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FACT SHEET: Alaska Airlines Inflight Wi-Fi
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2/26/2009 5:04 am (PT)
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Service Overview
Alaska Airlines Inflight Wi-Fi Internet service can be used inflight on any Wi-Fi enabled device such as laptops, smartphones and MP3 players. The service is currently in the trial phase and will be free for passengers at the start of the service trial. Similar in operation to a high-speed office or home network, Alaska Airlines' service enables passengers to perform a range of activities, including browsing the Web, accessing online music, games, podcasts and webcasts, and sending
e-mail.
Benefits Snapshot
•Passengers have the convenience of accessing a high-speed network while inflight.
•The service greatly expands passengers' choices for how to spend their time while en route to their destination.
•This Internet service is available to all passengers. Travelers can use the service as a productivity tool or to enhance their inflight experience through access to online content and entertainment.
•After a successful trial period, the airline will determine the schedule for rolling out the commercial availability of its wireless Internet service to its entire fleet of aircraft.
Service Features
•Unlike other airline service offerings, Alaska Airlines' satellite-based service operates over both land and water, including in Alaska.
•Passengers have access to a robust network that supports a range of multimedia, such as online music and videos.
•Flexible Internet technology will allow Alaska the opportunity to add services in the future and transmit different types of data.
•Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and cell phone service will not be accessible with the inflight Wi-Fi service.
oTripAdvisor's annual Travel Trends survey of 3,117 U.S. travelers found that passengers overwhelmingly oppose the use of cell phones while in flight.
Service Specifications
•Alaska Airlines is partnering with Row 44, a provider of airborne broadband systems for commercial airlines, to develop and deploy this unique service.
•Row 44's technology offers terrestrial-strength bandwidth that is more than twice as fast as other inflight Internet solutions and supports an unlimited number of simultaneous users.
•The aircraft equipment has been tested extensively and has received complete airworthiness certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. The service is being offered on a trial basis and has not yet received final Federal Communications Commission approval.
Pricing
•The service will be free at the start of the service trial, which will run for about 60 days.
•Alaska Airlines is currently collecting feedback from customers about pricing.
•The pricing structure will be flexible and put the choice of how to pay for the service in the hands of the customer.
•Row 44's technology gives Alaska the ability to control pricing and the customer experience.
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