Items tagged with Aircell
Is Wi-Fi in an airplane more important than leg room, an on-time departure or friendly service? Depends on who you ask, but it's clear that Virgin America places a high value on keeping their patrons connected while cruising the friendly skies. The airline has just announced that they're first to launch Gogo's ATG-4 technology. Gogo's ATG-4 service will significantly enhance the ATG network and improve aircraft WiFi capacity to the plane by approximately four times the current performance through the addition of directional antenna, dual-modem and EV-DO Rev. B technologies. That's huge news for people who have struggled with Gogo's relatively slow service (it's not ISDN slow, but it's not exactly...
Read more...
It just got a little easier to hop online while cruising along in the friendly skies. Boingo announced today a new partnership with Aircell, the company that's responsible for bringing in-flight Wi-Fi to the vast majority of U.S. airliners that use it today. It's an interesting arrangement, and it's one that we suspect has more to do with marketing than anything else. Basically, the new deal allows existing Boingo subscribers to login and purchase a Gogo account with their existing username and password. If you aren't aware, Boingo provides access to a great many Wi-Fi hotspots in airports and abroad, and those with a monthly account can login to any of those hotspots without fuss. But here's...
Read more...
It's certainly not designed for use by the average passenger, but we're now one step closer to being able to make legitimate cellular telephone calls on planes. Calling from midair has been possible for years; in fact, many large jets used to offer a headrest handset that passengers could use to phone home with just the swipe of a credit card. But as for using your iPhone while onboard? Not really going to happen. Aircell, the same company behind Gogo in-flight internet, is hoping to change that. This week, the company unveiled the Aircell Smartphone (a name that we suspect will eventually be fleshed out to something a little more snazzy), which is described as a handset that's made specifically...
Read more...
If we had to name one technology innovation of the past 10 years as one that really stood out, it would probably be in-flight Internet. Or, at least it would be in the Top 5. It's a technology that many thought we'd never see in our lifetimes, and it's here today. It isn't everywhere; it isn't on every plane. But airlines know that it's an important thing to have, and they're rolling it out continually. Aircell's Gogo service has become the de facto service out there, and while the company should be proud of what they have been able to accomplish thus far, there's always more. There's always a desire for more speed, more availability and more capacity. In a bid to make an even faster in-flight...
Read more...
Aircell today announced it has secured $35 million in private equity funding, proceeds of which will be used to expand the company's Gogo Inflight service for both commercial and business flights. As it stands, Gogo already serves nine of the top 11 U.S. airlines and offers inflight Internet on 6,000 business aircraft, Aircell says. "2010 was the year inflight Internet went mainstream and Aircell established its leadership in this exciting new mobile Internet venue," said Michael Small, Aircell President and CEO. "Since securing our exclusive spectrum license in 2006, we've raised more than $500 million." Aircell has ambitious plans for 2011. The company said it wants to increase its install...
Read more...
Gogo Inflight Internet and SkyMall are teaming up to make your Christmas shopping a little easier. Thanks to a partnership between the two companies, you'll be able to access to SkyMall.com at no charge from Gogo-equipped aircraft on AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, US Airways and United Airlines. The service is available on nearly 850 Gogo equipped aircraft. It will provide shoppers with access to over 22,000 products from over 300 retailers. Customers who spend $125 or more on merchandise with SkyMall via Gogo will receive an added bonus in the form of a free Gogo flight pass valid on any Gogo equipped flight. Gogo Inflight and SkyMall to Offer a Complimentary In-Flight Wi-Fi...
Read more...
Have you taken your first Wi-Fi enabled flight yet? Inflight Internet is more available than ever before. Today, Aircell announced that it has installed Gogo Inflight Internet on its 1,000th aircraft. The Delta Air Lines DC-9 will make its connected flight today from Detroit. To celebrate the occasion, passengers will be treated to complimentary Gogo Internet access on board. Aircell claims it has enabled Internet access on more flights than any other service in the world. With the completion of today's 1,000th Gogo equipped aircraft, Aircell is wrapping up a very busy month in which it has wired numerous Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines planes. Gogo Inflight Internet...
Read more...
In-flight Wi-Fi is becoming more widely available. Add NetJets to the list of aircraft where you'll soon be able to surf the Web, check email, and even listen to the latest hits from Pandora at 41,000 feet. This summer, NetJets will install Aircell's technology on more than 250 of its fleet of 800 private aircraft. The service will be installed on the mid-size and large-cabin aircraft operated by NetJets. NetJets plans to have all future fleet aircraft, including light cabin models, delivered from the factory with high speed Internet service. Unlike other airlines, NetJets uses a fractional aircraft ownership model in which individuals and companies buy shares of a private business jet. These...
Read more...
If there's one thing everyone needs on a flight, it's in-flight Wi-Fi. That's something we can all agree on, right? While the business and casual travelers debate, Aircell is announcing yet another partner in their efforts to blanket the sky with Internet: US Airways. The company has managed to land deals with nearly every major (and minor) American airline, and with US Air onboard, there's really no stopping things. Starting today, a total of five Airbus A321 aircraft have been outfitted with the service, enabling users to actually get online with their notebook or smartphone while flying. US Air isn't saying which five they are, but they'll have Gogo logos everywhere when you board (so be on...
Read more...
As promised, the HTC HD2 from T-Mobile is officially here. To help welcome this new smartphone to the market, Gogo Inflight Internet is offering free service for up to six months to owners of this new phone. Gogo Inflight Internet lets you check email, surf the Web, and connect with friends while traveling on an airplane. As you'll recall, HD2 features a large, 4.3-inch capacitive, high-resolution touchscreen display. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm 1GHz Snapdragon mobile processor and runs HTC’s Sense user interface on top of Windows Mobile 6.5. More information about the Gogo offering is available below. Gogo Inflight Internet Offers Free Service on the HTC HD2 Device Exclusively for T-Mobile...
Read more...
Continental Airlines plans to become the latest airline to offer Gogo Inflight Internet service beginning in the second quarter of next year. The service is expected to be available on Continental's fleet of 21 Boeing 757-300 aircraft that primarily serves domestic routes. "We've been closely watching technology developments to offer onboard connectivity for our customers," said Mark Bergsrud, Continental's senior vice president of marketing programs. "We are excited to be able to offer our customers Internet service, giving them the ability to connect to colleagues, friends and family and work, learn and play while flying." Like other Gogo Inflight Internet service offerings, Continental's...
Read more...
Aircell's Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi has found its way into quite a few planes, though we can safely say that finding Internet on a plane is much like finding a needle in an ocean. But, to be fair, finding Internet on planes when flying Virgin America is a cinch--after all, it's one of the few airlines in the world to equip every last one of its planes with in-flight Wi-Fi. In an effort to convince more people to make the long flights home to see relatives and grumpy in-laws this holiday season, the airline is teaming with Google in order to deliver free Wi-Fi to all those onboard. You read that correctly--FREE! The low-cost, high-style airline will be offering its Wi-Fi services gratis to passengers...
Read more...
Gogo Inflight Internet service may be looking forward to big expansion plans in the future, but there’s one airline that’s missing from its growth list: Southwest Airlines. That’s because Southwest Airlines and Row 44 have their own plans to roll out Wi-Fi beginning in the first quarter of 2010. This fall, Southwest will move to the next step of certifying its full fleet with plans to begin fleet wide rollout of the Row 44 satellite service. Southwest has been testing the service on four aircraft since February and has received positive feedback on the product. During the testing phase, customers have been able to use the service for everything from checking email to streaming video. Customers...
Read more...
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...
Read more...
We've heard of crazy recommendations and pointless surveys, but man, this is just world-class comedy here. Though, to be fair, most everything recommended is legitimate, but it's mostly common knowledge. Inflight Wi-Fi is expected to soar in popularity of the next few years--that's a well known fact at this point--but debates are still raging over whether or not that's a good thing.Most airlines, if not all, have disabled VoIP calling while on their planes. This keeps patrons from dialing up friends via Skype while onboard, and in turn making every other passenger around them furious and agitated. A recent survey commissioned by 3M found that four in five business travelers admitted that they...
Read more...
Starting tomorrow and running through the end of the year, you’ll be able to enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi on select Delta flights. The service is made possible by Delta’s rollout of Gogo Inflight Internet service, which is launching on six of the airline’s aircraft. The initial rollout of Inflight Internet includes five MD-88 aircraft flying Delta Shuttle routes between New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Boston’s Logan and Washington’s Reagan airports plus one Boeing 757 flying throughout Delta’s domestic system. Although not available yet, Delta has plans to launch the service on more than 300 Delta domestic mainline aircraft. Tim Mapes, Delta’s senior vice president of Marketing, tells us more about...
Read more...
