The Wall Street Journal-20080123-AMR to Test Wi-Fi Service For 767 Planes
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AMR to Test Wi-Fi Service For 767 Planes
CHICAGO -- The newest Wi-Fi hot spot is in the cabins of American Airlines' planes.
American, owned by AMR Corp., is testing high-speed Internet service provided by Aircell LLC, said Doug Backelin, the airline's manager of in-flight communications and technology.
By this summer, the world's biggest airline, measured by passenger traffic, expects to provide Internet service on its Boeing 767-200 aircraft, used for longer flights, and gradually to add service across all of its fleet.
The service works on passengers' own wireless devices, like laptops and Apple iPhones. Travelers can access the Internet, including a company's intranet site, and send email. For flights of more than three hours, wireless service will cost $12.95, with a charge of $10 planned for shorter flights. American will generate some revenue from the service, Mr. Backelin said, but "our main goal is to improve our customers' experience."
Aircell has an exclusive license from the Federal Communications Commission to provide wireless and broadband services to business and commercial aircraft in the continental U.S., said Jack Blumenstein, Aircell's chief executive.
The Federal Aviation Administration will need to approve American's Internet service for passenger use.
The Wi-Fi connection will work only for data communication. Mr. Blumenstein said his Itasca, Ill., company also is working with Virgin America Inc., a unit of Virgin Group Ltd., to provide Internet service to passengers.
In December, JetBlue Airways Corp. began testing a communication system on a single aircraft with partners Yahoo Inc. and Research In Motion Ltd. that allows passengers to send free email on Blackberries and to email on other devices through Yahoo accounts. Alaska Air Group Inc. plans to test a satellite system for sending email. Other carriers still are weighing the best way to offer high-speed communication to passengers.
