Delta announced last Thursday,wifi will be added to its 150 strong international fleet from 2013. It currently has 550 planes wifi equipped and they say they are aiming at a wifi equipped fleet of 1000 planes.
Domestically, Delta uses GoGo which provides the service via air-to-ground technology that uses land-based cell towers to beam signals to aircraft.
For International flights, this is not so practical so it will be an Air to Satellite product. GoGo are working on their satellite systems. Delta have annouced Gogo will be Delta’s provider on the international services
Satellite systems are almost four times more expensive to install than air-to-ground systems to install. The satellite equipment is heavier which will impact fuel consumption. Delta and Gogo obviously feel its worth it. I just hope its faster and cheaper to use than the Etihad Internet service I had earlier in 2012.
This gives me another reason to fly Delta who in my mind are getting better and better.
It’s nice to see that they’re upgrading the wifi and I wish that’d would be the case with other international flights…but the one thing that’ll stop me from riding Delta is their seats. Flying long haul flights w/ their leather seats is terrible. Half way through a transpacific flight and having parts of my body stick to the seats makes for a really really uncomfortable journey.