Expanded In-flight Wi-Fi on Air Canada flights within North America
Apr 10, 2014, 2:14 pm
#76
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 8,009
http://atwonline.com/ife/air-canada-...-equipped-gogo
Air Canada has reached an agreement with aircraft communications service provider Gogo to equip all of its North American fleet with inflight Wi-Fi connectivity.
Air Canada currently has two Wi-Fi-equipped Airbus A319s operating in Canada and the US. Under the agreement, financial terms of which were not disclosed, Gogo in May will begin outfitting the rest of Air Canada’s A319s as well as the carrier’s A320s, A321s, Embraer E-190s, E-175s and Bombardier CRJ700s with its air-to-ground Wi-Fi connectivity.
Air Canada said the plan is to equip 29 aircraft in 2014 and have all 130 of its narrowbody/regional aircraft equipped by the end of 2015. “The system offers peak connection speeds comparable to mobile broadband services available on the ground,” the airline said in a statement. “Pricing will be competitive with other inflight Wi-Fi connectivity offerings.”
Air Canada EVP and CCO Benjamin Smith said, “In today’s connected world, our customers want to access to email, mobile device applications and the internet wherever they are, both to increase their work productivity and expand their leisure options.”
Additionally, Gogo said the agreement “also provides for future type-testing of Gogo satellite solutions for Wi-Fi on [Air Canada] international flights. The international trials will take place in 2015.”
Air Canada has reached an agreement with aircraft communications service provider Gogo to equip all of its North American fleet with inflight Wi-Fi connectivity.
Air Canada currently has two Wi-Fi-equipped Airbus A319s operating in Canada and the US. Under the agreement, financial terms of which were not disclosed, Gogo in May will begin outfitting the rest of Air Canada’s A319s as well as the carrier’s A320s, A321s, Embraer E-190s, E-175s and Bombardier CRJ700s with its air-to-ground Wi-Fi connectivity.
Air Canada said the plan is to equip 29 aircraft in 2014 and have all 130 of its narrowbody/regional aircraft equipped by the end of 2015. “The system offers peak connection speeds comparable to mobile broadband services available on the ground,” the airline said in a statement. “Pricing will be competitive with other inflight Wi-Fi connectivity offerings.”
Air Canada EVP and CCO Benjamin Smith said, “In today’s connected world, our customers want to access to email, mobile device applications and the internet wherever they are, both to increase their work productivity and expand their leisure options.”
Additionally, Gogo said the agreement “also provides for future type-testing of Gogo satellite solutions for Wi-Fi on [Air Canada] international flights. The international trials will take place in 2015.”
Apr 10, 2014, 2:26 pm
#77
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: YUL/YVR/HKG
Programs: S100KMM,SPG Platinum,Fairmont Platinum
Posts: 514
Hope not, or else this time I will be the one starting an outrage thread similar to the preferred seats issue
I spent over 10K etc etc Super Elite etc etc we should all join together and flood AC with complaint letters etc etc
Unless you mean make it complimentary to the FT member "SEMM" and anyone who has higher post count than him/her
I spent over 10K etc etc Super Elite etc etc we should all join together and flood AC with complaint letters etc etc
Unless you mean make it complimentary to the FT member "SEMM" and anyone who has higher post count than him/her
Apr 10, 2014, 8:21 pm
#79
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: YYC
Programs: AC E35, Marriott, National
Posts: 71
No its more like why should AC install hardware on its fleet for Wi-Fi when there is no guarantee of when or if the supporting network will be available for flights within Canada. I've used it a few times in the past on the 2 AC 319s that have it. Although they did a lot of YYZ/YUL to California flights, they showed up on other routes as well.
Apr 10, 2014, 9:08 pm
#80
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,161
I believe this was the aircraft used for the YYZ-YEG flight I just took (AC 157 on April 9).
Wi-fi was available but a bit unreliable. (Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that it's available. Not complaining, just describing.) It was fine for occasional emails/surfing, but there's no way it could be used for streaming video. I didn't try it for a skype voice call (and sincerely hope no one ever uses skype on an airplane!), but I suspect it wouldn't work well for that purpose.
Wi-fi was available but a bit unreliable. (Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that it's available. Not complaining, just describing.) It was fine for occasional emails/surfing, but there's no way it could be used for streaming video. I didn't try it for a skype voice call (and sincerely hope no one ever uses skype on an airplane!), but I suspect it wouldn't work well for that purpose.
The signal began after we hit cruising altitude, and it suddenly ended when we were descending. I thought it would be nice if they gave folks a few minutes' warning before shutting wifi off. One could wrap up their work and perhaps warn loved ones that the upcoming communication breakdown wasn't due to an emergency on the plane!
Below this you are supposed to have your laptop stowed.
So when the plane starts descending they are indeed supposed to tell you to put your junk away, and cutting of your internet connection is encouragement to put that junk away if you missed the announcement.
Overall I'm glad there is wi-fi available, I'm glad it's free for the time being thanks to Amex, and I'm glad that it looks like the signal won't support annoying voice calls. (Though once people have to pay for the connection, the load will surely be lower, which will improve the bandwidth for the remaining users.)
Apr 10, 2014, 9:15 pm
#81
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,161
How is it supposed to know you are in business class?
Input your PNR or FF# and name, and have it look you up in the AC reservations system. Downside: 90% of the people won't have their PNR and will start complaining and the F/A has to do technical support. And what if you have no Aeroplan FF#? What if the connection to the reservation system is down? No internet? That will make people happy.
Or, are they going to have to start printing login vouchers for everyone in business class? All the nonsense that entails will add to the cost of your ticket. Then of course people will be sharing it, and they need to have tech support rotate passwords.
So say they somehow come up with a magical way to simply and efficiently weed out the business class people from the econs, then they still have to pay Gogo for the internet.
And that just means they will add $10 to your plane ticket anyway.
Nothing's free.
Like "free health care" and "toll free roads", it is paid for either explicitly or implicitly. At least when it is explicit, if you do not want the service you are not subsidizing the leech next to you.
Gogo with Delta, you can set up an account, bill it through Amazon if you want or your CC, you can buy a day pass or a month pass if you are a very frequent user.
It is a good system.
Input your PNR or FF# and name, and have it look you up in the AC reservations system. Downside: 90% of the people won't have their PNR and will start complaining and the F/A has to do technical support. And what if you have no Aeroplan FF#? What if the connection to the reservation system is down? No internet? That will make people happy.
Or, are they going to have to start printing login vouchers for everyone in business class? All the nonsense that entails will add to the cost of your ticket. Then of course people will be sharing it, and they need to have tech support rotate passwords.
So say they somehow come up with a magical way to simply and efficiently weed out the business class people from the econs, then they still have to pay Gogo for the internet.
And that just means they will add $10 to your plane ticket anyway.
Nothing's free.
Like "free health care" and "toll free roads", it is paid for either explicitly or implicitly. At least when it is explicit, if you do not want the service you are not subsidizing the leech next to you.
Gogo with Delta, you can set up an account, bill it through Amazon if you want or your CC, you can buy a day pass or a month pass if you are a very frequent user.
It is a good system.
May 26, 2014, 9:10 am
#84
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,354
Anyone know the status of this? Every flight, I ask the SD.
From least informed to most informed, the responses have been:
1. AC doesn't have wifi (fairly common answer)
2. Only two aircraft have wifi (most common answer)
3. You're cute, and only two aircraft have wifi, but I know they're outfitting the whole narrow-body fleet
And no, I'm not kidding about #3
From least informed to most informed, the responses have been:
1. AC doesn't have wifi (fairly common answer)
2. Only two aircraft have wifi (most common answer)
3. You're cute, and only two aircraft have wifi, but I know they're outfitting the whole narrow-body fleet
And no, I'm not kidding about #3
May 26, 2014, 10:25 am
#85
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 3,393
Here's something related to expanding on-board connectivity. Not quite permission to make cell calls, but we'll get there step by step, I suppose.
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1361...ases-of-flight
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1361...ases-of-flight
Last edited by Sebring; May 26, 2014 at 10:27 am Reason: uui
May 26, 2014, 10:30 am
#86
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AC E35K, NEXUS
Posts: 4,368
Anyone know the status of this? Every flight, I ask the SD.
From least informed to most informed, the responses have been:
1. AC doesn't have wifi (fairly common answer)
2. Only two aircraft have wifi (most common answer)
3. You're cute, and only two aircraft have wifi, but I know they're outfitting the whole narrow-body fleet
And no, I'm not kidding about #3
From least informed to most informed, the responses have been:
1. AC doesn't have wifi (fairly common answer)
2. Only two aircraft have wifi (most common answer)
3. You're cute, and only two aircraft have wifi, but I know they're outfitting the whole narrow-body fleet
And no, I'm not kidding about #3
May 26, 2014, 10:39 am
#87
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,354
Here's something related to expanding on-board connectivity. Not quite permission to make cell calls, but we'll get there step by step, I suppose.
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1361...ases-of-flight
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1361...ases-of-flight
And I don't want to hit 2MM
May 26, 2014, 3:11 pm
#88
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: YVR
Programs: AC*SE MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 4,604
Given how polite I've seen pax be both at airports and on aircraft, I'd be firmly opposed to allowing any kind of calls on flights (either VoIP or cell).
May 26, 2014, 3:24 pm
#89
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: YVR
Programs: AC*SE MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 4,604
Aug 21, 2014, 4:01 pm
#90
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Delta DM, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, National EE, AS MVP Gold 75K, AC 75K
Posts: 1,000
Are there free wifi on AC flights?
I saw this on twitter. Not sure if it's a limited promo or if it's even real.
pic.twitter.com/BZqETQx75S
pic.twitter.com/BZqETQx75S