United Airlines adds Wi-Fi for international flights

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 15 Jan 2013 10:16 User comments (12)

United Airlines has announced the introduction of satellite-based Wi-Fi for international flights.

The move is the first for a U.S.-based international carrier.

Boeing 747-400s that serve both trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific routes will be the first with the technology. Each will be equipped with Panasonic Avionics Corporation's Ku-band satellite technology.

"Satellite-based Wi-Fi service enables us to better serve our customers and offer them more of what they want in a global airline," added Jim Compton, our vice chairman and chief revenue officer. "With this new service, we continue to build the airline that customers want to fly."

Depending on how long the flight is, costs will vary. For "Standard" speeds, the prices are between $3.99 and $14.99 and "Accelerated" speeds will cost between $5.99 and $19.99.

Tags: Wi-Fi International united airlines

<Apple lets Chinese buyers purchase iPhones in installments >AT&T to offer $100 credit with purchase of Nexus 7 with contract

12 user comments

116.1.2013 00:16

cjdevesa

Send private message to this user

Newbie

"to better serve our customers"

What a load of PR BS, its another cash grab

216.1.2013 06:35

dali

Send private message to this user

Member

Originally posted by cjdevesa:
"to better serve our customers"

What a load of PR BS, its another cash grab

Agreed. Shame on them and those who pay a single cent for not being disconnected for a while. I won't use it if it isn't free. I lived without it until now, and I won't miss it after all.

316.1.2013 08:44

JST1946

Send private message to this user

Senior Member

Who cares about Wi-Fi!I just want to fly from one place to another and make it there in one piece and get my free bag of peanuts.

416.1.2013 23:24

PraisesToAllah

Send private message to this user

Member

I'm not that desperate for Internet.

518.1.2013 08:33

ChikaraNZ

Send private message to this user

Junior Member

Originally posted by cjdevesa:
"to better serve our customers"

What a load of PR BS, its another cash grab

So every service any company offers at a price is a cash grab?
Little bit cynical, aren't we??
No-one is forcing their customers to use it if they don't want to pay those prices.
Personally, I can't imagine I'd need the internet that desperately when flying, but it's good they've offered it.

618.1.2013 10:32

dali

Send private message to this user

Member

Originally posted by ChikaraNZ:
So every service any company offers at a price is a cash grab?
Little bit cynical, aren't we??
No-one is forcing their customers to use it if they don't want to pay those prices.
Personally, I can't imagine I'd need the internet that desperately when flying, but it's good they've offered it.

It would be, if they offered it for free, which is, more or less, what it costs to them. Let passengers pay for higher speeds, offer a basic service for free. That should cover your costs and give you enough profit. But this is the greedy way of "serving their customers".

718.1.2013 23:04

GernBlan

Send private message to this user

Junior Member

Wait...isn't WiFi going to interfere with the electronics on the plane or has having me turn off all my electronics all this year just been blowing smoke right up my....

819.1.2013 06:16

dali

Send private message to this user

Member

Originally posted by GernBlan:
Wait...isn't WiFi going to interfere with the electronics on the plane or has having me turn off all my electronics all this year just been blowing smoke right up my....

Only during take-off and landing

919.1.2013 06:41

ChikaraNZ

Send private message to this user

Junior Member

Originally posted by dali:

Originally posted by GernBlan:
Wait...isn't WiFi going to interfere with the electronics on the plane or has having me turn off all my electronics all this year just been blowing smoke right up my....

Only during take-off and landing

Good point though... you can't use anything at all now during take-off and landing, and during flight it's supposed to be non-transmitting electronics only (eg with flight mode)...

1020.1.2013 18:27

nourishment

Send private message to this user

Newbie

It's great that they're offering it. Whether you pay or not is up to you bur personally I'd pay another $10 on top of my flight costs for wi-fi so I don't have to entertain myself with dumbed-down sitcoms and movies.

Secretly I have never turned off my mobile whilst flying and none of the planes I've been onboard have crashed (obviously!).

1120.1.2013 18:38

nourishment

Send private message to this user

Newbie

I'm sure if you look on the web there are many explanations why you can't use electronic devices on planes. In the old days you weren't even allowed to use a walkman/cd player. If planes were really at risk of crashing because of personal devices then f**k knows why terrorists use explosives :-)

I remain unconvinced and will keep my devices turned on bt on mute (I'm not a nutter!!).

1220.1.2013 18:41

dali

Send private message to this user

Member

Originally posted by ChikaraNZ:
Good point though... you can't use anything at all now during take-off and landing, and during flight it's supposed to be non-transmitting electronics only (eg with flight mode)...

Not for long, if that policy hasn't changed already:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/29/busin...ic-devices.html

Comments have been disabled for this article.

	YouTube Premium starts showing ads to subscribers (13 Nov 2024 3:09) For years, YouTube Premium has been marketed as a way to enjoy an ad-free YouTube experience. But apparently, that is no longer the case, as Premium subscribers are now starting to see ads on the platform. 1 user comment
	Android 16 will launch sooner than expected (01 Nov 2024 6:45) Google announced that upcoming Android 16 will break the traditional once-a-year cycle of major Android launches. Next Android is poised to launch in Q2 of 2025, so Android 16 should ship before end of June, 2025.
	Winamp ends its "open source" project that wasn't really open source (20 Oct 2024 11:12) Less than a month after the legendary MP3 player Winamp made its source code public, the company has made a sudden U-turn and removed its code from distribution. 2 user comments
	Winamp released its source code - but didn't go open source (25 Sep 2024 12:38) The source code of Winamp has now been officially released. However, it hasn't become a pure open-source project, as its licensing terms prohibit the creation of new, different versions.
	Does your phone rattle? Here's why it happens (25 Aug 2024 8:30) When you shake your phone and hear a light rattle, clatter, or jingle, it's likely not broken. The culprit is probably the optical image stabilization (OIS) system in your phone's camera, meaning everything is functioning as it should. 2 user comments

	What IP rating for dust and water resistance means An IP classification (such as IP68) is given to mobile phones, Bluetooth speakers, and other devices, but what do these classifications mean? 1 user comment
	Guide: Is Your Wi-Fi Sluggish or Slow? Here's How to Fix Do you have problems with you Wi-Fi? Slow connection or is it cutting off constantly? This guide aims to remedy these problems. 1 user comment
	Does your phone rattle? Here's why it happens When you shake your phone and hear a light rattle, clatter, or jingle, it's likely not broken. The culprit is probably the optical image stabilization (OIS) system in your phone's camera, meaning everything is functioning as it should. 2 user comments
	GUIDE: Wi-Fi speeds are slow? Here are some tips Having problems with Wi-Fi speed and stability at home? Here are some tips to follow to alleviate the issues. 1 user comment
	Guide: Phone battery drains quickly - how to fix (iPhone / Android) In this guide, we go through the most typical reasons for rapid battery drain with phones, and look at potential reasons or solutions.

United Airlines adds Wi-Fi for international flights

12 user comments

Latest news

Reviews

Guides

News archive

Subscribe

Sections:

Follow us:

	Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review - obstacle avoidance doesn't work as it should, otherwise almost perfect robot vacuum We put the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra through a very, very long review process. The $1800 mopping robot vacuum is almost perfect, but its obstacle avoidance was surprisingly bad, considering the price - and compared to its competitors.
	Sharge x OnePlus Pouch review: Beautiful power bank that supports SuperVOOC charging In our review, we take a look at Sharge's power bank that supports OnePlus SuperVOOC quick charging technology as well as standard USB PD charging. It has small design flaws, but despite those, the Pouch is very nice product. 1 user comment
	Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets Roomba Combo j7+ is the very first Roomba model to combine robot vacuum with mopping features. And Roomba Combo j7+ does all that with a very clever trick, which tackles the problem with mopping and carpets. But is it any good? We found out.