Southwest Airlines will be the first US carrier to test satellite-delivered broadband Internet access on multiple aircraft. The trial will begin with a Boeing 737-700 followed by three Boeing 737s in the first quarter. The service is provided by Row 44. Southwest Customers with a Wi-Fi enabled device will have full access to the Internet including e-mail, music, shopping, and virtual private netwo...

Southwest Airlines said it will commence a wireless Internet trial using Row 44 Ku band service by the end of the year. The trial will begin on one Boeing 737-700 followed by three other Boeing 737s in the first quarter. There is a split between airlines using Row 44's service and Aircell's Gogo service. Alaska Airlines has chosen to use satellite service from Row 44, which offers a...

Alaska Airlines says it plans to join other airlines in offering broadband Internet access on its aircraft, but instead of opting for Aircell's Gogo service, it has chosen to use satellite service from Row 44, which offers an in-flight broadband service based on Hughes' satellite network system. "The reason we went with that direction is (Aircell) doesn't work for us going to Mexico...

Wi-Fi may be a bust in cities, but it's taking off in airlines. Southwest Airlines said it will be the first U.S. carrier to test satellite-delivered broadband Internet access on multiple planes. The airline is partnering with Southern California-based Row 44 and hopes to begin testing Internet capabilities on four planes this summer. The Dallas-based low-cost carrier

Several US carriers have committed to fleet trials of in-flight video, texting or WiFi in their domestic operations. They include Alaska Airlines (Row 44, single-aircraft trial), American Airlines (AirCell, 15-aircraft trial), Continental (LiveTV, 737 and 757 fleet fits), JetBlue (LiveTV, single-aircraft trial), Southwest (Row 44, four-aircraft trial) and Virgin America (AirCell). The website for

Southwest Airlines is installing WiFi on at least four of its planes by this summer using Row 44, a satellite-based service, which is also being tested by Alaska Air. If Alaska's test is successfull, it intends to equip its 114-aircraft fleet by the end of 2009. Meanwhile Aircell, a terrestrial-based system which uses 92