US Airways Takes to the Sky with Gogo Inflight Internet
Today, US Airways (NYSE: LCC) launched a new wireless Internet product, Gogo® Inflight Internet, on five of its Airbus A321 aircraft. Gogo, which is provided by Aircell, allows passengers to use their laptops or Wi-Fi enabled mobile devices to surf the Web, email friends and family, log into corporate Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and access online entertainment options.
“Gogo fits in perfectly with our business model by offering more choices in flight”
By June 1, all 51 A321s in US Airways’ fleet will be Gogo-equipped. As Wi-Fi is installed on each aircraft between now and June, a Wi-Fi symbol on the outside of the plane at the boarding door will alert passengers that Gogo is available on their flight. The symbol will also appear throughout the cabin next to the seat and row number, and seatback cards will provide instructions on how to access the service. Beginning in late June, US Airways’ passengers will be able to determine if Wi-Fi is available on their flight when they book travel on usairways.com.
Here’s how it works: At 10,000 feet, US Airways’ flight attendants will make an announcement that passengers can enable their Wi-Fi devices. Passengers can connect to the service by turning on their laptop or mobile device, looking for and connecting to the ‘gogoginflight’ Wi-Fi signal, launching their Web browser, creating a profile and paying for their session with a major credit card.
“Gogo fits in perfectly with our business model by offering more choices in flight,” said Andrew Nocella, senior vice president, marketing and planning for US Airways. “Our customers are able to be more productive with their time and have new ways to stay entertained in the air.”
“We are pleased to announce US Airways' deployment of Gogo, and we look forward to providing US Airways with inflight Internet access to enhance their customers' travel experience," said Michael Small, Aircell’s president and chief executive officer. "The ability to remain connected to the ground at 30,000 feet provides a significant improvement to the airline travel experience. As travelers throughout the country come to expect inflight Internet service, we are thrilled to be able to deliver this experience to US Airways and their passengers."
To introduce Gogo, US Airways is allowing customers the chance to try it for free. From March 29 through June 1, first-time Gogo users will get one free session when they create their profile. US Airways will celebrate the completion of its fleet installation by offering free Gogo access to everyone who flies on a Wi-Fi equipped US Airways flight from June 1 through June 8.
