in a story in PostBulletin.com, the new WiFi service, called “Gogo,” will be available on 15 Boeing 767-200 jets. If all goes well with the testing, American could decide to expand the service.

American partnered with AirCell, which operates a system of 92 cell towers that beam signals skyward to the specially equipped planes. Passengers with WiFi enabled laptops or devices can then surf to their heart’s content (while munching on the contents of their $7 snack boxes).

Previous posts in this blog noted other airlines are dipping their toes in the virtual water. Southwest Airlines and Virgin America have plans to offer similar Internet services, while Alaska Airlines tested a satellite-based service last fall. In 2000, Boeing tested its Connexion broadband service, which folded after failing to sign on enough airlines.

Even as new technologies promise to make surfing the friendly skies a reality, let’s hope the rising price of oil and rounds of cost cutting don’t scare passengers away and dampen airlines’ plans to launch and maintain new services like this.