TRAVEL NEWS | INTERNET ACCESS
American Airlines introduces in-flight Internet access
The airline will offer the service on some of its longer flights.
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One of the few remaining Internet-free havens vanished Wednesday as
The move could create a new stream of revenue for an aviation industry facing high fuel prices and other challenges. But it also could create new headaches as passengers retrieve sensitive e-mails and websites in confined quarters.
It also could end a common excuse people have to avoid checking "urgent" e-mail requests from their bosses.
American, a unit of Fort Worth-based
"Today the days of being cut off from the rest of the world while in the air become history," said Jack Blumenstein, chief executive of Aircell, the company providing Internet services for American and other airlines.
Aircell's Gogo service is still formally a test, meaning that American could drop it after three to six months or expand it to other planes, depending on customer adoption and feedback.
The service can work with most laptops,
The system will block Internet-based phone calls, giving passengers relief from chatty seatmates.
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