Delta Launches Wi-Fi Access for Customers on Boeing 747-400s

Delta Air Lines will launch international Wi-Fi service on flights 283 and 295 equipped with Ku-band satellite Wi-Fi on a Boeing 747-400 aircraft departing Los Angeles International Airport and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to Narita International Airport in Tokyo.

Delta has three of 16 Boeing 747-400 aircraft complete which also operate between Detroit and Seoul-Incheon; Detroit and Nagoya, Japan; Detroit and Tokyo-Narita; New York-JFK and Tel Aviv, New York-JFK and Tokyo-Narita, Tokyo-Narita and Manila, Tokyo-Narita and Taipei, Tokyo-Narita and Bangkok as well as Nagoya and Manila.

Customers can access Wi-Fi service with introductory pricing options that begin with one hour passes for laptop users from $14.00 and $8.00 for mobile users or a flight pass option, which will keep customers connected throughout their flight, starting at $24.95 for laptop users and $14.95 for mobile users.

All of Delta’s 747-400 aircraft will have Wi-Fi installed by mid-2014.

“Our customers want to remain productive inflight and that does not stop as they fly over U.S. borders,” said Tim Mapes, Delta’s senior vice president – Marketing. “Expanding Delta’s Wi-Fi services internationally is another benefit of the investments we are making to improve the travel experience, and give our customers exactly what they want.”

Delta will complete the installation of Wi-Fi service on its entire international fleet by the end of 2015 including its Boeing 777, 767, 747, Airbus A330 and transoceanic Boeing 757 aircraft operating on international, long-haul routes. Delta and Gogo are in the final testing phase for Wi-Fi on the Airbus A330 fleet.

The addition of inflight internet for more than 150 aircraft will expand the number of worldwide aircraft equipped with Wi-Fi to approximately 1,000 jets including all two-class regional, domestic and international aircraft.

The new international service uses satellites for global connectivity to offer coverage internationally and will compliment Delta’s existing air-to-ground service already provided by Gogo for aircraft flying within the domestic U.S..

Delta operates the world’s largest Wi-Fi-equipped fleet of aircraft with more than 3,400 flights daily, including its entire fleet of 570 domestic mainline aircraft. More than 870 Delta aircraft, including all Delta Connection two-class regional jets, are equipped with in-flight Wi-Fi service offering more than 400,000 customers per day access to the Internet above 10,000 feet.