American To Enable Domestic Inflight Internet Use

American Airlines today said it is rolling out inflight wireless Internet access to 300 domestic aircraft during the next two years, expanding on a 15-plane rollout that began last summer.

The carrier in August 2008 became the first domestic airline to launch full wireless inflight Internet access, rolling out the service across its Boeing 767-200 fleet, which serves mostly transcontinental routes. American said it would install the system in conjunction with inflight connectivity provider Aircell on 150 MD-80 aircraft this year, and add it to its Boeing 737 fleet next year.

Other airlines, including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Virgin America, also have advanced inflight Internet offerings with Aircell. Delta continues its domestic fleetwide rollout, which eventually will include recently acquired Northwest aircraft. Last week, the carrier said it had rolled out the service to 77 planes, representing about 25 percent of its domestic fleet, the carrier said.

United in January also announced plans to outfit 13 transcontinental Boeing 757 aircraft with inflight wireless Internet capabilities in the second half of this year. Air Canada also is rolling out the service, though that effort is limited to transborder flights, since Aircell's air-to-ground network extends only to U.S. airspace.

Aircell charges between $7.95 and $12.95 per leg to use the service, depending on the length of haul. Aircell this month added a pricing option for passengers using Wi-Fi-enabled handheld devices at $7.95, regardless of length of haul.

Southwest Airlines last month also launched a limited three-airplane pilot of inflight Internet service with Aircell competitor Row 44, while Alaska Airlines also has announced plans to roll out Row 44's satellite-based Internet offering.