AirTran Airways is announcing today that it plans to have its entire fleet of 136 airplanes equipped with GoGo in-flight Internet service by mid-summer.

As on other airlines that are offering this service, the fee will be $9.95 for flights under three hours and $12.95 for longer flights if you access the service with your laptop.  The fee will be $7.95 if you’re accessing the service on a smartphone.

In-flight Wi-Fi service is a great new amenity, but I’m looking forward to  sifting through the pile of 29,000 other ideas for in-flight amenities that were submitted to the airline during its recent Every Flight campaign.  Because while Wi-Fi is nice, wouldn’t it be fun to have ballroom dancing,  pretzels and mustard, sofas, neck pillows, and Mel Torme on your next flight too?

Tags: Air travel, AirTran Airways, Airline amenities, In-flight Wi-Fi
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Alaska Airlines has been testing Row 44’s inflight Wi-Fi since late February on one Boeing 737-700 and plans to add the service on additional aircraft in the coming months.

In the meantime, travelers can use the in-flight Wi-Fi for free in exchange for answering a few survey questions about what they think of the service and how much they might be willing to pay.

So far, more than 2,100 passengers have used the service and completed a survey.  The findings? In a press release the airline says folks like having in-flight Wi-Fi.

No big surprise there.

Now comes the hard part: deciding what to charge for the service.

The airline says it plans to set a final price for the service later this year.  For now, they’re still testing the service, so enjoy it free while you can.

To find out which routes the Wi-Fi plane is flying each day, sign up for the airline’s Twitter feed.  And if you use the Wi-Fi, be sure to answer the “What would you pay?” question as honestly as you can.

And for an update on what’s going on with in-flight Wi-Fi in other parts of the airline system, please see my most recent  “Flying the Wi-Fi Skies” story on MSNBC.com.

Tags: Airline amenities, Alaska Airlines, In-flight Wi-Fi, Wireless Internet
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Air travel used to be so easy:  Pick a destination, call a travel agent, buy your ticket, pack, get dressed up, go to the airport, fly.

Now? It’s much more complicated:  Choose a destination. Scour the Internet for tickets. Decide: pack a carry-on or pay to check a bag?  Dress for success at the security checkpoint. Stock up on food and water.  Then, settle in and elbow your seatmate for a piece of the armrest.

Soon: All of the above; plus deciding if you’ll pay for in-flight Wi-Fi and, if so, which plan to buy.

Find out what airlines are charging for sky-high Wi-Fi and if those prices are likely to stick in my Flying the Wi-Fi Skies story posted on MSNBC.com today.

And let me know: what WOULD you be willing to pay for in-flight Wi-Fi?

Tags: Airline amenities, Airport amenities, In-flight Wi-Fi, Wireless Internet
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The folks at Gogo Inflight sent out a Twitter message with a 25% off discount code you can use to check out the Wi-Fi service on any Gogo-equipped  flights on American, Delta or Virgin America flight.

The code is good through the end of March and is 124cmtw225.

Tags: Airline amenities, Gogo inflight, In-flight Wi-Fi
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Delta Air Lines now has 50 planes equipped with Wi-Fi, courtesy of Gogo inflight internet.   That’s a smidge over 15% of the airline’s domestic fleet.

The count so far:

MD88 – 44 aircraft
MD90 – 1 aircraft
B757-200 – 5 aircraft

Strange: While they’re go-go about the Wi-Fi march forward at the Delta blog, click on the in-flight entertainment tab on Delta’s main Web site and they’re all hush-hush.  Not a word about it.

Like maybe the price???

Tags: Airline amenities, Delta Air Lines, In-flight Wi-Fi
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Several airlines are testing in-flight Wi-Fi on a few planes and recently Southwest and Alaska airlines climbed on board with their satellite version of the service, courtesy of Row 44.

I tested the service out yesterday on Alaska Airline’s “Wi-Fi One” plane, flying back and forth between Seattle and Orange County.  There were two guys on board who were flying the plane specifically to check out the service, but otherwise the only way folks knew this was “the Wi-Fi plane” was if they noticed the big decal by the door (I admit, at first I didn’t) and if they read the big card in their seatback pocket.

Once folks did discover the service – which is complimentary during the test period – they used it, talked about it to their seatmates and across the aisles and, of course, sent e-mail messages: “Guess where I’m writing from.”

The service was a bit sluggish on the return trip, which got folks talking even more, but generally once travelers got connected, they seemed delighted to have this new amenity as an in-flight option.

Would frequent travelers choose to fly one airline over another based on the availability of Wi-Fi?  “It’s the right play. I would definitely lean towards a flight with Wi-Fi,” one passenger told me, “and I would have no problem paying a premium for the service.”

We’ll see: one of the questions in the survey passengers are asked to fill out when they sign-on to the in-flight Wi-Fi is “How much would you be willing to pay for this service?”

Tags: Alaska Airlines, In-flight Wi-Fi
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Testing out in-flight Wi-Fi on Alaska Airline’s Wi-Fi One.   Sign-on was easy, system is fast.  (Seems faster than my connection at the airport; could that be?).

Flight attendants seems excited about being on the test plane, but I’m surprised there was no announcement letting everyone know the service was available – for free.  There are big cards explaining the service in the seatback pockets – but not that many look in those pockets do they?

Already I’m wondering: As in-flight Wi-Fi becomes more common – and we have to pay for it – travelers will have another decision to make:  pay for Wi-Fi in the airport or pay for it on the plane.  Would you do both?

Tags: Alaska Airlines, In-flight Wi-Fi
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Air France gave it a test run last year and now Ryanair is going full speed ahead with in-flight cell-phone service.

Here’s a report from CNN about one of the first (press-heavy) flights.  Wish I’d been there just to see the cell-phone costume in person.

Tags: Air France, Airline amenities, Cell phones, In-flight Wi-Fi, In-flight cell phones, Ryanair
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Earlier this week, Southwest Airlines announced that it was finally testing in-flight Wi-Fi on two planes and plans to being testing the service on four planes in just a few weeks.

The service is provided by Row 44, which provides Wi-Fi via aircraft-to-satellite technology.  The service will be free during an initial testing phase and will allow passengers to access the Internet via laptops, iPhone, and Wi-Fi enabled smart phones.

Cellular phone service won’t work with Southwest’s in-flight Wi-Fi service. And while VOIP will be blocked for passengers, it will be available for the cockpit and cabin crew.

That opens a lot of possibilities.   Good and bad.

Also, while Southwest is heavily touting the fact that it’s wrapped one of its airplanes with a decal featuring the cover model from the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, according to Row 44’s president and co-founder Gregg Fialcowitz, Southwest Airlines will be filtering on-board Wi-Fi to block sites that might contain pornography.

Sort of a mixed message there, don’t ya think?

Tags: Airline amenities, In-flight Wi-Fi, In-flight cell phones, Southwest Airlines
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Someday, when I’m president, there will be free, reliable, secure Wi-Fi everywhere.

Especially in all airports and, now that the technology has caught up, in all airplanes.

In the meantime, travelers sometimes need to hunt and peck to find out what service is available where.  One site trying to help: airportwifiguide.com.

I like the map that links to airports with free Wi-Fi, the state-by-state list of airports, and the fact that some travelers are  sending in tips.

But they need more ‘informers.’  I tried searching for the free Wi-Fi services at Orlando International Airport and didn’t find that airport – or its free Wi-Fi service – listed.   Ditto for Fort Lauderdale.

So, if you have a moment, send them your finds.

In the meantime,the Wi-Fi-FreeSpot Directory seems to have a more comprehensive list of airports with free Wi-Fi and includes airports beyond North America, as well as hotels, restaurants, and other places.

So…Wi-Fi-wise, we’re moving in the right direction.

Let me know if you’ve found other comprehensive airport Wi-Fi guides we can add to the toolbox.

Tags: Airline amenities, Airport Wi-Fi, Airport amenities, Free stuff, In-flight Wi-Fi, Wireless Internet
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