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Is In-Flight Wi-Fi a Fancy?
Power Trip · March 14, 2004

Whether you travel frequently or not, the Holy Grail of Internet connectivity is without a doubt wireless access on a commercial aircraft.

Connecting to a high-speed data network from anywhere onboard — even from inside those closet-sized restrooms — is thought to be so "gee-whiz" cool that it's probably just a matter of time before every plane is wireless-ready.

But talk to road warriors like Timothy O'Neil-Dunne, a technology consultant from Tampa, Fla., and it quickly becomes apparent that for now, at least, in-flight wireless access is more of an unholy quest. "I have connected wirelessly," he says. "It is universally a horrible experience and hardly worth the effort. Certainly, it is not a surfing environment."

'Slow and temperamental'

He remembers one airline — "I won't embarrass it by naming names" — which claimed to offer special in-flight Internet access. "It was like connecting on a slow and temperamental 28K Baud system," he says. (At the start of 2004, only two carriers — Lufthansa and Condor — offered wireless connectivity in-flight, according to in-flight entertainment analyst Terry Wiseman.)

But that doesn't seem to be deterring passengers from asking for high-flying Wi-Fi anyway. A recent study by the German Aerospace Center found that 78% of airline passengers want to be able to check e-mail inflight, wirelessly. Most major airlines plan to deploy wireless systems for Internet access and to allow cell phones to work in-flight in the near future, the study found.

When more airlines do began offering wireless in-flight service, here are some of the issues to consider before firing up your laptop.

What, exactly, are they offering? The German poll found passengers were disappointed by the content they accessed on the onboard network, describing it as "canned information or entertainment." They demanded fast, direct, unfiltered Internet communication, rather than access to some "halfway" intranet that contained a few stored Web pages. But that's a tall order, because most Internet wireless systems work through a geostationary satellite. There are inevitable delays in data transmission that force an internal system, like a wireless intranet, to cache information on its network. That latency on a high-speed hookup is what makes it feel like a dial-up connection.

Tip: Before you pay to connect, take the time to find out if the Internet you're connected to is the real thing — or a bad knockoff.

Is it worth the cost? Not always. The German research found that pricing of wireless data service varied. The most forward-looking airlines charge nothing. Others bill by flight, and the average rate paid is about $14, which is slightly more expensive than wireless access at a hotel. Yet others billed by the hour (the average cost is about $9) and the majority of the carriers, sadly, charged by the minute. The connectivity didn't come cheap: The average rate was about $1 per minute. "The target everyone is shooting for is $20 to $30 per flight segment," Wiseman says. "But in the early stages of adoption, they're usually free."

Is the price you're being charged is worth it, in terms of lost productivity? The answer will be different based on how much you have to pay.

Will my card work? The 802.11b protocol, a main Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) standard, may be the dominant protocol on the ground. But not in the air. Wiseman, who edits a Web site called Airfax.com, says 802.11b has problems on planes. "In tests, they turned the microwave oven on in the galley, and the system just stopped working," he says. If your laptop comes with a wireless modem, make sure it works with the right protocol. Your operating system should detect a wireless network and allows you to make a connection, even if it's a temperamental one. But don't count on it.

Standards are still being set for wireless connection on commercial aircraft. Stay up to date on what kind of card you'll need by checking with your carrier before departure.

Do I have enough juice to surf? What good is all the bandwidth and the convenience of wireless connectivity if your laptop runs out of juice? I've seen all kinds of studies about the average lifespan of a laptop battery, and I've read more than enough manufacturer claims (tall tales, most of them). But as far as I'm concerned, the real test of laptop power comes when your two-year-old is screaming to watch "Finding Nemo" for the 741st time while you're on a transatlantic flight, but the battery just won't make it past the jellyfish scene. Yes, it's the voice of experience talking. If you don't carry a spare and the airline doesn't provide electrical outlets, then there's really no point in talking about in-flight Wi-Fi. The discussion would be purely theoretical.

Is there a power outlet in you seat, or do you have to rely on battery power to make a wireless connection? What's the point of paying $30 to connect for a flight if your laptop will run out of power before you land?

Is this a good place to connect or not? No, we're not likely to take our PC into the bathroom with us — although we might want to pass the PC across the aisle to a colleague while working on an important presentation. I've never felt completely comfortable working on my laptop while flying. I'm afraid someone will read my screen over my shoulder, or that someone will spill hot coffee on my keyboard. Which is all a roundabout way of asking: Even though we can connect wirelessly, does that mean we should? The survey on wireless Internet on planes suggested that on long-haul transatlantic or transpacific flights, the answer is yes. But on shorter journeys, passengers often preferred to keep their notebook computers in the overhead bin and do something else.

Sometimes, you can wait until you land to check e-mail. Really. It'll save you money and it might prevent your laptop from getting damaged by a runaway meal cart or an inconsiderate passenger.

If your plane doesn't offer a wireless Internet connection (and as of this writing, most don't), then don't worry. You can always do what Jason Johnson and many other passengers do when they board a plane. You can use your wireless modem in-flight and connect to a cellular tower on the ground. "At about 30,000 feet, the connection does get a little sketchy, though," says the Middletown, Calif., attorney.

Christopher Elliott is a travel commentator based in Key Largo, Fla. All e-mailed questions may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion.

Get a look behind the scenes at Power Trip. Check out Elliott's Travel Notes blog.