In-flight wifi? You'll likely have to pay to play

On the heels of my recent wifi rant comes news that Delta will be offering in-flight wifi service -- for a price, naturally.

So let's see... fee to check a bag? Check. Fees for snacks and meals? Check. Fee for wifi? Check. Book flight on Delta? Not my first choice.

Actually, Delta is missing out on some fee opportunities. Put a coin slot on the lavatory. Swipe your card at the seats to free the tray tables and enable the recliner button. Might as well just put a vending machine in the galley, and get rid of half of the flight attendants. Could even charge for the use of the seat belt if they want to get really creative. Buy one and keep it like the headphones, so you can re-use it on your next flight.



The Washington Post article on Delta's news doesn't mention whether the other airlines either already with wifi or considering it have made it part of their fee-based offerings. Here's what each airline is saying, on their own site or elsewhere:

• JetBlue: Free. So far, only allows access to e-mail and Amazon-based searches.
• Alaska Airlines: No fee announcement yet. "We are still assesing a number of different pricing and subscription models and intend on testing several of these models during our initial launch/test phase."
• American Airlines: $12.95. So far only available on cross-country flights originating from or landing in New York.
  
• Virgin America: Same service provider as American. Aforementioned Seattle Times article mentions a $9.95 cost for flights less than 3 hours, and $12.95 otherwise. No mention of fees on Virgin America's site.
• Southwest: Still in testing, according to Seattle Times. In another article on Kiplinger.com, there is mention that Southwest intends to charge a fee for this service. A Southwest blog post earlier this year indicated no decision had been made on the fee, but it would be in line with Southwest's low-cost approach.
  

Southwest's current marketing campaign touts the absence of fees in general. Their television ads (such as this one) have reminded me that some of my recent airline choices have left me wanting less when it comes to fees. So I hope they'll reconsider charging for wifi.

First airline to offer free wifi jumps to the head of the line on my travel considerations. Of course, I'd also like enough clearance to actually open my laptop in coach. On my most recent Delta flights, I had to hold the laptop 1/3 open, and tilt it in a V shape in my contorted lap to give myself enough room to actually type.

Oh, wait, there's already a fee for that: First class.

Someday the airlines will care about the rest of the working business travelers. Maybe.