Recently in Inflight Services Category

American Airlines and Lexus are kicking off the season of giving early with a free Wi-Fi inflight promotion for customers traveling on American Airlines.

Beginning Nov. 1 and running through Nov. 7, American customers traveling on Wi-Fi equipped aircraft can enjoy free Wi-Fi service, compliments of Lexus allowing travelers to stay connected while thousands of feet in the sky. The Gogo Inflight Internet service lets customers connect to work or home by offering access to e-mail, social media sites, e-shopping or the latest news and sports headlines from their laptops, smartphones and handheld PDAs.

"American and Lexus want to give customers a little something special this fall by offering free Wi-Fi," said John Tiliacos, American's Managing Director - Onboard Products. "We continue to focus on improving the customer's experience and with this special offer, we hope our customers enjoy this opportunity to connect inflight for work or fun as the busy holiday season kicks into gear."

To coincide with the introduction of the new 2010 Lexus LS line, American Airlines passengers can take advantage of the free Wi-Fi promotion by entering the promotion code 2010LEXUSLS to connect to the service. More details about Wi-Fi on American are available at www.aa.com/wifi.

An innovator in airline travel, American was the first U.S. carrier to launch onboard broadband Wi-Fi in August 2008, and the service is currently available to thousands of customers traveling on American's Boeing 767-200 aircraft and select MD-80 aircraft.

Gogo, powered by Aircell, turns a commercial airplane into a Wi-Fi hotspot with true inflight Internet access. Passengers with Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs, can surf the Web, check e-mail, instant message, access a corporate VPN and more. For more information about Gogo, please visit www.gogoinflight.com.

(C) 2009 Aircell LLC. Aircell and Gogo are trademarks of Aircell or its affiliates. All rights reserved

SOURCE American Airlines

Yes To Inc. and Virgin America, two visionary brands recognized in their industries for offering stylish, fun, and affordable choices to consumers, have partnered to introduce the How Could I Forget Kit, a collection of travel essentials that will bring a smile to Virgin America travelers. The How Could I Forget Kit is perfect for travelers who forgot to pack toiletries or lost them to airport security. Never fear! Travelers can now continue their journey in style, and relax knowing they have quality, natural products to keep their skin and hair happy.

"Yes To's partnership with Virgin America made perfect sense to us -- two innovative brands that provide affordable options with style and personality. Our mission is to make people happy and smile more often. If you forget any of your travel essentials, the Yes To How Could I Forget Kit will have you smiling in no time," says Ido Leffler, CEO and Chief Carrot Lover of Yes To Inc(TM).

"Our goal at Virgin America is to reinvent the typical flying experience and bring travelers more choices," said Amy Burr, Director of Ancillary Revenue at Virgin America. "We're thrilled to offer our guests natural, personal care products from Yes To that will help them look and feel their best."

The How Could I Forget Kit contains Yes To Carrots' Pampering Carrot Juice Shampoo, Pampering Hair Mud Conditioner, Carrot Rich Shower Gel, Carrot Body Moisturizing Lotion, along with a Mint Lip Butter, a Night Moisturizing Cream sample, a pack of peppermint VerMints and a handy plastic bag, all neatly housed in a chic Yes To & Virgin America zipper toiletry bag.

Yes to Carrots(TM) How Could I Forget Kit retails for $10 and is available on all domestic Virgin America flights.

For more information, please visit www.yestocarrots.com and www.virginamerica.com.

SOURCE Yes To Inc.

To soccer fans everywhere: American Airlines has launched an online soccer game, the Penalty Challenge, narrated by famed Spanish-language sportscaster Fernando Fiore.

The game features the character, "Earn Miles," a new soccer sensation, and players help him score the maximum number of points. After playing, fans can receive a discount on their next American Airlines flight.

The Penalty Challenge is part of American's continuing campaign to court soccer fans and encourage them to become members of the AAdvantage(R) program, American's travel awards program. The game can be played in English or Spanish at www.aa.com/soccer.

As the Official Airline of Major League Soccer - as well as individual clubs, including FC Dallas, New York Red Bulls, D.C. United, Chicago Fire, and the New England Revolution - American Airlines has teamed up with the AC&M Group to create the interactive game, which augments its Major League Soccer partnership, a successful affiliation that has yielded strong results in the United States Hispanic market, as well as the national soccer community.

"We are very impressed with American's commitment to serve soccer fans," said Jaime Cardenas, Chief Executive Officer of AC&M, American's partner in the game. "Over the last two years we have been working with American on its overall soccer initiative, and this game is a great example of how to engage soccer fans with the sport they love and at the same time offer them a great discount. American is one of the few companies that truly understands the importance of the U.S. soccer fan as a consumer. We know that the soccer fan base is very diverse, which is why the online game is available in both English and Spanish. We are proud to be part of this exciting project."

Soccer fans can sign on to www.aa.com/soccer, select their language and enter their email address to play. If they are not yet AAdvantage members, fans can register for the AAdvantage program and receive a bonus of 1,000 miles just for signing up. Once registered, they will receive a welcome e-mail with a password that they can use to redeem their discount.

Fiore, the famed Spanish-language sportscaster, does a play-by-play as the players try to score points - voicing the iconic "Goooooaaal!" when they score. After playing, users will have three options:

• Play again
• Redeem their prize
• Or tell a friend about the game.
  

The offer applies to new reservations for one-way or round-trip travel on American Airlines, American Eagle, or AmericanConnection(R), excluding other code share flights. Travel is valid from any American destination in the 48 contiguous United States to any American Airlines destination worldwide. Tickets must be purchased at AA.com or AA.com/espanol no later than 11:59 p.m. CT, Oct. 31, 2009. All travel must be completed by Nov. 27, 2009. Embargo dates are Nov. 20-25. For more information, or to play the game, go to www.aa.com/soccer.

SOURCE American Airlines

American Airlines reached a major milestone this week with its Gogo Inflight Internet service. The Wi-Fi service is now available on 100 MD-80 aircraft, which is two-thirds of the 150 Gogo installations scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009.

One year ago today, American was the first U.S. airline to launch the Gogo service. Since then, thousands of customers traveling on American's 15 Boeing 767-200 aircraft and select MD-80 aircraft have enjoyed the onboard Wi-Fi service while flying across the United States.

"We are excited to reach this one-year milestone and to continue our expansion of the Gogo high-speed service to customers on our MD-80s," said Dan Garton, American's Executive Vice President - Marketing. "We continue to receive positive feedback from customers who use the service to stay connected while in the air. Our goal is to offer our customers the chance to continue their work or personal business while 35,000 feet above the ground."

Gogo turns an American Airlines flight into a Wi-Fi hotspot, enabling passengers to surf the Web, check e-mail, send instant messages, access a corporate VPN, and more. Once the aircraft has reached 10,000 feet, users can simply turn on their Wi-Fi enabled devices - such as laptops, smartphones and handheld PDAs - then open their browsers and be directed to the Gogo portal page where they sign up and begin surfing. Gogo is powered by the Aircell air-to-ground system, which uses three small antennas installed outside the aircraft and connects to Aircell's exclusive nationwide mobile broadband network.

Aircell's prices for the Gogo service range from $5.95 to $12.95 based on length of flight and whether the device is a handheld PDA or a laptop computer. Aircell's pricing plans are:

• Mobile Flight Pass: $7.95 - mobile device pricing for customers using a handheld device only
• Short-Haul Flight Pass: $5.95 - for flights lasting approximately 1.5 hours or less
• Mid-Range Flight Pass: $9.95 - for flights generally under 3 hours
• Long-Range Flight Pass: $12.95 - for flights generally over 3 hours
  

Each paid Gogo session includes full Internet, e-mail and VPN access. Cell phone and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service use are not available. American is a founding member of the oneworld(R) Alliance.

SOURCE American Airlines

Virgin America, the California-based airline that is reinventing domestic air travel, today took the top honors as "Best Domestic Airline for Food" in the prestigious Travel + Leisure Annual World's Best Awards readers' survey. Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards highlight the results of an annual, impartial survey that allows Travel + Leisure readers to share their opinions of their favorite travel experiences.* For the first time this year, the survey results include reviews of key service categories which will be highlighted in the magazine's September issue. Virgin America's industry-leading in-flight dining experience will be profiled in Travel + Leisure's first annual food and travel issue in September.

"We're honored to receive this feedback from Travel + Leisure readers - those who fly the most and expect the very best," said Virgin America Senior Vice President of People and In-flight Frances Fiorillo. "Virgin America's goal is to bring travelers more choices in-flight. In keeping with our California roots, our fresh, seasonal meal items and snacks offer guests convenient, tasty and reasonably priced options they can order any time right from their seatback - without having to worry about grabbing something ahead of time."

With award-winning service and a host of innovative amenities, Virgin America has captured a list of travel industry best-in-class awards since launching service in August 2007 including, Travel + Leisure's World's Best Domestic Airline Award in 2008 and 2009. Virgin America is also the only airline in the U.S. with a touch-screen seatback menu that allows guests to order what they want, when they want it during a flight. Virgin America offers one of the largest selections of fresh menu items, with a focus on lighter, more health-focused choices.

Virgin America's in-flight dining is featured in Travel + Leisure's first annual food and travel issue in September and is available on newsstands on August 28. The special issue will contain a list of the top five World's Best Airlines for Food, both domestic and international. It will be posted on Travel and Leisure's Web site.

"Our goal as a new carrier is to reinvent the flying experience for the better by listening to what our guests want, so we're constantly seeking real-time feedback, whether through the Red seatback screens or now via in-flight WiFi," added Fiorillo. "We've even implemented suggestions received about our menu from some of our very first guests and their feedback will continue to be an essential ingredient in creating the best customer experience in the U.S. skies."

Virgin America's market research and feedback received from guests via Red(TM), the airline's in-flight entertainment system, has shown that guests want fresh, high-quality food options - and that travelers are seeking out convenient buy onboard options over having to purchase food on the go at the airport that is usually at a higher price.

Main Cabin menu options available for purchase at the touch of a button via Red's on-demand ordering system include (prices range between $7 - $10 for meals in Main Cabin, and options are complimentary in Main Cabin Select):

• Fruit and Cheese: Hand-cut imported brie, pepper Monterey Jack and aged cheddar paired with clusters of sweet red seedless grapes, sun-dried cranberries, pecans and crisp multigrain crackers.
• Hummus and Pita Chips: A healthy selection of Mediterranean hummus and baba ganoush served with crisp fresh carrot batons, broccoli and cauliflower florets, sweet red bell pepper, cucumbers, red radish, sugar snap peas and a stuffed grape leaf, served with Stacy's Pita Chips.
• Wild Berry Parfait: A light yogurt parfait layered with vanilla yogurt, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, served with a crunchy chocolate granola.
• Southwestern Chicken Hand Roll: Zesty roasted red pepper tortilla rolled around strips of grilled chicken, green leaf lettuce, chipotle cream cheese spread, fire roasted corn and black beans, and a colorful trio of red, yellow and green bell peppers. Served with a side salad of orzo pasta with Southwestern vegetables and red pepper pesto and a Toblerone chocolate for dessert.
• Black and Blue Steak Sandwich: Basil and cheese focaccia loaded with blackened flat iron steak, gorgonzola cheese spread, balsamic glazed onions, arugula, sliced Roma tomatoes and fresh red and yellow roasted tomatoes. Served with a Toblerone chocolate for dessert.
• Turkey Florentine Hand Roll: Spinach tortilla wrapped around hand shaved turkey breast, herb cream cheese spread, feta cheese, fresh baby spinach, romaine leaf lettuce, sliced artichoke bottoms, yellow bell pepper strips, Roma tomato, and Belgian endive. Served with a side salad of gemelli pasta with Italian vegetables, sun dried tomatoes and creamy basil pesto, with a Toblerone chocolate for dessert.
• Muffaletta Sandwich: Hearty Focaccia bread stuffed with shaved honey ham, Genoa salami, shaved turkey, Swiss and provolone cheese, spicy olive salad, green leaf lettuce, and sliced tomatoes, paired with Italian dressing on the side, and a Toblerone chocolate for dessert.
• Thai Vegetable Salad: Refreshing Asian-style salad of romaine lettuce, Napa cabbage, julienne carrots, curly daikon radish, sliced cucumber, green onion, julienne tomato, red and yellow bell pepper strips, cilantro, mint, and chopped cashews. Served with sesame ginger vinaigrette dressing on the side and a Toblerone chocolate for dessert.
  

In addition to Virgin America's food menu, beverages and cocktails are also available for purchase. Guests can always order drinks, like Illy iced cappuccinos, eco-friendly cocktails made with VeeV Acai Spirit and Le Tourment Vert "Mile High Cocktails" from their seatback, and watch as they are mixed on-demand.

Virgin America offers over 100 flights a day and flies to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego, Boston and Orange County. The airline offers daily flights from: SFO to LAX, SFO to JFK, SFO to SAN, SFO to IAD, SFO to LAS, LAX to JFK, LAX to IAD, SFO to SEA, SEA to LAX, JFK to LAS, BOS to LAX, BOS to SFO, SFO to SNA and starting November 18, 2009, SFO to FLL and LAX to FLL. Virgin America has flown more than 4.5 million guests since its inaugural flights in August 2007 and now counts over 925,000 Elevate loyalty program members.

EDITORS NOTE: Virgin America is a U.S. controlled and operated airline and an entirely separate company from Virgin Atlantic. Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group is a minority share investor in Virgin America.

Source: Virgin America

In-flight Wi-Fi will be available on almost 1,000 planes flying over North America by the end of 2009(1). While there is heated debate over the pros and cons of web access when flying, a recent survey commissioned by 3M Privacy Filters found that 80 percent of business travelers like the idea of in-flight Wi-Fi because it allows them to get work done(2). As in-flight Wi-Fi becomes even more common, a whole new set of travel etiquette issues could arise.

Business travel expert Chris McGinnis offers the following etiquette advice to keep travelers and their seatmates on good terms when using this new in-flight amenity:

• Enjoy the view without the glare. While you may enjoy the view from your window seat, be aware that your seatmate may be using the time to catch up on some work or watch a movie on his or her laptop. Since the glare from the window makes it difficult to view computer screens, ask if the glare is a problem and then agree to a happy medium.
• Beware of prying eyes. While you may not be interested in what your seatmate is watching or working on, 49 percent of passengers admit to sneaking peeks at their neighbor's laptop(1). To help protect confidential information, consider using a 3M Privacy Filter, which prevents others from seeing what is on your laptop by darkening side views.
• Dim that screen on night flights. Flying is the perfect time to catch up on all the TV shows or movies you've missed. But don't forget that the constant glow and flicker of the screen can irritate your seatmate, especially on overnight flights.
• Lower the volume. You know the volume of your headphones is too loud when your neighbor can follow along with the movie you are watching on your laptop. Keep the volume at a reasonable level to avoid disturbing your seatmates.
• Share the "juice." The Wi-Fi antenna on your laptop is a power hog and can drain your battery faster than you think. While some planes offer power plugs, every seat in a row may not have an electrical outlet available, so share the power supply with your neighbor.
• Set your boundaries, but know your limits. It is never OK to comment on what someone else may be working on or watching, unless of course it is overly offensive or noisy. If a seatmate is watching something you find overly offensive, consider moving to another seat. If that's not possible, politely tell your seatmate that you find what they are watching offensive. If all else fails, ask your flight attendant to intervene.

SOURCE 3M

Virgin America has teamed up with Google to take cloud computing to new heights with the Day in the Cloud Challenge - the first-ever online puzzle challenge that can be played in the air and on the ground. At the time of this release, filed from 35,000 feet from one of Virgin America's WiFi enabled planes, thousands of people flying and on the ground have already gone online to compete in the unique 24-hour challenge. As the first and only airline to offer Gogo(R) In-flight Internet on every flight, Virgin America is offering guests on all of its flights today complimentary WiFi to join in the fun. The all-day gamer challenge showcases how people are increasingly using web-based services like Google Apps to connect and work together "in the cloud," wherever they have access to the internet - even on a Virgin America flight at 35,000 feet.

"As the only carrier based in Silicon Valley and now with WiFi on every flight, Virgin America has fast become the airline of choice for tech-savvy road warriors," said Porter Gale, Vice President of Marketing for Virgin America. "Teaming up with Google Apps for an in-flight and on-the-ground live game is a fun way for us to celebrate what our guests already know: cloud computing is changing how we all travel, work and live for the better."

This May, Virgin America became the first and only airline to offer Gogo In-flight Internet on every flight. The carrier also offers standard power outlets - so guests can stay connected longer. Google Apps allow people to use the web to share collaborative documents, email and photos with family, friends and co-workers online "in the cloud."

As part of the larger Day in the Cloud Challenge, guests on two specially designated Virgin America commercial flights are currently competing live at 35,000 feet above the California coast for an additional prize: the chance to win everyone on his or her flight a free netbook, and of course - bragging rights for life. Right now commercial passengers and a few all-star guest gamers on Virgin America Flight 920 (SFO-LAX) and Flight 921 (LAX-SFO) are competing against each other in the ultimate sky-high gamer showdown.

The LAX-SFO versus SFO-LAX flight show-down is just one element in the 24 hour-long Day in the Cloud Challenge. The game went live at 12:01am today and will run until 11:59pm on June 24. The top five game scorers competing in the air and on the ground will receive A Year in the Cloud Prize Package that includes free flights and free in-flight WiFi from Virgin America, a netbook computer and 1 terabyte of online storage from Google for email and photos. The questions for the challenge will range in level of difficulty, so everyone from the novice to the expert puzzle master can take part in the fun. Participants can still register and play today at: www.dayinthecloud.com.

"People are increasingly using web applications wherever they are to connect with one another, whether it's through shared photos, collaborative documents, or video chat," said Bradley Horowitz, Vice President, Product Management at Google. "We look forward to seeing how people use in-flight WiFi and web tools in creative new ways to stay connected as they travel."

With power outlets at every seat and fleet-wide WiFi, guests on any of Virgin America's 100 daily flights have the option to surf the Web, check e-mail or log on to their corporate VPN - all from the comfort of their seats at 35,000 feet. The Gogo(R) service is available for $12.95 for daytime flights of over three hours, $9.95 for daytime flights of less than three hours and $7.95 for handheld devices. In November 2008, Virgin America launched Gogo(R) In-flight Internet on its first flight with a first ever "air-to-ground" video stream to YouTube Live - YouTube's first official real-world user event. Self-directed videos from some of YouTube's highest-viewed stars premiered on the RED(TM) system on planes across the country and were posted to the carrier's YouTube channel in November 2008 - where they received more than one million views.

Virgin America flies to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego, Boston and Orange County. The airline offers daily flights from: SFO to LAX, SFO to JFK, SFO to SAN, SFO to IAD, SFO to LAS, LAX to JFK, LAX to IAD, SFO to SEA, SEA to LAX, JFK to LAS, BOS to LAX, BOS to SFO and SFO to SNA.

SOURCE Virgin America

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced that it has installed Wi-Fi on nearly half of its domestic mainline fleet, making the airline the world's leading provider of in-flight connectivity. Of the more than 300 airplanes Delta operates on U.S. routes, 139 are equipped with Gogo(R) Inflight Internet, including the entire MD-88 fleet. In addition, the MD-90 fleet will be complete by the end of May with the remainder of the domestic fleet scheduled for completion by September. Delta offers more Wi-Fi onboard than any airline worldwide.

"In response to the interests of our customers, Delta is the market leader in providing in-flight Wi-Fi and is well on its way to offering guaranteed Wi-Fi every time our customers fly a mainline flight within the continental United States," said Tim Mapes, Delta's senior vice president - Marketing. "We are fully committed to investing in innovative on-board technology that adds value for our customers be it in the form of seat-back satellite TV, on-demand movies or now Wi-Fi."

Delta made a commitment last year to equip its entire domestic fleet with Wi-Fi, allowing more travelers to use their electronic devices on airplanes to surf the Internet, access e-mail and send instant messages. The airline later expanded its installation plans to include approximately 200 pre-merger Northwest airplanes which are slated for completion next year. Once complete, Delta will have more than 500 aircraft offering Wi-Fi.

In addition to the MD-88s, Wi-Fi is now available on select 757-200s and MD-90s. Service is offered in both First and Economy class on a pay-per-flight basis. The cost of Wi-Fi access on a single Delta flight ranges from $7.95-$12.95. In June, customers also will be able to purchase month-long, unlimited use passes.

On the ground, Delta has expanded free Wi-Fi access to include all visitors to Delta Sky Club lounges within the United States. Effective immediately, access cards formerly provided in pre-merger Delta lounges are no longer necessary to access Wi-Fi networks in Delta Sky Clubs.

Source: Delta Air Lines

Airline will begin outfitting its fleet with in-flight Wi-Fi from Row 44 later this year.

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, Europe's fifth largest low-cost carrier, announced today that it is equipping its entire fleet with high-speed in-flight broadband. The airline will use a satellite-based broadband solution from Row 44.

Norwegian, winner of Air Transport World's 2009 Market Leadership Award, will be the first European airline to equip its fleet with high-speed in-flight broadband. Norwegian will be able to offer passengers uninterrupted broadband services--Internet browsing, live international television, movies, music, mobile phones, texting, and e-commerce--to all of the airline's 84 destinations across Europe. In addition to its current fleet, Norwegian has orders for nearly 50 new planes--all of which the airline will equip with Row 44's broadband service.

"Norwegian has become one of the most successful carriers by relentlessly adding value to our passengers' travel experience," said Bjorn Kjos, CEO of Norwegian. "Row 44's system will help us add exciting new productivity and entertainment services to our flights--creating more satisfied and loyal passengers and crew, giving Norwegian a strong competitive advantage, and adding significantly to our bottom line."

"Norwegian Air Shuttle is widely considered one of the most innovative, agile, and forward-thinking airlines in the world. They are an extremely strong organization led by disciplined, insightful professionals. Norwegian is known for creating and rapidly deploying new capabilities that delight their passengers," said John Guidon, Row 44's CEO. "Row 44 is honored that Norwegian has chosen our in-flight broadband to enhance their passenger and crew experience and create a powerful new profit center."

Row 44 will begin installing its broadband system on Norwegian planes in the fourth quarter of 2009.

SOURCE Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA

Alaska Airlines today announced initial results of its Inflight Wi-Fi service trial, which was launched on Feb. 26, 2009. More than 2,100 passengers logged on and used Alaska Airlines Inflight Wi-Fi. Of those passengers who tried the service and completed a survey during or after their flight, more than 96 percent intend to use it again.

Additional key findings of the survey include:

• More than 78 percent of those who tried the Inflight Wi-Fi service are either "extremely likely" or "very likely" to recommend it.
• More than 75 percent felt the service was either "excellent" or "very good."
• About 35 percent of passengers accessed the service with portable devices such as smart phones. Other passengers surfed the Web on devices such as notebook computers.

Some of the most popular activities customers used the service for included checking e-mail, downloading and listening to music, watching streaming media and interacting on social networks.

"Alaska Airlines Inflight Wi-Fi was fast and consistent," said passenger C.J. Adams of Marysville, Wash. "As a frequent business traveler, I was thrilled to have Internet access while in flight and appreciated the opportunity to work in real-time - it even made my flight seem shorter. I will definitely use this service on future Alaska Airlines flights."

Alaska Airlines will begin evaluating pricing models for the service this week and will continue to gather feedback from customers. "Our most important consideration in determining the price of Alaska Airlines Inflight Wi-Fi is providing value to our passengers," said Steve Jarvis, Alaska's vice president of marketing, sales and customer experience. "The initial feedback we're getting is overwhelmingly positive. We will continue to optimize the service and listen closely to our customers to find the right price that is both competitive with other airlines and fits comfortably within our passengers' budgets."

The airline plans to set a final price for the service later this year. Passengers will be able to purchase the service using all major credit cards via the Inflight Wi-Fi secure payment process.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines