I made it to Atlanta in ok shape. My Delta flight was a bit delayed due to flow control into Atlanta. Bad weather in DC and Atlanta slowed things down a bit but only by an hour or so. I’m comfortably ensconced at the Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Downtown now, and all is ok with the world.
But let’s talk about inflight wi-fi. I was very excited to see the wi-fi “alert” (for lack of a better word) on Delta’s fabulous gate information display system while waiting for my flight at DCA. There was even a “wi-fi” placard by the boarding door of the MD-80 jet bringing me to Atlanta. After takeoff, and getting the “approved electronics” all clear from our in-flight crew, I brought out my laptop and decided to give inflight wi-fi a try.
Delta’s service is provided by Aircell and marketed as gogo. This is the same service offered by American Airlines among others. Connecting was easy, and no different than logging into the internet provided by your favorite hotel. My laptop picked up the full strength wireless signal immediately, and I was connected in seconds. Opening Internet Explorer, I was soon at the login screen. Login was easy, and quick. The price for Delta’s service was $9.95 (ETA: $9.95 for flights of 3 hours or less, $12.95 for flights over 3 hours, and $7.95 for handheld devices on flights of any length). That price point is definitely ok for longer flights, but probably not worth the trouble for a short flight such as today’s from DCA to ATL. But this was my first opportunity to try gogo, and I would not let it pass me by.
I surfed to several popular websites, checked my personal email, and connected to my work email through VPN. Speed was ok, not lightening fast, but certainly acceptable. I’d liken it to something between cheap DSL and a fast cable connection. Not the fastest ever, but certainly, no complaints. I was able to accomplish most everything with reasonable speed. I’m happy to see this option available, and will use it again where available. The only problem with today’s flight….it was my first without Delta Medallion status. I’m just not used to boarding in Zone 5! Must obtain Delta status again!
