Boeing just announced that it is shutting down it’s in-flight Internet service Connexion. So if you had planned on surfing the Web during that next flight to Bangkok, forget about it.
In this article , the company said that the service had just not taken off as fast as they had expected. Apparently they’re bleeding red ink on it, as they took a $320 million write-off on their books. Here’s where it was in use:
“Many carriers flying over the Pacific Ocean used the service, including long-haul flights from Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and New York.
Deutsche Lufthansa offered the service on about 50 flights. Scandinavian Airlines System, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, All-Nippon Airways, Singapore Airlines and China Airlines also offered Connexion.”
This was probably mainly used by business travelers, however, due to the hefty price tag: $9.95 for an hour, $26.95 for a whole flight. If you’ve got work to do, that’s worth shelling out for. If you’re just going to use it to check out hotornot.com, probably a waste of cash.
So, back to the old school days, where when you’re on a flight, you are out of touch with the world. Not a bad thing actually. Maybe people will, oh, read a book?
