Originally Posted by C17PSGR
Note that the AA service is targeted for international travel, not domestic travel, hence the 767/777 selection and the international carrier. I don't think UA offers the international service.
Seems pretty unlikely that MD80's will get inflight telcom. Perhaps, 737's will get Connexion someday but it will be a while.
At least, AA was the airline that initiated the charge to allow us to use cellphones once we cleared the runway. Others (but not all) followed, but AA took the time, effort and money, to get the initial data and to get permission.
Another side to this is that many of us do not want to be subjected to people screaming on in-flight phones, trying to be heard over the engine noise, while we are in the enclosed space of an aircraft. Some people even find it necessary to scream on the ground to be heard on their cell phones after landing/before departing. Sounds like the MD-80 may have a marketing ploy, after all---'peace in the sky'...Maybe airplanes will one day have little soundproof booths for people who can't stand to be 'out of touch'...