Delta is teaming up with Air Cell, one of the companies working to put Internet back on planes post Boeing Connexxion.
The system, Gogo™, will enable Delta customers traveling with Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs, to access the Internet, corporate VPNs, corporate and personal e-mail accounts, as well as SMS texting and instant messaging services. Gogo will be available to customers for a flat fee of $9.95 on flights of three hours or less, and $12.95 on flights of more than three hours.
Now,they are rolling out this system first on the MD-88s, the oldest of their fleet, and plan to have it on their entire domestic fleet, with more than 330 aircraft complete by next summer. We have to commend Delta for the most ambitious announced internet schedule. We’re not sure they’ll actually succeed, but we are eager to see.
Mark Ashley, of Upgrade Travel, had a few rather useful points to make about the possible issues with this rollout. For one, power…namely that you’ll have to bring your own as they don’t provide any. The second, and much more significant, is space. Trying to open your laptop fully into the space provided by most airlines, especially Delta on an MD-88, is going to be hard, regardless of how big or small you are. But ultraportables(small laptops with a 12″ or less screen) are becoming more popular.
We’d be curious to find out what this is going to cost Delta per plane, and if the other airlines will speed up their plans to match Delta’s ambition.
