Alaska Airlines Launches New $8 Flat Rate for Streaming-Fast Satellite Wi-Fi
Apr 23, 2022, 10:51 am
#47
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 597
AS2 SEA-DCA 4/21 737-800
They wanted $39 for gogoinflight. Used voucher received after informing customer care of how bad the wifi was on outgoing flight, so I didn't cost me anything.
So it was a bargain. Maybe. Maddeningly slow. Just awful. Couldn't even access flyertalk or - for most of the time - even the flightmap.
So the warning here from a sample size of two transcons is to check to see if your flight is a 737-800 and has gogo, and if it does, either buy ahead or be prepared to pay $39 for internet that may not be worth a damn.
Can't wait till they outfit all their planes, and I'm still sticking with AS. Their customer service is still the best, and their crews seem to really care.
They wanted $39 for gogoinflight. Used voucher received after informing customer care of how bad the wifi was on outgoing flight, so I didn't cost me anything.
So it was a bargain. Maybe. Maddeningly slow. Just awful. Couldn't even access flyertalk or - for most of the time - even the flightmap.
So the warning here from a sample size of two transcons is to check to see if your flight is a 737-800 and has gogo, and if it does, either buy ahead or be prepared to pay $39 for internet that may not be worth a damn.
Can't wait till they outfit all their planes, and I'm still sticking with AS. Their customer service is still the best, and their crews seem to really care.
May 3, 2022, 1:17 pm
#51
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,297
May 17, 2022, 9:00 pm
#53
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Seattle
Programs: Alaska airlines 100k
Posts: 923
May 18, 2022, 3:23 am
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 12,594
I haven't done the $8 internet, but as long as they haven't changed it you just select "switch devices" or something like that and log in from the new device and it drops your connection from the old device. It helps to have a gogo account already - you don't need a subscription, just a gogo username and password and then it's easy to switch among devices.
May 20, 2022, 9:04 pm
#55
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP Gold
Posts: 138
Rather than switching devices, an alternate option might be to invest in a travel router. They're typically small and compact enough to toss in your pocket and will allow you to share the one connection with any number of your devices.
May 20, 2022, 9:37 pm
#56
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 12,594
It's pretty trivial to switch among devices - I routinely switch among two phones and two laptops. So unless you actually need to use them all at once (and have enough space to keep the primary one on and connected to the router) it's not worth the trouble. And I do have a small travel router that has a big battery in it. I use it all the time for the battery, but only really use the router when I need to set up a local network in a place where there's not even a WAN.
May 20, 2022, 9:40 pm
#57
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
It's pretty trivial to switch among devices - I routinely switch among two phones and two laptops. So unless you actually need to use them all at once (and have enough space to keep the primary one on and connected to the router) it's not worth the trouble. And I do have a small travel router that has a big battery in it. I use it all the time for the battery, but only really use the router when I need to set up a local network in a place where there's not even a WAN.
May 21, 2022, 8:12 am
#58
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: SFO
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100k, UA Silver, AC P25k, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 863
I haven't done the $8 internet, but as long as they haven't changed it you just select "switch devices" or something like that and log in from the new device and it drops your connection from the old device. It helps to have a gogo account already - you don't need a subscription, just a gogo username and password and then it's easy to switch among devices.
May 21, 2022, 8:12 am
#59
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: SFO
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100k, UA Silver, AC P25k, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 863
I haven't done the $8 internet, but as long as they haven't changed it you just select "switch devices" or something like that and log in from the new device and it drops your connection from the old device. It helps to have a gogo account already - you don't need a subscription, just a gogo username and password and then it's easy to switch among devices.
May 21, 2022, 12:54 pm
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 12,594
Wait i have been on a lot of flights now with the 8 dollar wifi....i have never seen a "switch devices" like UA does.....can you give me any details? I dont want a travel router, etc.....i just would like to switch between my laptop and phone to catch up on messaging from Telegram (not supported by wifi yet).