Axey

For those of you who enjoy the airfone service on United, bad news:

JetBlue wins air-ground wireless license

From the article:

I really dont like this development. It is very nice to have the ability to make calls when absolutely necessary while in air. Knowing United's progress in the wifi arena, it's not like we can expect to have VOIP/Connexion as an alternative

ajthegreat

I actually use the airfone as of late. With 10 bucks a month and 10c a minute which all goes to my verizone wireless bill it is reasonable to use. I also get to use my cellphone number. Before they came up with it i never touched the phone but since they made it reasonable I have used it.

carl92103

This is not good. I hope UA makes a deal to keep the phones.

Benny8444

I do the same thing it makes the airplane like an office for me. The good news this does not go into play untill 2010 and hopefully by then a deal will be worked out.

redbeard911

I have never usedthe airfone, and probably never will. On my flight today, I saw two people uing it the entire duration of the flight. I haven't seen them used for a long time.

flysurfer

So what about UA's "bold" plan to use the Verizon Airfone bandwidth as a carrier for their planned wireless broadband Internet access on-board domestic flights? Scrapped? Dead in the water?

carl92103

These phones are invaluable when your in the middle of an important business deal. I was actually in the process of changing from Sprint to Verizon to get the discounted rate. Is it definite they are removing the phones?

NextStopTermC

I don't know, and I wish they wouldn't. For about seven years or so, the rates translated as "hurt me plenty". The advent of bundled Verizon service was the first sign of reality for rates for Airfone. I've made about three calls during those years, and given all of my OTHER flights, I really wish I would have had back the space under my US/UA F seat to put a laptop; Airfone stole that from me with their lumpy grey box.

I honestly don't know how they managed to screw up their rate structure that badly, when friends with wealth dripping off their fingertips would say "it can wait until we land." Those friends should have been the ones sucked in by teaser rates. I guess Airfone's market was people paying for international F rather than domestic C. Works on some routes, but definitely not on US/HP....

TravelManKen

Heck, I didn't know that they had dropped the rates so low ($10 + $.10). It was still $20/call last time I touched the phone. I may connect the service through an old Verizon cell phone line that my mother uses. It's worth $10/month to have the phone available. Are the rates the same for international flights?

ajthegreat

nope completely different for international calls.

cpx

It may mean the end of Airfon, but it may make the way for internet
and may be VoIP phone service in the aircrafts through a different
provider.

flysurfer

I'm not holding my breath.

Since May 2004, 90-95% of my longhaul business goes to airlines that have it NOW. Today, there's a decent choice of carriers. More to come. See http://www.connexionbyboeing.com/ind...ilable&lang=en

Wake me when UA has it, too.

ILUV767

Getting rid of the phones saves weight which reduces fuel consumption.

flysurfer

So does getting rid of pax. Nonrevs, that is.

Getting rid of seats, food (oops, already done), beverages (RAR!), magazines, amenity kits, blankets, milk and pillows will certainly improve the bottom line, as well.

cpx

I'm not holding my breath either, but something better has to show up
since the demand and trend is going that way.