Fast in-flight WiFi. Fair pricing. But not quite free. That’s the proposition now on offer from Alaska Airlines, as it sets a flat-rate, $8 per flight price point for internet service across its fleet.
Our flat rate satellite Wi-Fi and expanded entertainment selections are additions our guests will love. Coupled with our high-quality food and beverage offerings, served with our award-winning customer service on board, we’re able to provide what our guests expect from us – only the best.
– Sangita Woerner, SVP marketing and guest experience
Beyond setting a flat price for the service, Alaska Airlines is taking other steps to make the offering more easily accessible to passengers. The carrier promises a new capture portal that loads 50% faster than before and a single “click-to-connect” interface. It also delivers the on-board connection gate-to-gate, even before the boarding door closes, so passengers can transition to in-flight mode immediately after settling into their seat.
With more than 80% of the fleet converted to the high-speed, satellite-based in-flight internet from Intelsat (formerly known as Gogo 2Ku), Alaska Airlines is now able to offer connections that support streaming video services on board.
Alaska Airlines joins Southwest Airlines ($8/day), JetBlue (free), United Airlines ($8/flight) and Delta Air Lines’ Viasat-equipped fleet ($5/flight) in the ranks of fixed-price connectivity options for travelers.
For passengers who don’t want to pay, the carrier also continues to expand the complimentary offerings in its digital entertainment library. Alaska Airlines now offers a total of 700 movies and TV shows, available to stream to a passenger device, and intends to continue the content growth. Texting remains a complimentary connectivity option as well.
The easier transition to the on-board network is a key factor in helping better deliver the service to passengers. Improving the portal performance is one part of that process, but the ultimate goal for the industry is a seamless shift, remaining online from ground to air and back again. Intelsat continues to work on technical options to have at least phones make the move without interrupting the passenger.
Dave Bijur, SVP for Commercial Aviation at Intelsat sees tighter digital integration between the connectivity systems and the airlines’ digital tools easing that transition. “We have to work more closely with the airlines to turn their app into a connection manager. If the app can detect the airline’s in-flight wireless network and take actions based on that, it helps deliver on the goal for airlines remaining in constant contact with their customers throughout the travel process.”
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