Delta Promises In-Flight Wi-Fi in 2009

Delta has announced plans for fleet-wide in-flight Wi-Fi...and it'll start rolling out this fall, with all planes set up in the first half of 2009.

Delta Airlines has become the first major U.S. air carrier to announce plans for fleet-wide in-flight Wi-Fi service, promising to roll out broadband Wi-Fi on its entire 330-plane domestic fleet by the second half of 2009. Delta will be installing Aircell’s Gogo system on its planes, enabling customers with notebook computers, PDAs, smartphones, and other Wi-Fi savvy devices to access the Internet…and, of course, services like corporate VPNs, business and personal email, and (we imagine) the odd Web site.

“Delta remains committed to providing a travel experience that maximizes the time our customers spend with us onboard by offering them even more productivity options,” said Delta CEO Richard Anderson, in a statement. “Our customers asked for in-flight connectivity, and we’re responding by rolling out the most extensive Wi-Fi network in the sky.”

Wi-Fi service will first hit Delta fleet of MD99/90 aircraft, and expand out to Boeing 737, 757, and 767-300 plans through the first half of 2009. Aircell has been doing airborne communications for some 17 years, and Delta praised the company’s system for being small and lightweight, making installation on aircraft a practical possibility.

But the Wi-Fi service won’t come with the ticket: customers can pay a flat fee of $9.95 for Wi-Fi service on flights with durations of three hours or less, or $12.95 for service on flights longer than three hours. Remember to bring extra batteries.