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Southwest Airlines Offering In-Flight iMessaging for $2 Per Day
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connected to a wifi network does not mean you are connected to the internet.
you connect to the plane's wifi network before you pay so now there will be an option on the splash screen to pay $2 and the only traffic allowed will be iMessage traffic.
passengers have been able to use iMessage without paying for internet just by connecting to the wifi network. Southwest discovered this little trick and is now charging to use it.
Figure out what ports they opened up for iMessage, then open a ssh tunnel on that port so you can surf the entire internet for only $2.
Wouldn't call it free, but what is in place to stop someone from making there phone a hotspot for more devices?
Exactly
"When you look at how much we're currently paying for frequently sub-standard plane connectivity, it's easy to assume the providers are just profiteering, cashing in on those who really need to be online all the time. But the reality isn't nearly as straightforward as that.
GoGo, for instance, has an 81% market share in the US, and increased its consolidated revenue by 46%, yet still managed to post a net loss of $32.7 million. It's never made a profit, and with competition increasing, some are wondering where the money is going to come from.
Other providers are in a similar position, and it leaves them with some real problems. It's hard to justify increasing the service price even more. But they can't cut it to get the volume of customers they need, either, because their onboard systems just don't have the bandwidth to cope."
Not sure I believe that.
While that seems like a plausible reason, I would like to see some proof that providing ample bandwidth for multiple users is not commercially viable.
So that would seem to me that they need better 'on-board systems' then.
There has to be a better solution than a dish added to the plane.
They're doing internet over a satellite link, not exactly a fat pipe.
The following article says it's currently about 3 megabits per second for the entire plane. Get a lot of people streaming video and it would all go to hell.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323864604579067473301551790
You could also just setup a full tunnel VPN server at home. Connect to that using their wifi and bam, no port restrictions.
You have to remember that the plane doesn't have a cheap cable connection to the Internet - it has a satellite connection, which costs way more money and has way less bandwidth.
I predict that by mid-year next year, we'll see the legacy carriers rolling out free iMessaging and Southwest will follow suit.
If the carriers gave us iMessaging for free, the likelihood that people will try to do something else other than iMessages with their iOS devices in flight just out of habit goes way up.
I know if I'm iMessaging away on a plane, I'd tend to forget that my phone wasn't connected to the internet like it always is. Hence, when I launch the web browser and hit the pay wall, I would be more likely to consider dropping a few bucks to have full connectivity for the duration of the flight.
If the carriers gave us iMessaging for free, the likelihood that people will try to do something else other than iMessages with their iOS devices in flight just out of habit goes way up.
I know if I'm iMessaging away on a plane, I'd tend to forget that my phone wasn't connected to the internet like it always is. Hence, when I launch the web browser and hit the pay wall, I would be more likely to consider dropping a few bucks to have full connectivity for the duration of the flight.
Oh, don't get me wrong, I've noticed. It sucks. It all sucks. Was just simply stating they should from my perspective, as a consumer. But obviously if I were CEO of Southwest, I'd probably lean toward more revenue-increasing policies.
send me your bank account number so i can deposit that $0.05
100372715789
If you figure out which bank and do take money out, you commit fraud. So be careful
How so? Not everyone who flies wants to shell out $8-10 for full wi-fi on a plane if they just want to connect with friends or family. I think it's a great idea and I noticed it on my flight today.
The article seemingly supports my original statement with the improvements cited. Gogo is making its new service available which would give speeds of 60 mbps.
I work with a company that does ridiculous amounts of world wide transactions over a satellite and bandwidth has never been an issue. So I think the airlines could do better.
I don't get this. Every airline that I've been on that has wi-fi I've been able to iMessage.
Come on people, just be a dumb pipe, don't go and offer select services.
It's an optional add-on service. Since iMessage uses wi-fi on most airlines it requires paying the full fee for wi-fi. This offers a simpler service at a lower fee.
I was on a flight today and noticed this. I think it's a great idea. Not everyone wants to pay the full $8 for in-flight wi-fi, but might be willing to pay $2 to stay in touch with family or friends while on the flight. Southwest says support for other apps is coming soon (presumably also for Android). Airlines depend on ancillary fees to make profits. It's better to offer optional services like this than tack on baggage fees or change fees.
Nope..that would not be true. Most phones can share thier internet connection whether it is cellular or not.
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I doubt it. Most of the other airlines have been adding new fees a lot more quickly than Southwest. I fly Southwest and a few other airlines. Wi-Fi is usually cheaper on Southwest ($8 per device per day regardless of number of connections vs. $10-20 on most other airlines). This is also the first I've seen any airline offer messaging-only access at a reduced rate.
Remember, the other airlines just jacked up their flight change fees from $150 to $200, while it is still $0 on Southwest. They also charge $25-35 for the first two bags, which is also still $0 on Southwest.
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I fly Southwest a ton. They block access to Netflix/Hulu/Skype, etc. They do offer selected TV channels for free (part of a promotion with Dish), and movies for $5.
They don't use Gogo, but instead use Row 44, who allows them to set their own pricing. I've found that Southwest's wi-fi bandwidth for data seems slower than Gogo (which, curiously, is still used on Airtran flights), though good enough for connecting to e-mail and regular websites.
All the 737-700 and 737-800 planes have wi-fi, which is about 2/3 of their fleet. I was on a 737-500 last month that did not have wi-fi. It was my first Southwest flight in a long time without wi-fi.
I just got A-List Preferred status and am liking the perk. E-mail is a lot faster on my iPhone than Outlook on my Windows PC, so now that it's free for me I've been keeping both connected throughout the flight and leaving Outlook turned off on the PC.
Same here. Outlook burns a ton of data especially if you have shared calendars etc. It's easier for me to use my iPad for emails on a flight rather than the MBA for that reason. I will be making a flight next weekend for the simple point alone of getting lunch in an airport that I've never been to and achieving Alist preferred for 2014. The 100% points bonus and the free wifi are worth the $275 that I'm going to pay to earn the status with my butt in a seat.
Who is talking on their phone while flying?
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Most phones like which ones (including iOS devices)? By default or using some sort of third-party service/app?