American Airlines to test streaming video

by Chris Owen on

American Airlines will begin testing inflight streaming video that enables customers to wirelessly stream content such as movies and TV shows from an inflight library to their personal Wi-Fi-enabled devices during flight.

“We know our customers want to be connected on the ground and in the sky, so we are working hard to stay on the leading edge of connectivity through technology enhancements like this.” said Rob Friedman, American’s Vice President of Marketing

American will also expand inflight Wi-Fi to its narrow body fleet, completing its Wi-Fi rollout fleet-wide. The Wi-Fi expansion will include 93 of American’s domestic 757s used for routes within the continental United States, and up to 50 additional MD80 aircraft the company said in a statement.”By expanding Wi-Fi to the remainder of American’s domestic fleet and adding movies and TV to the already powerful Internet, American and Aircell continue to transform the inflight experience,” said Ash ElDifrawi, Executive Vice President and CMO of Aircell. “In this new era of inflight entertainment and inflight connectivity convergence, we are proud to be American’s partner in innovation and applaud their leadership.”

The streaming video offering is American’s latest enhancement in a series of investments in mobile technology.

“Mobility is where we are all headed and our focus on new technologies in this space is unmatched by our competitors,” added Friedman.

Do you agree? Is American the best for inflight connectivity? Share your experience with us here.

Flickr photo by boeingdreamscape

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Win a year of free Gogo Inflight Internet access

by Scott Carmichael on

Like inflight Internet? Of course you do! Inflight Internet is the best thing to happen to air travel since the Skymall Catalog was added to seat pockets.

Gogo Inflight Internet is celebrating the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show by giving away a fantastic package of prizes.

By following their Twitter and Facebook accounts and answering some simple questions, you can enter to win a year of free Gogo Inflight Internet, a 30 day pass or a 24 hour pass.

To find out how to enter, and for the rules of the contest, head on over to the Gogo Inflight Blog.

[Photo: Flickr/peterbartsch]

Google spreads holiday cheer with complimentary Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi

by Scott Carmichael on

Once again, Google is giving away some really nice holiday presents this season. Last year, the search giant provided free Wi-Fi at airports around the nation, and this year they are bringing their generosity to the skies by offering complimentary Wi-Fi on flight aboard AirTran, Delta and Virgin America flights. These three airlines have outfitted their entire fleet with Wi-Fi, powered by Gogo Inflight.

The promotion starts On November 20, and lasts till January 2 – which means flying during the holiday season won’t be that bad this year. Google is using the promotion to create some buzz for their Chrome Browser. If you haven’t tried Chrome, I can highly recommend taking it for a spin.

You can connect to Gogo Inflight using your Wi-Fi enabled laptop, PDA, smartphone or tablet – and you’ll enjoy broadband speeds as soon as the captain says you can safely use your device.

If you are flying one of the Gogo Inflight enabled airlines not included in the promotion, you can still get online – and prices start at just $4.95 for flights under and hour and a half. For the entire overview of pricing options, head on over to Gogo Inflight.

For more on the promotion, head on over to freeholidaywifi.com.

Gogo Inflight Internet now available on 1,000 aircraft

by Scott Carmichael on

Today, Gogo Inflight Internet celebrates its 1,000th plane with the airborne Internet service. This is an amazing accomplishment when you consider that two years ago, they were working on installing equipment on their first aircraft.

The plane in question is a Delta DC-9, and Gogo ambassadors will be greeting the passengers and treating them to free Internet access on their flight.

Gogo is now available on one third of the domestic U.S. fleet, covering 3,800 planes on almost every major airline in the nation. Access starts at just $4.95 for short flights, up to $12.95 for flights over three hours.

Free Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi on Alaska Airlines this summer

by Scott Carmichael on

Alaska Airlines is celebrating the rollout of Gogo Inflight Internet on their fleet with a summer of free access.

Gogo Inflight Internet is available on six of their Boeing 737-800 planes and the current plan is to have the entire fleet outfitted by the end of the year.

You’ll know that you are on a Wi-Fi enabled plane thanks to a Wi-Fi decal next to the boarding door. Once the plane reaches 10,000 feet, you’ll be able to turn on your portable device and search for the “gogoinflight” Wi-Fi network.

Through July 31st, access will be free of charge, compliments of the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card – saving you up to $12.95 per flight. You’ll need promotional code “ALASKAVISA” to bring the price down to $0.

Once the free period ends, access prices will vary between $4.95 and $12.95 depending on the length of the flight and the kind of device you are using.

At the moment, the Gogo Inflight service is only available when the plane is flying over the contiguous U.S. – coverage in parts of Alaska is scheduled to be available in early 2011. A map of the coverage area is available on the Alaska Airlines Wi-Fi information page.