It’s baaaaaaack…

It’s been nearly four years since Boeing shut down its satellite-based Connexion inflight-internet service. Lufthansa was a major customer, back in the day. Now, they’ve revived it, in partnership with Panasonic, and are once again dubbing it “FlyNet.”

The service is being rolled out first on “selected North Atlantic routes” — Frankfurt to New York-JFK, Detroit, and Atlanta, for starters — and is intended to be available globally by the end of 2011.

From the press release:

After opening the browser, they can automatically access the exclusive, free Lufthansa FlyNet portal, where they will find constantly updated news about economics, politics, sports and entertainment. Via this portal they can access the Internet service provided by Deutsche Telekom, which is to be paid from February 2011 on. Service provider information detailing the various billing options is available on this portal as well, including payment via credit card, via integrated roaming partners or by redeeming Miles & More award miles. The price for one hour’s online access is 10.95 euros or 3,500 miles, while the 24-hour flat rate is 19.95 euros or 7,000 miles. Under the 24-hour flat rate agreement, passengers can access the Internet on all Lufthansa connecting flights equipped with a hotspot during the period of validity as well as after the flight in Lufthansa lounges. Thanks to the introductory FlyNet offer, inflight Internet access will be available for free on FlyNet-equipped aircraft until January 31, 2011.

As an aside on the pricing structure: 7000 miles for 24 hours of access is ludicrously expensive. 19.95 euros — or around $26.50 at today’s exchange rates — is better value.

Also, notably: “In spring 2011, inflight data communication should also be possible using the mobile phone standards GSM and GPRS.” Data, not voice.

As Air Transport World notes, Turkish Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Dragonair and Gulf Air have similar plans to launch inflight internet on long-range flights.

Nice to see connectivity expanded on long flights. Now, let’s hear about in-seat power throughout the plane…

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So many posts that “got away” in the last week of limited posting… Here goes, taking a crack at the backlog!

U.S. exports miserable regional jet experience to China
This won’t bring balance to the trade deficit, but American regional jet powerhouse Mesa Airlines is starting an airline in China. (Mesa must be feeling confident, after starting up the all-Canadair “go!” inter-island airline in Hawaii.) Like its American operations as a contractor to the major airlines, the Chinese subsidiary will feed larger airlines with traffic from smaller cities, using 50-seat regional jets. Maybe they’ll have better on-time arrivals and baggage handling than they do in the U.S. Mesa’s performance (not to mention in-flight non-comfort) stinks, so the bar isn’t set very high.

Early start: British Airways’ summer business class fare sale
It’s only January, and British Airways is already discounting summer airfares between the U.S. and Europe… in business class. The roundtrip fare is okay, not great (starting at around $2500 roundtrip, including taxes). Travel between July 1 and September 2, 2007. See here.

Free taxi rides in New York City
But don’t get your hopes up. There are a grand total of five free cabs in New York. They’re easily identifiable, though: They’re decorated in (fake) cowhide to promote a bull-riding event. Good luck wrangling one.

New life for Connexion inflight internet?
Connexion by Boeing, the short-lived but generally well-liked global inflight internet service, might get a second lease on life. Lufthansa leads a consortium of airlines and tech companies trying to bring the service back up. Here’s hoping they get it going!

Hammertime! Blunt instruments defend your personal information
New U.S. passports will include RFID chips that contain your personal information, in addition to the printed/scannable inside page. The problem: The RFID chip can potentially be read by identity thieves using a scanner. So what’s the best way to disable the RFID without otherwise mangling your passport? A hammer.

Spell-check is your friend
If you’re traveling across two oceans to visit your girlfriend in Sydney, Australia, be sure you spell “Sydney” correctly. You don’t want to end up on a flight to Sidney, Montana.

“He had a bad night last night.” His morning won’t be any better.
Passenger gets drunk and unruly, and slaps a fellow passenger. Turns out the recipient of the slap is a federal air marshal. Jackpot!

Trip insurance, eBay style
If you got dumped right before a trip — a trip you planned as a romantic setting during which you would propose to your love — but you had already prepaid the travel, what would you do? If you’re Adam Croot, you go on the trip, but you auction off your ex’s share of the trip on eBay, in hopes of finding a new traveling companion.

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While Boeing has thrown in the towel on its satellite-based Connexion inflight internet service, there is a short-lived silver lining on this cloud.

Until the lights are turned off, you can use the service for FREE through the end of the year.

You need to sign up for the service in order to use it. See here.

As reported earlier, Panasonic is considering reviving the service in 2007, but it won’t be immediate or seamless. Milk the free internet while you can, though.

(via inflighthq)

Upgraded: First class meals on American Airlines
If your upgrade clears, your inflight meal may improve. Artisan breads, Ghirardelli chocolates, and the option of an antipasto/cheese snack in lieu of the ramekin of mixed nuts. Alternatives to the hot nuts? Blasphemy!
(Thanks, Benet!)

Downgraded: Gay travelers …also on American Airlines
Accusations of homophobia on board AA flight 45 from Paris to New York are percolating through the internet after the New Yorker’s article on a gay couple whose cuddles and smooches were met with flight attendant intervention. An attendant with “Texas hair, like from the nineteen-sixties,” demanded that the couple cease and desist. Ruckus ensued.
(Thanks, Stephen and John!)

Upgraded: Business class seats on bmi
Britain’s Star Alliance member, bmi, which operates a Manchester, UK hub for its international flights, is going fully lie-flat with its business-class seats.

Upgraded: Hotel bathrooms
Beds are better, furnishings nicer, and now, nicer hotel bathrooms, too. And missing? Tubs!

Upgraded: Passport photos
Downgraded: British security
A British man used his two-year old daughter’s passport to travel to the Netherlands. I guess he’s a young-looking fella.

Upgraded, maybe: Connexion inflight internet
Intercontinental internet junkies can hold out some hope: Panasonic is trying to step in and take over as provider of airplane broadband, after Boeing announced the forthcoming shutdown of its Connexion service. But it won’t just transition seamlessly, and will run on a different network, so don’t celebrate yet. As long as it works. Wonk out on the details here, if that’s your fancy.

Downgraded: Wine bars in Portland Airport
I love wine bars in airports, like the Vino Volo at Washington-Dulles. But if you’re going to have one, put it AFTER security… Portland, Oregon’s airport wine bar has been put on the deathwatch.

Coalition of conservative groups rewards porn-free hotels
Anyone who’s ever worked behind the scenes at a hotel will tell you that the pay-per-view pornography is a profit center. Now a coalition of conservative groups in the U.S. is targeting hotel porn, charging that it violates a range of local obscenity laws, and trying to get the FBI involved. They’re also publishing a list of porn-free hotels. I’d rather see an investigation of obscenely-priced minibar items. Or how about fighting for quieter doors?

JetBlue rewards one flyer a free t-shirt (in exchange for his civil liberties)
It’s not just British passengers who are afraid that brown-skinned passengers are all terrorists. Raed Jarrar, an Iraqi architect and blogger living in the United States, was treated to absolutely moronic security treatment at JFK airport a few weeks ago. Wearing a shirt with Arabic and English lettering, his shirt apparently bothered people enough to warrant an intervention by JetBlue and unnamed security officers. They insisted he change his shirt. After much wrangling, and after JetBlue bought him a NYC souvenir t-shirt, he succumbed and got onboard. Ughh. See here for an interview and here for a photo of him in the shirt, as well as his firsthand account of the events at JFK.

TSA rewards passenger’s fear of his mother with a cavity search
Advice: It’s better to be embarrassed and admit you’ve got a penis pump in your suitcase, even in front of your mom, than to say it’s a bomb.

Delta rewards well-dressed flyers
Dress spiffy on Delta, and you might get a prize. Really.

Europe rewards all flyers…with a fingerprinting
Coming soon to all European airports: all travelers will be required to submit to iris-scans or fingerprinting.

Banks reward loyal clients by refusing them access to cash overseas
Calling your bank before leaving the country, notifying them you’ll be traveling abroad, is always a good idea, so they don’t place a lock on your accounts. But apparently, that may not be enough. Some banks are blocking all ATM transactions in certain countries. See here for the story, and check with your bank.

Sherman’s Travel rewards U.S. postal service by going offline
The travel-deals website is going old-media, with a new magazine targeting readers interested in “luxury value.” Sounds a bit like this blog’s motto, no?

Reward thieves by using public wi-fi
Not much of a surprise, but public wi-fi, including that offered by hotels, is not very secure. Use a VPN or other security service whenever possible.

Second-mover advantage? ASiQ possibly rewarded by Connexion’s demise
Inflight internet over the oceans may soon be shut down, but ASI Entertainment claims to be stepping in with their inflight internet product. If it works, it would only be a quarter of the speed of Boeing’s soon-defunct Connexion. But if papa needs an internet fix…

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A sad day for internet junkies who travel longhaul: Boeing is officially discontinuing its Connexion service, which allowed users to surf the web at 35,000 feet, over land or sea. As announced previously, the service hasn’t caught on quickly enough and is unprofitable.

While no precise date has been given for the official shutdown date, the company is negotiating with customers for an “orderly phase-out.”

A number of airlines have installed the service on their planes, and they’re bound to be upset at this. Not to mention those few but dedicated fans of inflight surfing who were willing to pay $9.95 per hour or $26.95 per flight for access.

Perhaps the current airline customers will chip in and take it off Boeing’s hands, but that seems unlikely.

Alternative systems like AirCell and LiveTV are readying to enter the North American market, but they have no coverage over oceans.

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