Wi-Fi to be offered on Delta Airlines domestic flights

The fact that virtually all foreign carriers, from Air Canada to Thai to Ethiopian Airlines, outclass their U.S. counterparts is something many Americans still fail to understand.  However, I believe that *two* recent announcements by Delta Air Lines rank as perhaps the most impressive efforts by any U.S. airline in recent memory.

The first is Delta's planned installation of the so-called Cozy Suite economy class seat.  Installation will begin, I believe in, 2009.  I wrote a column on this here..... http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2008/04/18/askthepilot273

And second, of course, is this week's announcement that inflight wi-fi will soon be available on all of Delta's domestic routes.  Keeping passengers satisfied is all about distraction, and I cannot think of a better way of helping pass the time pass than the chance to surf the web at 35,000 feet.

Delta is not the first to feature inflight wi-fi, but it's the first to promise fleetwide installation.  

Well, almost fleetwide.  Delta is rapidly becoming the country's premiere international airline -- the closest thing we've had to a truly global carrier since the heydays of Pan Am -- yet the wi-fi promise extends only to the domestic fleet.  I'm not sure why.  Providing wi-fi over the ocean is a more elaborate and expensive affair than wi-fi over Kansas, but would go a long way toward giving Delta a competitive advantage in many prestigious markets.   Delta is up against some tough competitors on long-haul routes, most of whom operate larger aircraft with on-demand IFE and various other amenities.   Delta's mainstay international aircraft is the 767-300, which does not feature seat-back video.   

Patrick Smith

www.askthepilot.com