Alaska Air: (Another) First Airline to Offer In-Flight WiFi

There seems to be a WiFi battle going on between airlines — each is scrambling to be the first to offer in-flight wireless connections. Last month American Airlines said it would be the first. And before that, we got a tip that Southwest Airlines might start offering the service.

To Alaska Air’s credit, they’re only claiming to be the first airline to test the in-flight service. The company will begin trying Row 44’s system, a satellite-based service that is designed to work over water and across international borders. If all goes well, the airline could add wireless to each of its 114 planes. That’s good news for me, since I fly Alaska almost exclusively.

As for the cost of this convenience? The article only states that Alaska is “researching various pricing options.” But if you’re in economy class, I wouldn’t expect economy prices.

[via Reuters]