Gogo Inflight Internet Turns 1, Looks To Bring Wi-Fi To More Planes

Has it already been a year? Aircell, the company responsible for the now-heralded Gogo Inflight Internet service that's in far too few planes (though that's changing for the better on a month-by-month basis it seems), is this week celebrating the service's first birthday. Aw, ain't that just so sweet?

As the service turns one, it's completely clear that consumers who fly have a hunger for Wi-Fi in the skies. The biggest knock on air travel for business is the lack of productivity while in the air. Heck, even on a cross-country road trip you can work via a WWAN modem if you stick to the interstates, but on most airplanes, you lose that ability to stay connected as soon as your captain readies for takeoff.


Since launching twelve months ago, Aircell has equipped over 500 aircraft with Gogo and offered up Inflight Internet to over 22 million passengers. Of course, we doubt that many took advantage, but that's still not a number to scoff at. Within a year, Aircell managed to equip the entire fleet of AirTran and Virgin America with Wi-Fi, while "hundreds" of birds on American Airlines and Delta have it loaded on as well. Unfortunately, you aren't apt to find a plane with Gogo if you aren't on that famed NYC-to-SF/LAX route, as 66% of all flights between JFK and LAX/SFO are now Gogo-equipped. Moving forward, you'll find Gogo in a growing number of United, US Airways, Air Canada and Northwest flights, though launch plans vary by company.

As we've discussed in the past, it's apparent that travelers feel that having Wi-Fi onboard is super important. But just how important is it to you? Have you used Gogo? Would you pay to use it should you end up on a Gogo-equipped plane? We have to admit, we'd be all over it, and we can't wait until finding a plane with Wi-Fi is the rule, not the exception.