You might have read today that our friends in Orlando became the 9th carrier in North America to announce they would offer in-flight Wi-Fi and we’d just like to say, “Welcome to the Wi-Fi Club!”
Since we announced our plans to equip our entire domestic mainline fleet with Wi-Fi last August, we’ve now reached the 50% point, with Wi-Fi installed on nearly 150 pre-merger Delta aircraft. And by the end of the summer, we’ll have more than 300 Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft flying border-to-border and coast-to-coast. But wait, there’s more! By spring of next year we’ll expand that to include approximately 200 pre-merger Northwest aircraft.
Let’s talk more numbers…as of today, May 12, there are 211 Wi-Fi equipped aircraft in the world…and Delta operates 66% of those planes.
So while some carriers continue to test the service on “select” routes and while some have announced that their “entire” fleet of 28 aircraft or 136 aircraft will be equipped soon, Delta offers more planes and more flights with Wi-Fi to more destinations than any other airline. For specific information on flights and planes, see my weekly Wi-Fi updates here.
We all like to trumpet having the biggest, best, or broadest (planes, in-flight entertainment, Wi-Fi network). But none of that means anything unless there’s real value to you, our customers. The rollout of in-flight Wi-Fi presents a clear value – to both business and leisure travelers. The news releases, PR, and marketing blitzes will continue as more airlines add the service. And more and more planes will be converted to Wi-Fi hotspots, enabling you to catch up on e-mail, shop, surf, chat…while zooming along at 500 mph, seven miles up. For more information on pricing and details, visit our in-flight Wi-Fi access page at delta.com
Isn’t technology great!?!
Chris B.
Sr. Product Manager, IFE
May 12th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Hey Chris!
I love seeing that Delta is moving forward with wifi. It seems like such a smart move. I have experienced the wifi and it is amazing and a very exciting technology that I think will allow leisure travelers to keep entertained and more importantly allows business travelers to keep on top of their game.
Although I am going to miss hearing all the BlackBerry’s connect up to the system upon landing
David
TheAirlineBlog.com
May 12th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
I think it’s awesome that Delta is installing WiFi. But you have to admit…there is certainly value to knowing that EVERY plane in a certain airline’s fleet is WiFi equipped. It’s great that Delta will have some of its aircraft WiFi equipped, but if I happen to be on non-equipped aircraft, it doesn’t to me much good. A better press release for Delta would be “By Dec. 31, 2010, ALL Delta aircraft will be WiFi equipped…and we have a LOT more planes than the other guys.” 50% of mainline planes still means that there is a huge chance passengers will be on a non WiFi-equipped aircraft. (And yes, regional jets count!)
May 13th, 2009 at 11:20 am
ChrisNY2…there is a a benefit to having a small mainline fleet flying to a limited number of destinations. It’s a much easier message our friends in San Francisco and Orlando are able to convey regarding Wi-Fi availability.
Because Delta’s fleet is so massive, encompassing a large regional jet fleet and a large international, wide-body fleet, we’ll won’t be able to make a sweeping, general statement that “all aircraft will have Wi-Fi.”
However, we’re working aggressively on several fronts to provide advance info to customers. For instance, customers will be informed via automated gate announcements and a gate information display for all MD88 flights. And we’ll roll out that functionality as each fleet type is completed.
Delta.com will soon add a Wi-Fi Onboard identifier to the shopping path and the flight schedules. We’re also working to provide info on boarding passes printed at home.
As I said, there is a benefit to having a small fleet. But I believe there is a greater benefit to having the most Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft in the world…with more flight and destination options.
May 13th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Still waiting to be on my first Wi-fi flight…hopefully next week!
Are there any plans for installing these on international birds? I realize the system won’t work over water, but, especially ex-ATL flights, many of these flights fly over the US for a couple hours.
May 13th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Has any thought been given to installing wi-fi on some of the regional fleet - especially the E-170/175’s and CRJ-900s that tend to fly some longer routes?
May 13th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Hey Chris!
I know a lot of people have been asking about airline providing outlets for laptops with wifi. Do you know if Delta will be providing outlets on their planes for charging?
Thanks!
David
May 13th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Chris,
I’ve been following the project since the first press release and it is truly amazing how fast the implementation phase is going. Kudos for the IFE Team!
I have two questions: 1) Since the Wi-Fi Onboard identifier will be added to the schedule and boarding passes printed at home, are you guys planning to announce at the gate before boarding that Wi-Fi is not going to be available if there is an equipment change?
2) I’m based in SDQ and SLC. I know that once the 757 and 737 gets the appropriate equipment, I will have Wi-Fi available in my connecting flights to SLC (JFK-SLC and ATL-SLC), but, what about the SDQ? Will GoGo be available at least during the portion of the flight inside the U.S or near the U.S. Coast, or those flights won’t have Wi-Fi at all?
May 14th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
B787DL…automated announcements are keyed off fleet type so there shouldn’t be an issue unless we sub a 75E or an international 767 on a domestic route.
If SDQ is served by an M88, M90, 737, 757 or 767-300 then yes, those a/c and flights will offer Wi-Fi. There are no current plans to install Wi-Fi on regional jets.
Thanks for your interest in this project!
May 15th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
[...] to New Orleans on a Wi-Fi enabled Delta flight. This in itself is not news - as of today 150 of Delta’s 300 domestic planes are equipped with in-flight Wi-Fi. What surprised me is the speed and openness of [...]
May 17th, 2009 at 8:20 am
I had a great WiFi experience last week ATL to BUF when I needed to get a few emails out to customers. It was great to land knowing they were taken care of and I didn’t need to rush to the hotel to work until midnight.
Yesterday was my 6th MD88 flight this month and next week I have 4 more. Most of my trips include a connection so I end up with 2 legs. It would be great to have a day pass or even better a monthly or annual pass. I can justify 1 or 2 WiFi charges on my expense report but 10 or 16 per month is not doable.
I know there are plans for more payment options. With another dozen or so trips in June I hope you can annouce them soon!
Thanks.
May 18th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Hey bwhite!
I know talking to one of the VP’s with AirCell, they are planning to offer different services possibly in the future, like a day pass or even a monthly pass for travelers like you!
May 19th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
>Do you know if Delta will be providing outlets on their planes for charging?
David,
Many widebodied aircraft already do. Check http://www.seatguru.com and search the the Delta fleet. Most of the time, you’ll need to be in the first several rows of coach, and I’m not sure if you have to be Medallion level to get to these seats.
The outlets I’ve seen are between the seats on a surface that “angles away” from the seats. You almost have to get on your knees to see the outlet, but it’s there!
Good luck.
Jeff W.
May 28th, 2009 at 11:13 am
I flew an MD-88 from ATL to MSP a couple of Sundays ago and decided to give the Wi-Fi a try using my Palm Treo. What an awesome experience! I was able to not only surf the web, but I also cranked up my Sling Mobile and watched TV from my home DVR. The band-width was nearly perfect, with only a couple hiccups with streaming video. For typical web-surfing, I suspect the entire experience would be seamless. Great move DL! This type of innovation really sets you apart from the rest.
May 29th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I have used the Wifi 5 times in the last 6 weeks. It is awesome and a huge help for productivity. Is there any consideration/ capability to offer wifi for international routes?