Do airlines have WiFi? You bet — and here is a guide to them all. Photo courtesy of Alaskan Airlines.
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With a trip to Hawaii planned this spring, I thought I'd do some research on all of the airlines with WiFi. Most of the information I found dated back to 2008, which wasn't much help finding current information about which airlines have WiFi.
But soon I stumbled upon a site called Gogo Inflight Internet. The company provides WiFi on airlines including Air Canada, AirTran, American Airlines, Delta, United Airlines, US Airways and Virgin America. What's nice is you can buy the airline WiFi a single flight, or as a 30-day pass, so there's a plan for everyone. Single flight plans range from $4.95 for 1 1/2 hours, $9.95 for up to 3 hours, or $12.95 for any flight over 3 hours.
I have a flight planned on Continental this spring, which will complete its InFlight Internet service on its 21 Boeing 757-300 aircraft later this year. Alaskan Airlines announced this week that it now offers Gogo on all of its aircraft.
JetBlue WiFi service is also being offered on its BetaBlue plane. Unfortunately you can't book that specific plane and it's a random thing. JetBlue plans to expand its service to its entire fleet, though there is no set date for completion.
Another WiFi airline service is being offered through a company called Row 44. Southwest WiFi is offered on four planes at the moment, but the entire fleet should be equipped early this year. Service is between $2 and $12.
Routes and availability differ by airline, but as a rule it's offered in all 48 continental states. To get access, you'll need a laptop or handheld device with 802.11 a/b/g (Wi-Fi) wireless local area network (WLAN) capability.
Handhelds that work include the iPod Touch, iPhone, Blackberry 8320 or 8820 and Nokia N95. The service does not work in the terminal, but only after you've reached an altitude of 10,000 feet. It's also important to point out that you may not place calls during flight, but you can use IM or e-mail services.
I hope this guide to WiFi on planes has been helpful. For more details from each airline, click on their links above!