Some airlines to offer passengers fast Internet connections
Associated Press
Thursday, June 14, 2001
WASHINGTON -- Check your e-mail. Change your hotel reservation because the plane is late. Download that last document for your presentation. Surf the Web.
Passengers of three major airlines should be able to do all that from the air beginning next year as American, Delta and United start providing fast Internet access aboard
their planes. Northwest Airlines spokeswoman Mary Beth Schubert said Wednesday that the Eagan-based carrier hasn't decided whether to offer high-speed Internet
access on its flights. "It's something that we certainly are looking into," she said.
Said James Beer, vice president of corporate development and treasurer of American Airlines, "More people want and need to stay in touch with their lives while they're
in the air."
The three airlines announced Wednesday that they are developing the system with the Boeing Co. They eventually plan to install the high-speed connections on 1,500
planes and sell the system to other airlines.
As planned, special antennas aboard the airplanes would connect with satellites to provide Internet access. Passengers would use their own computers on board and pay
around $20 an hour for the hookup.
All passengers on a plane that is wired for the Internet would be able to log on, but how fast they could send and receive would depend on the number of passengers online
at the same time.
The equipment first would be available to passengers on long-distance flights within the United States. "The longer the flight, the more desire there is for the service,"
said Larry Deshon, United Airlines' senior vice president for marketing.
A plane is delayed? You could log onto the hotel and rental car Web sites and change a reservation. A major sporting event? If it is broadcast on the Web, you could
watch it. A crisis in the office? You could keep in touch and offer comments by e-mail. Need some last-minute information for a speech? Surf the Net and download it.
Airline executives said they eventually hoped to offer the fast Internet access on all their routes. They said they don't know whether passengers will be able to hook up to
the World Wide Web when they board the plane, or will have to wait until the aircraft is aloft. Presently, passengers must turn off electronic devices during takeoff and
landing.
Airlines, too, could benefit from the new technology, said Ray Valeika, senior vice president for technical operations at Delta.
If a mechanical problem occurs on board, for example, a crew member could download data from an airline's computer. Or a flight attendant could send information to
the next destination, where a repair crew could study the problem and be ready to work on the plane when it lands.
-- Staff writer Melissa Levy contributed to this report.
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