Could Free Inflight WiFi Be the Future? Delta Air Lines Thinks So
byDaniel McCarthy/
Delta Air Lines本周已开始在其一些国内航班上测试免费的WiFi,这是为期两周的计划的一部分,它可能会导致“实现其愿景”,将WiFi添加到免费的车载体验中。
The test program, which kicks off in all cabins on some of Delta’s short-, medium-, and long-haul routes, does not support content streaming but does give travelers the ability to browse, email, shop, message, and more, all free of charge. Flyers will be notified by Delta if they’re on a test flight with an email or a notification on the Fly Delta app.
Delta Onboard Product总监Ekrem Dimbiloglu说:“客户几乎习惯了在旅途的其他所有方面都可以访问免费WiFi,而且Delta认为飞行时也应该是免费的。”
According to Dimbiloglu, the key for rolling the program out will be testing. “This takes a lot more creativity, investment and planning to bring to life than a simple flip of a switch,” he said. Delta said it needs to understand customer preferences and system performance before it can move forward, and more rounds of testing after this two-week period are likely.
"As with any test in uncharted territory, Delta will rely heavily on customer and employee feedback to navigate how to best make free in-flight WiFi a reality," Dimbiloglu said.
Right now, Delta offers WiFi onboard for a fee — a day pass for North America flights costs $16 and an international flight day pass costs $28. Delta also offers two longer passes for domestic flyers, one monthly that costs $29.95 and one annually that runs $599.99. The carrier does offer free access to its entertainment studio, Delta Studio, via seat-back screens and through personal devices.
If Delta follows through on its goal to add free WiFi onboard, it will join JetBlue, the only other domestic carrier to offer free WiFi onboard. American Airlines charges $16 for a day pass on its domestic flights, and United Airlines charges between $19 and $29 for its full-day passes.
达美航空去年首先提到了免费WiFi的前景。达美首席执行官埃德·巴斯蒂安(Ed Bastian)在纽约的Skift全球论坛上发表讲话说,他的航空公司旨在使WiFi不仅更快,而且免费。他说:“除了在飞机上,我不知道其他任何地方都无法获得免费的Wi-Fi。”尽管在某些情况下,有些酒店和机场继续向客户收取wifi的费用)。