...from: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/08/travel/08prac.html?th [NOTE: free registration required for article access]
Logging On at 30,000 Feet By BOB TEDESCHI Published: August 8, 2004
IN late May, Ortwin Freyermuth readied himself for an 11-hour flight from Munich to his Los Angeles home - a journey typically preceded by a flurry of last-minute e-mail messages, in anticipation of a day's worth of traveling incommunicado.
This time, though, Mr. Freyermuth eased onto his Lufthansa flight less harried than on previous trips. When his plane reached cruising altitude, he opened up his iBook, logged onto the Internet and answered messages from 30,000 feet.
"It was amazing," said Mr. Freyermuth, a lawyer. "Now I don't have to stress out before every flight."
The price of a stress-free flight - Lufthansa's Connexion by Boeing service costs $30 for a long-haul flight (six hours or more), or $10 for 30 minutes - is perhaps more than some are willing to pay. But Connexion is at the leading edge of a trend that analysts and executives said will gain momentum this year, and is likely to lead to lower prices, a greater selection of vendors and much more mouse clicking on flights.
Connexion made its debut in May on Lufthansa, which calls its service FlyNet, and is the first full-feature, in-flight Internet service to reach travelers, after years of half-starts.
The airline industry had originally planned to roll out airborne Web surfing in late 2001, but companies shelved those plans after Sept. 11 and the ensuing financial malaise.
The service is only available to those with wireless Internet connections for their laptop or handheld computers. Increasingly wireless connections are built into portable devices, but those with older laptops can buy a wireless PC card for $50 to $100. What you get is a better experience than most Internet users receive at home. Wireless connection speeds are generally up to 20 times faster than those of dial-up service, and if just a few people are logged on in the plane, the speed can rival that of some workplace connections. And unlike many workplace Internet connections, Connexion's service offers unrestricted Web access.
5 Planes and Counting
So far, five Lufthansa airplanes are equipped with the satellite receivers and wireless networks necessary to run the system, and the only routes served as of July were Munich-Los Angeles and Munich-Tokyo. But the company plans to equip all of its long-range aircraft with the technology, and add New York routes by the end of the year.
According to Terrance Scott, a Connexion spokesman, Japan Airlines will be the next to add the service, sometime this summer or early fall, followed by Scandinavian Airlines and All Nippon Airways. Singapore Airlines, China Airlines and Korean Air will follow early next year. Mr. Scott said Connexion is in "active discussions" with several United States carriers, but none has signed on yet.
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