

Google gifts: free airline wifi for the holidays - cshenoy
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/11/08/google-gifts-free-airline-wifi-for-the-holidays/

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fname
Shameless plug: AirTran and Virgin have wifi available on every flight, but
Delta does not. So, find out which flights to book on Delta @
<http://www.haswifi.com>

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araneae
Kayak also has information on this if you're looking up a flight from there.
You can also use "has wi-fi" as filter.

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dotBen
The economics of in-flight wifi assume that no more than a handfull of
passengers are using the system, otherwise connectivity just gets jammed. By
charging, you create the scarcity that makes such a system viable.

By offering it free, you potentially make it available to no-one as suddenly
everyone who has a laptop (prob most people flying in/out of SFO for example)
is going to want to get on.

If I was taking a cross-country flight this holiday, I'd rather the system
stayed for $$ so that I knew that I had a chance to get access to a usable
system rather than turn up for my flight expecting connectivity and end up
bored and disappointed because I can't get any bandwidth.

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BCM43
This is not good timing for them.

[http://gizmodo.com/5679794/all-these-terrorist-scares-are-
pu...](http://gizmodo.com/5679794/all-these-terrorist-scares-are-putting-
in+flight-wi+fi-at-risk)

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jrockway
_"Or if a passenger could use a cellphone to transmit to the hold of the
aeroplane he is in, he could become a very effective suicide bomber."_

Don't tell them what Bluetooth is...

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jeebusroxors
What about FRS/GMRS or even 2m HTs (ham radio)? Last time I checked they
weren't banned.

Oh, but you do need permission from the pilot to use them...

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dshankar
I wonder if Gogo inflight can also fall victim to Firesheep? If I recall, it
uses no security other than a authentication webpage.

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bhousel
Why do they even need an authentication webpage for free wifi? Other than
maybe to accept terms of service..

But my point is, what's on there worth protecting?

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jonknee
It's not normally free so an authentication page is usually required, but for
this I'd imagine that Google would like to get their name in there for people
who take advantage.

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henryl
More information here: <http://www.freeholidaywifi.com>

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mrtron
They offered free airport wifi last holidays - i specifically took notice if
their branding because it was such a handy offer.

