Just like that, Delta has as many WiFi-capable planes as JetBlue. This MD-88 (N908DL) is the first of 75 that Delta says will be ready by year's end. The carrier hopes to outfit 330 planes with wireless by summer of 2009.

Technically, Delta can't let passengers surf until it gets what's called a Supplemental Type Certificate from the FAA, but that shouldn't be a problem. (American Airlines already got one for its 767-200s.)

While Delta gets crackin' on the installation, other airlines are presumably trying to catch up. Among those that are promising wireless on at least some planes are Southwest (by Q4, 2008) and Virgin America (by Q1, 2009).

Related Stories:
· Delta's first Wi-Fi-equipped MD-88 [Official Site]
· Dark Horse Delta Announces Massive In-Flight WiFi Rollout [Jaunted]

[Photo: Delta]]]> pbb 2008-10-02T15:00:38-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/9/102021/7009

Air Canada will be the first Canadian airline to offer in-flight WiFi, after inking a deal with Aircell, the company behind the Gogo brand already available on American Airlines and in the works for both Virgin America and Delta. Guess this means United *won't* be the next carrier to offer internet access at 35,000 feet, despite our speculation.

WiFi will be available on "select flights" on A319 aircraft serving the US; Air Canada says access should be available by "spring 2009." The airline currently has 35 A319s.

The partners still need to secure regulatory approval from Canadian authorities and expand Aircell's air-to-ground network--which currently just covers the US--into Canada.

Related Stories:
· Rampant Speculation: Is United WiFi Coming Soon? [Jaunted]
· In-Flight WiFi coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-09-09T10:20:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/28/132436/952

While thinking about in-fight WiFi yesterday, we realized that Southwest Airlines has been awfully quiet on that front lately. So we went ahead and asked the carrier via Twitter how the trials planned for this summer were going.

Apparently, the going is slow:

We will have four aircraft in the 4th quarter of 2008! Get excited!

Just four? Out of more than 500 737s? Well, we do have to admit four is a lot better than one!

Related Stories:
· Southwest's Tweet [Twitter]
· Rampant Speculation: Is United WiFi Coming Soon? [Jaunted]
· Southwest Airlines coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-08-28T13:30:18-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/27/121033/266

Aircell CEO Jack Blumenstein recently told Information Week that his company has signed up a fourth airline for in-flight WiFi service, but he wouldn't disclose *which* carrier will soon offer Gogo.

But looking around the industry, it isn't hard to make an educated guess: American, Delta (and by extension Northwest) and Virgin America have already signed on for Aircell. Southwest and Alaska Airlines are both using Row 44 for wireless. JetBlue, Frontier and Continental are on the LiveTV tip.

So that pretty much leaves United and US Airways as the only big players in need of a WiFi provider. But US Airways certainly isn't looking to add electronics to its fleet, light as internet antennas may be. We're looking your way United!

Related Stories:
· Aircell Signs Up Fourth Airline for WiFi Service [IW]
· Who's Doing What for In-Flight Internet? [TravelTechTalk]
· In-Flight WiFi coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-08-27T12:11:51-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/26/125159/640

Now that American Airlines has its in-flight WiFi working, we're expecting lots more mid-air liveblogging, like this report from "Big Brother" obsessive Ben at the B-Side Blog:

I've done a lot of flight blogs--or flogs--in my time, but never in all my time have I been able to actually LIVE blog my flights....

Not this time, my friends. American Airlines just introduced in-flight WiFi [six] days ago on selected routes, and yours truly has the luxury of flying one of those special planes.

Ben goes on to tell us about some pre-flight tire repairs, a sassy flight attendant and even some hellish fellow passengers, but our favorite bits are about how useful the wireless connection is:

Let me just reiterate that I absolutely love being able to sit here above the clouds and read Big Brother updates. Best flight EVER.

Related Stories:
· Live Flight Blog: Seriously, This Is Live [B-Side Blog]
· In-Flight WiFi: Our IM Interview with an AA Passenger [Jaunted]
· American Airlines Announces WiFi on Some Flights [Jaunted]

[Photo: B-Side Blog]]]> pbb 2008-08-26T13:00:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/20/151752/004

We didn't get a seat on one of American Airlines's newly wireless planes today, but Jaunted pal Peter Ha did. We last met up with CrunchGear's News Editor out at the Mojave Spaceport in front of the WhiteKnightTwo. Today, we had to chat via IM, which was also pretty awesome:

Jaunted: So it really works!

Peter: Indeed.

Jaunted: Any notables on the flight with you?

Peter: Aircell's CEO and Charles Wilson from AA.

Jaunted: What kind of speeds are you getting? How does it compare to your connection at home?

Peter: So far I'm getting around 1,700 kbps down and roughly 300 kbps up.

A day after a prominent travel journalist tried to figure out why airlines still haven't rolled out their in-flight WiFi, American Airlines announced this morning that it's ready to offer the service on its fleet of 16 767-200s.

The planes connect New York and Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami, and you'll pay $10 for access on flights shorter than three hours and $13 on longer trips. (Depending on the flight, trips to MIA are scheduled for both shorter and longer than three hours.)

There won't be any cell phone service or VOIP onboard American's WiFi planes, but otherwise the browsing experience should be just like at home. We'll see how things go as Peter Ha liveblogs a flight today over at CrunchGear.

Related Stories:
· Aircell's Gogo Going Live Today on American Airlines [CrunchGear]
· OMG In-flight WiFi Is Here! [Jaunted]
· In-Flight WiFi coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of a 767-200: bribriTO]]]> pbb 2008-08-20T08:50:06-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/