American Airlines Launches Aircell's Mobile Broadband Service 'Gogo' |
American is the First Airline to Offer Full Inflight Internet in the U.S.
on the Entire 767-200 Fleet
FORT WORTH, Texas and ITASCA, Ill., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Marking the beginning of the next wireless revolution, American Airlines
made history today with the launch of the mobile broadband service,
Gogo(TM) provided by Aircell(R).
Effective today, customers traveling on American's Boeing 767-200
aircraft can access complete coast-to-coast coverage on nonstop flights
between New York and San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles, and New York
and Miami. American, the world's largest airline and founding member of the
oneworld(R) Alliance, and Aircell, the world's leading provider of airborne
communications, have joined together to bring the first full inflight
broadband service to the U.S. market.
"We are pleased to provide our customers with the unprecedented ability
to stay connected to their family, friends and business associates on the
ground via the Internet while traveling at 30,000 feet above the United
States," said Dan Garton, American's Executive Vice President - Marketing.
"With today's launch, American Airlines makes history as the first and only
U.S. airline to offer customers full inflight Internet connectivity,
demonstrating once again our industry leadership and focus on our
customers."
Aircell's Gogo will be available to customers as a fee-based service in
all cabins. Aircell will charge $12.95 on flights more than three hours,
which include American's Boeing 767-200 flights. Each paid Gogo session
includes full Internet access. Cell phone and Voice over Internet Protocol
(VOIP) services are not available.
Gogo turns an American Airlines flight into a Wi-Fi hotspot, enabling
passengers to surf the Web, check any email, Instant Message, access a
corporate VPN, and more. Once the aircraft has reached 10,000 feet, users
can simply turn on their Wi-Fi enabled devices such as laptops, smartphones
and PDAs, open their browsers and be directed to the Gogo portal page where
they sign up and begin surfing. Gogo is powered by the Aircell
air-to-ground (ATG) Broadband System, which runs over Aircell's exclusive
nationwide network.
"Today, U.S. air travel changes forever. With Aircell's unique ATG
inflight Internet service, airlines finally have an economically viable
option for providing the broadband connectivity passengers are demanding,"
said Jack Blumenstein, President and CEO, Aircell. "American Airlines is
the first to bring inflight Internet to market, and today the days of being
cut off from the rest of the world while in the air become history."
About American Airlines
American Airlines is the world's largest airline. American, American
Eagle and the AmericanConnection(R) airlines serve 250 cities in over 40
countries with more than 4,000 daily flights. The combined network fleet
numbers more than 1,000 aircraft. American's award-winning Web site,
AA.com, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus
personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a
founding member of the oneworld(R) Alliance, which brings together some of
the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer
their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on
its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in over 140
countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle
Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines,
American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com and AAdvantage are registered
trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR).
About Aircell
Aircell is the world's leading provider of airborne communications. As
winner of an exclusive FCC frequency license in 2006, Aircell(R) has built
a revolutionary mobile broadband network for commercial and business
aviation. In 2008, the Aircell Network and its inflight portal, Gogo(TM),
revolutionized the commercial airline passenger flight experience by
delivering a robust Internet experience at 35,000 feet. In addition, the
Aircell Network provides airlines with connectivity to operations and a
path to enhanced cabin services such as video, audio, television and more.
A similar feature set is available to Business aircraft operators. Aircell
has facilities in Broomfield, Colorado, and Itasca, Illinois. Aircell's
vision is to give everyone the ability to stay in touch, in flight(R). For
more information about Aircell, please visit http://www.aircell.com.
About Gogo(TM)
Gogo, powered by Aircell, turns a commercial airplane into a Wi-Fi
hotspot with true inflight Internet access. Passengers with Wi-Fi enabled
devices, such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs, can surf the Web, check any
e-mail, Instant Message, access a corporate VPN and more. For more
information about Gogo, please visit http://www.gogoinflight.com.
Aircell, Gogo, and in touch, in flight are trademarks of Aircell LLC.
AmericanAirlines(R) We know why you fly(R)
Current AMR Corp. releases can be accessed on the Internet.
The address is http://www.aa.com
SOURCE American Airlines
back to topRelated links:
CONTACT:
Charley Wilson of American Airlines Corporate
Communications, +1-817-967-1577, corp.comm@aa.com; or Brenda
Chroniak of RF|Binder, +1-781-455-8250, aircell@rfbinder.com, for
Aircell
