Wi-Fi Slow To Become Ubiquitous Onboard Airlines

Major airlines are scrounging for every dollar now that fewer people are flying amid the economic downturn, yet the carriers have been slow to install in-flight wireless Internet access across their fleets that could generate millions in fees.

Cost, technology and passengers' willingness to pay for the service are issues some of the carriers are dealing with. Others say it simply takes time to install the necessary equipment to allow fliers to surf the Internet and send e-mail from their laptops and PDAs from the comfort of their seats.

"They're trying to appeal to customers who they think will choose an airline based on the ubiquitous use of Wi-Fi onboard aircraft," said Robert Mann, an aviation consultant in Port Washington, New York. "The risk in making these product announcements is that you're not going to have the product."

Delta Air Lines Inc. and American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp., have both stated plans to install Wi-Fi onboard 300 or more aircraft, though Delta has installed it on roughly 130 aircraft as of Friday and won't reach its original goal of having the remaining domestic mainline planes retrofitted by the end of June. American has the service on 15 aircraft and its plan calls for the work on the remaining planes to be spread over a couple years.

United Airlines, a unit of UAL Corp., currently doesn't have Wi-Fi available on any of its aircraft, a spokeswoman said. It plans to have the service available on 13 aircraft in the second half of this year.

"Hopefully, we'll get really good at it (the installation process) and it will be faster, but I don't think anyone wanted to make a boastful date promise like some others have done," American spokesman Tim Smith said.

Delta spokeswoman Betsy Talton said her carrier's "initial ramp up was a little slower...