In-Flight WiFi Internet Service Aboard Delta Air Lines Aircraft
Jan 21, 2009, 4:28 pm
#31
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BOS
Programs: DL PM, Hilton Plat, Amtrak Select
Posts: 321
I don't know if this has been posted in any other thread, but it hasn't been posted here.
Last week there was a post on blog.delta.com regarding the status of installing WiFi on planes. The link is here:
http://blog.delta.com/2009/01/15/mod...wi-fi-updates/
According to the entry, they only had 11 planes equipped with WiFi as of last week. However, starting from Janurary 15th until the 3rd quarter 09, TechOps will be equipping planes with WiFi at a rate of around 10 planes a week.
Last week there was a post on blog.delta.com regarding the status of installing WiFi on planes. The link is here:
http://blog.delta.com/2009/01/15/mod...wi-fi-updates/
According to the entry, they only had 11 planes equipped with WiFi as of last week. However, starting from Janurary 15th until the 3rd quarter 09, TechOps will be equipping planes with WiFi at a rate of around 10 planes a week.
Jan 21, 2009, 9:48 pm
#33
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: Skymiles (Platinum)
Posts: 58
Both of my flights had it first week of January, FLL-ATL and ATL-SFO. I checked out the free sites but I didn't really feel like coughing up $12.95 / flight. Yes, that's what the brochure said -- per flight not per day. I hope that's not correct.
There's a note on the delta blog from someone who claimed to have watched Hulu on their flight. I would be surprised if it worked for streaming video. The free sites I tried had a lot of latency and traffic was "bursty". I don't think you would get stable bandwidth once people start using it.
Someone earlier had a comment about internet sharing with a Mac. Yes, its easy to set up but you need two separate interfaces for it. One on which you get the internet (the default airport) and the other on which you share it. So you would need a second wifi adapter or would need to connect via Ethernet / Firewire to the second computer. Battery life will go for a toss.
If you have power outlets on the plane, an Airport Express would make an ideal portable router to share the connection. Linksys makes a portable router too. However, I suspect it won't be looked at too kindly :-)
There's a note on the delta blog from someone who claimed to have watched Hulu on their flight. I would be surprised if it worked for streaming video. The free sites I tried had a lot of latency and traffic was "bursty". I don't think you would get stable bandwidth once people start using it.
Someone earlier had a comment about internet sharing with a Mac. Yes, its easy to set up but you need two separate interfaces for it. One on which you get the internet (the default airport) and the other on which you share it. So you would need a second wifi adapter or would need to connect via Ethernet / Firewire to the second computer. Battery life will go for a toss.
If you have power outlets on the plane, an Airport Express would make an ideal portable router to share the connection. Linksys makes a portable router too. However, I suspect it won't be looked at too kindly :-)
Last edited by wanderenvy; Jan 21, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Jan 26, 2009, 11:05 pm
#34
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: FLL. AA PLT 2.7MM, UA Gold MM, Delta Gold Medallion & Lifetime SC, Hilton GVIP, SGP, Hertz 5 Star
Posts: 961
Either none of my DL flights has been fitted with working wi-fi yet (and I've been averaging 4-6 segments a week in 2009) or I just haven't been paying attention. I haven't seen a Gogo logo at any gate or on any plane yet.
And on the other subject, I agree with some previous posters... my Apple Powerbook has 2 relatively new (~ 18 mos) batteries and they run down at the rate of precisely 1% per minute - and always have - essentially regardless of energy settings in Prefs or what I'm doing (DVD mode or Excel). You can set your watch by it.
I'm one of those flyers who would absolutely make a flight selection based on the availability of in-seat power. (Which did me no good last week SFO-ATL, as my seat was the only one in BE that had a non-working outlet and cabin was full).
And on the other subject, I agree with some previous posters... my Apple Powerbook has 2 relatively new (~ 18 mos) batteries and they run down at the rate of precisely 1% per minute - and always have - essentially regardless of energy settings in Prefs or what I'm doing (DVD mode or Excel). You can set your watch by it.
I'm one of those flyers who would absolutely make a flight selection based on the availability of in-seat power. (Which did me no good last week SFO-ATL, as my seat was the only one in BE that had a non-working outlet and cabin was full).
Jan 27, 2009, 12:05 am
#35
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: BZN
Programs: AA:LT Platinum DL:LT Gold UA:1P MAR:LT Titanium
Posts: 8,291
That's kinda like saying that most cars won't do 0-60 mph in under 6 seconds so it makes no sense to sell products designed for fast cars. Many laptops can last over three hours, but it usually requires a laptop geared towards that aim. With a decently new battery and proper configuration (don't use full brightness, plug in accessories, run unneeded services, etc.), you have many options. You could also bring a spare battery if you are so inclined. I get about 5 hours on my system when I bring my spare, and I'm using a big powerhouse that isn't meant for long life.
Jan 30, 2009, 10:52 pm
#36
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Mile-High Club, Marriott Plt, SPG P-75, PC Plt, Hyatt Dia, Carlson Gold, BW Dia
Posts: 1,845
Some people are just luckier, I guess. My company issued me this HP 510 machine, brand-new, and the battery only lasted 45 mins when NEW. I have no intention to buy a spare battery out of pocket, nor to buy my own laptop.
Jan 30, 2009, 11:29 pm
#37
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,572
There's 13 ship in the system (as of the last update from TechOps) that have GoGo on them.
MadDogs: 908, 947, 9008, 9009, 9010, 9011, 9012, 9013, 9014, 9015, 9017
752: 640, 692
You *should* be able to tell if your aircraft has WiFi by the presence of a card in the seatback pocket... but I've come across a few ships that had the cards and didn't have WiFi so YMMVG...
MadDogs: 908, 947, 9008, 9009, 9010, 9011, 9012, 9013, 9014, 9015, 9017
752: 640, 692
You *should* be able to tell if your aircraft has WiFi by the presence of a card in the seatback pocket... but I've come across a few ships that had the cards and didn't have WiFi so YMMVG...
Feb 1, 2009, 2:51 pm
#38
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: KATL
Programs: DL DM/2MM
Posts: 2,034
I'm on DL1908 DEN-ATL on a 752, and we have wifi right now. So, I guess I got lucky in getting one of the two 752s.
Normal wifi bandwith, so really good performance and no connectivity issues that I've experienced. A positive experience thus far.
Normal wifi bandwith, so really good performance and no connectivity issues that I've experienced. A positive experience thus far.
Feb 1, 2009, 8:20 pm
#39
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta DM, AA EXP, SPG Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 567
That's kinda like saying that most cars won't do 0-60 mph in under 6 seconds so it makes no sense to sell products designed for fast cars. Many laptops can last over three hours, but it usually requires a laptop geared towards that aim. With a decently new battery and proper configuration (don't use full brightness, plug in accessories, run unneeded services, etc.), you have many options. You could also bring a spare battery if you are so inclined. I get about 5 hours on my system when I bring my spare, and I'm using a big powerhouse that isn't meant for long life.
My new $480 Samsung NC10 netbook gets about 6-7 hours of wifi surfing, weighs under 3 lbs. Perfect for this sort of thing...
Feb 8, 2009, 8:57 pm
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: Formaldehyde Medallion DL DieMiles
Posts: 12,646
Herald Tribune article
"Not everyone cheers as Wi-Fi takes to the skies"
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/02/...ss/07plane.php
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/02/...ss/07plane.php
Feb 9, 2009, 8:23 am
#41
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Silver, AA, WN, DL
Posts: 4,091
You don't need to buy anything; contact HP to get a replacement (or have your IT dept do it). This type of poor battery performance should be covered under warranty; presuming that the laptop really is new and has a valid warranty (this model was released back in early 2007).
Feb 9, 2009, 10:02 am
#42
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Wherever the airlines take me!
Programs: DL DM, SPG Plat, DL 0.8MM
Posts: 212
Am I the only one who sees the futility of WiFi service without electrical outlets? Sure, one could fiddle around on a handheld device for quite a while on battery power, but for serious work on a laptop, we need electricity. My laptop only lasts 20 mins on batteries (I realize this is low, but not many go more than an hour)
Feb 9, 2009, 7:44 pm
#43
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: ATL
Posts: 407
There's 13 ship in the system (as of the last update from TechOps) that have GoGo on them.
MadDogs: 908, 947, 9008, 9009, 9010, 9011, 9012, 9013, 9014, 9015, 9017
752: 640, 692
You *should* be able to tell if your aircraft has WiFi by the presence of a card in the seatback pocket... but I've come across a few ships that had the cards and didn't have WiFi so YMMVG...
MadDogs: 908, 947, 9008, 9009, 9010, 9011, 9012, 9013, 9014, 9015, 9017
752: 640, 692
You *should* be able to tell if your aircraft has WiFi by the presence of a card in the seatback pocket... but I've come across a few ships that had the cards and didn't have WiFi so YMMVG...
The Latest Wings with Wi-Fi - Delta Air Lines Blog (2/9/09)
Feb 9, 2009, 7:57 pm
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: IND
Programs: DL PM & 2MM™, Lifetime HHonors Diamond
Posts: 20,889
"Not everyone cheers as Wi-Fi takes to the skies"
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/02/...ss/07plane.php
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/02/...ss/07plane.php
Feb 10, 2009, 2:28 am
#45
Join Date: May 2008
Programs: DL AA UA
Posts: 2,359
Ok, I got a little geeky excited when last weekend, the GIDS display said my flight had wi-fi. So, after 10,000, I fire up the phone, and no wi-fi. So, I then power up the laptop to confirm, and still no wi-fi. I guess they must have known I was only going to check my DL account for free. FYI, it was a Mad Dog.
FYI, it was a Mad Dog.