WiFi on airlines: users will find it's worth the trouble

WiFi on Airlines: Users Will Find It's Worth the Trouble
by Wayne Rash 
 
Airlines in the U.S. and elsewhere are outfitting their aircraft with on-board WiFi, but it's one thing to have working WiFi and another to have a WiFi service that works well.
To say that I was surprised when I saw the WiFi logo as I boarded the old United Airlines Airbus A319 that would take me from San Francisco to Seattle would be an understatement. I was astonished. While airlines everywhere are putting wireless network connections on airplanes, mostly it's been installed when the aircraft are built or when they've been renovated. But there on the door of a decidedly middle-aged United Airlines plane was that logo. 
After I got settled into my seat, I checked for the United WiFi SSID. Nothing. But we were still at the gate, so I knew it was likely because the access point simply hadn't been turned on. I waited until we'd taken off out of San Francisco and checked again. This time the access point appeared. First, I took care of the really important things, like ordering a drink when the flight attendants trundled their carts down the aisle. Then, with drink perched on the tray table, I tried to log on. The United log-on screen first requests your name and Mileage Plus (United's frequent flyer program) number, and then a coupon code or a credit card. Fill out the credit card information and the airline will email your receipt to you.
But the real question is, how well does it work? The short answer is that it works pretty well. You won't mistake it for connecting through the WiFi router in your office, but that's not to say it's a bad experience. It's not. It's just different.
 
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