Delta Air Lined will be offering Gogo
Inflight Internet service onboard six of the airline's aircraft, starting tomorrow.
Inflight Internet will be available first on five MD-88 aircraft flying Delta Shuttle
routes between New York's LaGuardia Airport and Boston's Logan and
Washington's Reagan airports plus one Boeing 757 flying throughout
Delta's domestic system, with service spreading to other Delta routes
as additional aircraft are introduced.
To celebrate the launch, Delta passengers traveling on the
Gogo-equipped MD-88 Shuttle aircraft will be treated to a holiday
surprise with complimentary access to Gogo during a Dec. 16 - 31, 2008
promotional period.
"In-flight Internet access is one of the most popular requests we receive from our customers. Delta's launch of Gogo
onboard these first Delta aircraft demonstrates our continued
commitment to providing our customers with the options they want and
value when they travel with us," said Tim Mapes, Delta's senior vice
president of Marketing. "Next year when Gogo is available on our entire
domestic mainline fleet, our customers will have access to the most
extensive Wi-Fi network in the sky, making the time they spend with us
on board even more productive and entertaining."
A "Wi-Fi hot spot" decal
will be prominently displayed adjacent to the boarding door of the
MD-88 aircraft so customers will know Gogo Inflight Internet service is
available on their flight. In addition, a Delta-Gogo instructional card
will be available in each seatback, providing details on how to sign up
for the service. Gogo representatives and Delta employees will be
available at all three Delta Shuttle-served airports throughout the
promotional period to provide information and assistance to customers
traveling during this timeframe.
Delta joined with Aircell, a 17-year leader in airborne
communications for business and commercial aviation, to install the
company's Gogo Inflight Internet service on the carrier's mainline
domestic fleet. Gogo offers customers traveling with Wi-Fi enabled
devices, such as laptops, smartphones and personal digital assistants
(PDAs) access to the Internet, corporate VPNs, corporate and personal
e-mail accounts, as well as SMS texting and instant messaging services
for a flat fee of $9.95 on flights of three hours or less, and $12.95
on flights of more than three hours.
"As Delta begins its fleet-wide deployment of Gogo, it is once again
demonstrating its customer-first commitment," said Jack Blumenstein,
President and CEO, Aircell. "Broadband Internet access has long topped
passengers' lists of desired inflight services and now that Gogo has
launched it looks like 2009 will finally be the year of Inflight
Internet. Customer-centric carriers like Delta are blazing the trail
and delivering the full Internet experience their customers most
desire. We are excited to work with Delta to give passengers the
opportunity to stay connected in flight."
Delta expects 10 aircraft to be in service by the end of this year.
Throughout 2009, Delta will continue to add Inflight Internet across
its domestic fleet, first on MD-88, MD-90, Boeing 757 and Boeing 737
aircraft, expanding to the remaining domestic fleet of Boeing 767-300
aircraft by late 2009. In addition, Delta and Aircell will begin the
certification process for the mainline domestic fleet of the airline's
Northwest subsidiary in early 2009 with Gogo installations scheduled to
begin in late 2009. The full fleet agreement between Aircell and Delta
will ultimately ensure a consistent, convenient onboard experience for
customers traveling throughout the continental United States on Delta-
or Northwest-operated flights who wish to use the Internet service.
In addition to being the most cost-effective inflight broadband
technology available, the Aircell system is extremely light and
requires minimal space on the aircraft, making it a sound investment in
a highly competitive environment.