Update at 7:35 p.m. PST: Photos from the flight and a few extra observations have been added.
Virgin America kicks off in-flight Wi-Fi on Saturday.
Click on image for more photos.
So when sassy airline Virgin America offered CNET the chance to test its new Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi service, I jumped at the chance. And yes, I'm writing this 25,000 feet or so (we're still climbing) above the Northern California coast. We're cruising on an hour-long demonstration flight out of the San Francisco International Airport. Check out the slideshow for more shots.
After passing 10,000 feet, I was able to find the sky-high Wi-Fi signal and create an account within minutes. The service works faster than I expected--not as quick as my cable Internet service at home but zippy nonetheless. Yahoo and CNET loaded relatively quickly, and CNET's Kara Tsuboi was able to stream videos. I went straight to blogging, so I didn't take much of an online tour, but it looks promising.
So far the service is available on one of Virgin America's uber-hip Airbus A320 aircraft. That plane (registration N638VA, "My other ride is a spaceship") will begin flying scheduled service on Thanksgiving Day. The service will be rolled out to the airline's entire A320 fleet by the second quarter of 2009.
Of course, the Wi-Fi service will cost you. You'll pay $9.95 for flights of three hours or less and $12.95 for flights more than three hours. I think that's a pretty fair price (particularly if you're on a company expense account) for the privilege of browsing, chatting, and e-mailing while aloft. And don't worry about your laptop battery dying. Virgin America has USB and electrical power connections in every row, both in first class and economy.
The service is available through Aircell, which powers the in-flight Wi-Fi technology. Radio towers through the continental United States transmit EV-DO Rev A signals to the planes. Three antennas on the outside of the aircraft pick up the signal, which is then transmitted throughout the cabin. Aircell is also working with Delta and American to provide Wi-Fi service.
Thankfully, cell phone service in the air is still an no-no due to FAA regulations. VoIP services also will be banned, but you will be able to text if you have a Wi-Fi-enabled cell phone. What's more, Virgin America says it will not filter Web sites.
In this photo--transmitted Saturday from a Virgin America Airbus A320 about 35,000 feet above San Francisco, passengers hold up their wireless devices at the launch of in-flight Wi-Fi.
(Credit: Virgin America)
Now departing.
(Credit: Virgin America)After months of clearing Department of Transportation hurdles over the foreign ownership of U.S. airlines, Virgin America launched its inaugural flights today from New York's JFK airport and Los Angeles to San Francisco. The flights mark the entry of yet another airline into the already crowded U.S. market, but Virgin America hopes to steal some of Jet Blue's thunder by offering low fares, high-tech airplanes, and a hip image.
The Airbus A319 and A320 fleet features mood lighting that will change from day to night, and leather seats with adjustable headrests. What's more, Virgin America's planes are a techie's and gadget lover's dream, with such frills as full USB and electrical power connections at every seat, both in first class and economy. Using the ports, you'll be able to charge portable gaming devices, MP3 players, laptops, cameras, and cell phones. You won't be able to make calls of course, even with Virgin Mobile handsets, but your phone will be fully powered up for your yammering needs once you arrive. And later on, the airline will activate ethernet ports at every seat, so you can surf the Web from 35,000 feet.
The seat-back video screens will offer a wealth of programming beyond the normal in-flight safety video. Not only will you find satellite TV from the Dish network, but also you'll get live TV, streaming satellite radio, audio books, an MP3 library with 3,000 tracks, and 25 pay-per-view movies. You'll be able to manipulate the screen through a remote control set into your seat's armrest. I used such a remote recently on a Cathay Pacific flight and loved having so many buttons right at my fingertips.
Mood lighting in the cabin.
(Credit: Virgin America)While those goodies alone are enough to make Virgin stand out from the airline pack, the strangest entertainment offering is the ability to chat with your fellow passengers via the seat-back screens. After registering a name for your particular seat, you'll be able to view the names of fellow flyers and then send a text message or invite several people to a chat room. And for your messaging needs, the aforementioned remote control includes a full QWERTY keyboard.
So why would you want to do this, you ask? Well, as Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson said this morning on the Today show, you'll be able to introduce yourself to a "pretty lady" sitting nearby. As some might find the whole idea of in-flight texting a bit stalkerish (you don't have to answer the messages), they'll be pleased to know that Virgin America prohibits communication that is "indecent, obscene, pornographic, libelous, defamatory, harassing, threatening, abusive, hateful, or violent."
You'll also be able to use the screens to order food or drinks from the minibar. As is the case with most domestic flying these days, the food and drink will cost extra--but with fares between San Francisco and JFK at just $278, I'm more than willing to fork over cash for my peanuts.
Yet no matter how many frills you pack into a plane, you can't escape the almost inevitable delay. The flight from JFK was delayed by almost an hour due to a storm.
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