Things in the Sky

One of the biggest changes in inflight entertainment/services in the past few months has been the introduction of inflight Wi-Fi, and carriers like AirTran, American, Delta, United, and Virgin America (which has the entire fleet equipped) have been adopting it. These carriers have all been using Aircell’s ground-based GoGo service.

Meanwhile, Alaska and Southwest have been testing Row 44’s satellite-based system for a few months now, and Southwest is now trying to figure out what to charge for the service. Unfortunately, these two airlines can’t roll out Wi-Fi fleetwide until the FCC approves Row 44, and this process has been conveniently been slowed down by a competitor, ViaSat.

Mary Kirby, also known as “Runway Girl,” reports in an article from yesterday:

In a joint letter filed on 1 July with the FCC, lawyers for Alaska and Southwest say the expeditious grant of Row 44’s application for a permanent license “will generate enormous benefits, including substantial work for almost a dozen technology companies all over the United States at a critical time in our economy”.

The article also notes that the airlines what to move ahead on this because their competitors are making progress, which makes total sense, and I especially see that from Southwest’s perspective. The airline has been busy focusing on attracting more business passengers, and I think Wi-Fi is an important part of that plan (especially if they offer it for free or a discount to frequent passengers, as suggested here).

But I think the FCC should approve this, not just because I agree with the airlines, but because I’m flying Southwest to California next month, and I don’t think I can go a few hours without tweeting.