Enjoy free Gogo inflight internet on your next American Airlines flight

by Scott Carmichael on

If you are lucky enough to be flying an American Airlines aircraft outfitted with the Gogo Inflight Internet service, then how about trying it out for free?

The service is live on the entire AA 767-200 fleet, select MD80’s and is slowly being rolled out to their 737 fleet.

To get online for free, simply connect your laptop, PDA, smartphone or other compatible Wi-Fi device to the Gogo signal. Once you have signed up for the service, use promo code AATRYGOGO in the payment field.

Once online, don’t forget to check out the latest news from your favorite travel blog, or to follow what we’ve got to say on Twitter!

For more information on the AA inflight Internet service, or this promotion, head on over to the AA Wi-Fi on board information site.

FBI hunts for close in Miami-Boston bomb threats

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The FBI is looking for common denominators in bomb threats on American Airlines flights between Miami and Boston. Two cases have arisen, prompting the FBI to dig a little deeper. The most recent incident occurred on Wednesday, when a flight attendant found “bomb on board, Boston-Miami” written on a bathroom cabinet. A search of the luggage yielded no bombs or other weapons.

On September 17, a flight attendant found a threatening note in the lavatory – the plane had departed Miami at around 9:30 PM and had to head back only 40 minutes later. Again, a search of the plane turned up nothing.

Too coincidental to be a coincidence, it seems, the FBI is looking for any common threads that may exist.

American finds $2.9 billion: more routes added

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It’s hard to see how the machinations of Wall Street affect the end consumer, sometimes. In the case of American Airlines and its recent pickup of $2.9 billion, you can draw a straight line from the money to the exit row.

The hefty infusion, a risky move because revenues are down and this is not a trivial amount of debt, has already prompted announcements of schedule changes … for the better. American is planning to increase flying in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami, though there will be fewer flights in Raleigh/Durham and St. Louis. Look for 57 new daily flights at O’Hare, six more from JFK, two in Los Angeles and anther 19 in Dallas-Fort Worth.

The news comes at a time when most airlines are cutting back service as a way to control costs due to reductions in passenger traffic.

Since we’ve seen what fewer flights can mean – more crowded flights, less legroom and higher odds of getting stuck in a middle seat – the financial breathing room that American has gained could actually give you more actual breathing room the next time you fly. If American fill these extra seats (at the expense of your throwing up the armrest and claiming two), it will generate more revenue, which could turn into real growth. Maybe some of that cash will be used to bring back some amenities.

Blankets, anyone?

Photo of the Day (5.23.09)

by Brenda Yun on

Just a quick glance at this photo from styggiti, which was taken just two months ago in March 2009, shows that the Big Island’s volcano — the most active in the world today — is alive and well. My last visit to the magical Volcano National Park was during a full moon, and the a’a (fresh, smooth, hard lava rock) glimmered in the moonlight so white that I felt like I was walking on water.

This stunning photo captures the natural wonder of Hawaii’s active volcano. You can touch the warm rock and snap photos of it, but you mustn’t take even a single stone home with you. Pele, Hawaii’s fire goddess, has a reputation of making your life miserable if you do, and there are countless stories of visitors returning stolen lava rocks to Volcano.

If you have some great travel shots you’d like to share, be sure to upload them to the Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just pick one as our Photo of the Day!

Amercian Airlines considering an “à la carte” price plan

by Scott Carmichael on

Blah. That pretty much sums up my reaction to a plan by American Airlines to introduce an à la carte package of services on their flights. Dan Garton, the VP of marketing for AA recently discussed the idea during an interview with MSNBC.

What this means to us travelers is that the base price of the flight involves nothing more than the airline committing to getting you from A to B. Anything else, including checked luggage, food or even assigned seating, will be an extra fee.

This à la carte concept is like your cable company; $20 gets you the most basic package of channels, if you want anything decent, you’ll have to pay up.

The concept of unbundled services is not new, several major carriers already do this, and it has proven to be quite successful for them. United Airlines started removing free services several years ago, and currently makes $700 million a year in fees alone.
What started as the removal of basic things like headphones and warm food, has evolved into a major new source of revenue for airlines. When you book a ticket with United, you are presented with the option to pay for Economy Plus and even the option to pay for double miles. With just a little effort, United can add an additional $200 to your ticket price, especially if you are checking bags.

The big question is where the madness will end. We’ve already lost free blankets and pillows on some carriers, and others have started charging for all beverages.

And while I agree that airlines need to do what they can to stay in business, converting themselves into budget carriers is not always going to be the best way to go. This nickel-and-diming would not be so bad, if the airlines were charging for new amenities, but at the end of the day, it’s just the same stuff they have offered for years.

My advise, is to do what you can to make some kind of frequent flier status on the airline. Most of them have provisions in place that waive many fees for their “elite” members, including those on the lowest tier.

Next time you book a flight, consider trying to stay loyal to one airline, do some homework on the airline bonus programs, and try to generate enough miles to get that silver card.