Airlines Push Wireless Internet Access

W A S H I N G T O N, Oct. 8, 2001 -- Hoping to soothe delayed passengers, severalairlines want to install wireless Internet access in airportterminals that will allow travelers to work, surf the Web or evenwatch digital movies to pass the time.

Delta Air Lines is already offering the service at its terminalin Vancouver, British Columbia, and plans to have it available bythe end of next year in its main hub cities—Atlanta, Cincinnatiand Dallas-Fort Worth.

United Airlines, which had the worst on-time performance inAugust among the major carriers, announced plans to start its ownInternet service next year at 30 airports.

Passengers will need only a computer with the right wirelessmodem—the latest laptops are equipped—and a few dollars to payfor access.

Frequent fliers will be able purchase an unlimited accessaccount for $40 to $60 a month.

Panacea For Delayed Travelers

David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, atravel advocacy group, sees the move as a panacea for growingbottlenecks at America’s airports.

“As passengers experience more delays and cancellations, theyfind themselves in the waiting areas longer than they’re used to,”Stempler said. “Clearly, to make that time more productive, it’s atremendous benefit for passengers.”

Some travelers agree.

“Wireless access would be dynamite. The more I can stay incontact with my factory and my sales people, the better it’s goingto be,” Derrick Gurski, a national sales manager at a Chicagolighting company, said as he waited for a flight at Washington’sReagan National Airport.

Delta and United are partners with Aerzone, a San Franciscocompany backed by major electronic industry players like Nokia andCisco, to provide wireless local area networks, or LANs, at airportlounges, gates and terminals.

With a properly equipped computer, travelers will be able toconnect to their office computers through the Internet, check andsend e-mail or shop on the World Wide Web.

For those looking for something a bit lighter, the wirelesspipeline to the Internet is expected to be large enough to allowpassengers to download a DVD movie in three minutes or watchfull-screen television.

In-Flight Access Further Off

The plans come at a time when relations between airlines andtravelers are frayed over delays. Only 70 percent of planes aremaking their schedules, the Transportation Department says. UnitedAirlines came in last among the 10 large carriers in August, withjust 42.7 percent on-time arrivals.

American Airlines already offers wireless access in its AdmiralsClub lounges and is choosing a vendor for access at its gates. Itsnext project will be high-speed Internet access in the cabins ofits jets.

“It’s on the front burner, but it’s probably going to be 2001until we even have a beta test,” American Airlines spokesman MarkKensall said. “There’s a lot involved in flight. It’s a lot more complicated than it might seem.”

Dr. Lawrence B. Brilliant, chairman and chief executive ofAerzone, agreed that in-flight access will take extra time asairlines work to ensure such communications do not interfere withthe operation of jets. Some cell phones, handheld games andportable devices can interfere with cockpit communications.

While the new technology promises possibilities for passengers,it will not erase all their problems.

“Who’s worried about e-commerce on an airplane when they don’t even have seats that are comfortable?” asked Jim Janson, atraveler from San Francisco.