Delta's test of free in-flight Wi-Fi may shame other airlines into offering service
Delta Air Lines started a two-week pilot test on May 13 that includes free Wi-Fi on around 55 domestic short-, medium- and long-haul flight segments a day. Industry experts expect Delta will continue down the full-time free Wi-Fi path, and that other airlines will have no choice but to follow. Once the technology became generally available and airlines began equipping planes with Wi-Fi service, passengers soon found they couldn't bear to fly without it. Inmarsat's latest Inflight Connectivity Survey found that more than half (55%) of all airline passengers considered inflight Wi-Fi to be a crucial amenity.