A Bridge Too Far?

Sure, this guy looks like he's having a great time on his computer. But he's also sitting in business class. Little does he know that business class just got busier...and so did First...and Coach.

American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have completed trial services on some of their jets which allow passengers to connect to the internet. That's right, you can now surf from 10,000 feet and above. American will expand the service to at least half of their jets (300) while Delta will expand to 500 jets over the next 1.5 years. Both airlines will use the Gogo service provided by Aircell. I've read elsewhere that Southwest and US Airways have also been trialing an in-flight wireless connection service, and have either announced their decisions to expand the service or will shortly.

What this entails are about three overlapping Wi-Fi hotspots in the plane, allowing anyone with a wireless modem, including mobile devices, to connect to the internet (for a fee, of course). This is just one more option airlines are offering with their in-flight entertainment packages, and one more way for them to make money. One pleasant surprise is American's choice to block Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP). In other words, annoying phone calls by neighbors are still not allowed.

However, with this connectivity comes responsibility, or a choice of it. If you're traveling on business, without the in-flight connectivity you were scot-free from annoying e-mails, doing online work, or feeling guilty for not keeping up with collecting work. Now, your company may provide the option or even force the payment for the connectivity, making you be more productive in-flight. No longer can you say to yourself, well, I got my homework done; now I can relax and watch a movie or listen to music. Instead, you might have to report in to the boss and say, "Thank you, sir. May I have another?"

What's one internet marketing application for this new option? How about a cashless cabin? Paying for that snack or duty-free item might be available through the airline's website (or even the flight's website!). Simply type in your credit card info, and that diamond bracelet is yours! New ways of marketing in-flight items for purchase, like through Flash advertising or available coupons, through websites might be a better option than that magazine sitting in the seat pocket in front of you.

Not having a cellphone might just continue working in my favor...