Things may be looking up for internet access on board commercial aircraft in the future.
The frustrations of internet access aboard commercial aircraft may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to the Seamless Air Alliance. Formed by Airbus, Delta, OneWeb, Sprint and Airtel, the group aims to improve the connectivity experience for passengers aboard aircraft by allowing mobile operators to provide internet access directly via satellite tech.
The group aims to reduce the costs and headaches associated with the installation and operation of the infrastructure required to provide connectivity on aircraft. The end goal is to work together to cut costs and provide passengers with fast, reliable internet onboard aircraft. It would combine higher speeds with a better user experience because passengers wouldn't have to pay separately for internet access once on board.
(Score: 2) by Pino P on Tuesday February 27 2018, @04:45PM (5 children)
Delta Air Lines' competition is another airline that offers a cheaper combination of flight and in-flight Internet access than Delta does.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Grishnakh on Tuesday February 27 2018, @05:25PM (3 children)
Delta Air Lines' competition is another airline that offers a cheaper combination of flight and in-flight Internet access than Delta does.
Not really. Due to the routes airlines have, a certain trip is naturally going to be more advantageous on one carrier than another (for instance, a flight from Atlanta to DC, I'm guessing, will tend to favor Delta because of Delta's hub in ATL). And air travelers have shown over and over that the only thing they really care about is ticket price. An airline offering free in-flight internet, but a slightly higher ticket price, is going to lose.
Also, remember that not everyone actually cares about internet access in-flight. Personally, I don't. I *might* use it if it's available and free, if the flight is long enough. But I wouldn't even pay $1 for the privilege, and it sure as hell won't sway my decision to a different airline. I can easily keep myself occupied working offline, or reading a book.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday February 27 2018, @05:28PM (1 child)
Silly old man! If you can't stream your flight live to your audience, did it really happen ?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by takyon on Tuesday February 27 2018, @05:37PM
Getting beaten and dragged off the plane didn't happen if you didn't film it.
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(Score: 2) by Pino P on Wednesday February 28 2018, @05:52PM
Computer manufacturers have conspired to make that difficult, replacing general-purpose compact laptops with tablets and Chromebooks that are locked down to run limited-purpose operating systems. Or is it practical to install Android app support in a Chromebook and then install GNURoot and XSDL into that just to have a GNU/Linux laptop?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 27 2018, @09:16PM
But will they offer discounted internets for NRA members?