Frequent Business Traveler » Gogo

In-Flight Internet Provider Gogo Files For IPO

Paul Riegler — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:00:49 +0000

Gogo, the predominant provider of in-flight Internet access in North America, filed to go public today. In its filing statement with the SEC, the company said it currently has equipped 1,177 commercial aircraft with Internet access. This represents roughly 85% of all Internet-enabled commercial airplanes in North America.

The company’s launch customer was American Airlines, which put the first Gogo-equipped commercial planes into service in 2008 . Gogo also offers Wi-Fi-based in-flight entertainment platforms.

In November of this year, Gogo announced it will begin offering its service on international flight within two years.

Gogo’s revenue for the first nine months of 2011 was $113.8 million, an 89% year-over-year increase. Its operating loss for the same period was $26.5 million, compared to $66.4 million in the same period in 2010. More than half of the company’s revenue is derived from the private aviation market, by installing equipment and providing in-flight Internet service to companies that manufacturer or lease private planes, including Bombardier, Gulfstream, and NetJets.

The IPO is being managed by Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, UBS, Allen & Co., Evercore Partners and William Blair. Ripplewood Holdings, an investment firm, owns roughly 38% of the company

Delta First Class New York JFK to Phoenix Flight 1481 Review

Jonathan Spira — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:42:45 +0000

Pan Am’s Worldport, which opened in 1960 at the John F. Kennedy International Airport (then Idlewild) in New York, was a harbinger of the jet age. Terminal 3, as it is known today, is used by Delta Air Lines for many of its international flights.

Since I hadn’t flown out of Terminal 3 since Pan Am’s days, I checked with the experts at the Delta forum on FlyerTalk, where several recommended using the SkyPriority drop-off area at Terminal 2 (which opened in 1962 as the home of Northeast Airlines, Braniff, and Northwest Airlines). The wait on the SkyPriority line for the security checkpoint was five minutes at most and soon my colleague Christian Stampfer, our European Editor, and I were airside.

We headed for the SkyClub, which was nicely furnished and provided a quiet haven from the busy goings on at JFK. Light refreshments such as salty snacks, vegetables, and drinks were available and SkyClub staff members were very welcoming.

BOARDING

Approximately 45 minutes prior to departure, we left the SkyClub and arrived at the gate, where boarding had already begun.

First class passengers were invited to board first and also via the SkyPriority queue at any time during the boarding process. Once on board, we found individual bottles of water awaiting at each seat and flight attendants were offering pre-departure beverages and offering to hang up coats and jackets.

SEAT COMFORT

Our aircraft, a single-aisle Boeing 757-200, featured domestic first-class seats in a 2-2 configuration. Pitch was 37” and the seat reclined to a comfortable position. Seat width was 21”.

The seats are so close together that it is not possible to put your tray table back into the seatback in front of you if the passenger in that seat has reclined. Other airlines operating the 757-200, such as American Airlines, have a pitch of 39” and the two-inch difference does, indeed, make a difference.

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

When our plane was number two for takeoff, we suddenly started to return to the gate. It turned out that a passenger had become ill and needed to disembark. It took about 15 minutes to return to the gate and the captain announced that the plane would be met by paramedics. Unfortunately for the ill passenger, none were there and confusion seemed to reign.

It took close to 30 minutes after arriving at the gate before the paramedics arrived. One gate agent who boarded the plane commented that she had been told that no paramedics were needed; in total, at least five Delta employees and two Port Authority police officers boarded the plane before the paramedics and, all in all, starting from the time we started our return to the gate, the ill passenger had to wait almost 45 minutes for the paramedics.

We finally started our second attempt at departure at 8:30, one hour and 38 minutes behind schedule.

Click here to continue to Page 2 – In-flight Service and In-flight Internet

Gogo Goes Global

Paul Riegler — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:20:04 +0000

Gogo, an in-flight Internet provider, announced it will begin offering its service on international flight within two years. Thanks to a partnership with Inmarsat, a mobile satellite communications company, Gogo will offer Ka-band satellite service on a regional basis starting in 2013 with global availability the following year.

“One of our goals,” said Michael Schmidt, Gogo’s CEO, “is to be able to provide technology solutions that enable us to service the full-fleet needs of our current and future airline partners; regardless of aircraft size or mission.”

Gogo to Offer Free In-Flight Online Shopping

Paul Riegler — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:45:40 +0000

Gogo announced it will offer passengers 30 minutes of free Internet access starting the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, a day Gogo has dubbed “FlyBuy Wednesday.”

Gogo has partnered with major retailers including Amazon.com, Best Buy, Macy’s, and Target to provide flyers with special in-flight discounts. Internet access is limited to Gogo’s shopping partners.

The free Internet access will be available for the remainder of the year.

SEE MORE FREQUENT BUSINESS TRAVELER NEWS

American Airlines Gogo Entertainment On Demand In-Flight Streaming Video Review

Eva Leonard — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:03:04 +0000

This summer, American Airlines became the first airline in North America to offer Entertainment On Demand in-flight streaming video. The new technology, powered by Gogo, enables customers to wirelessly stream content such as movies and TV shows from an in-flight library to select Wi-Fi-enabled laptops during flights. I recently tested American Airlines Entertainment on Demand in-flight streaming video on AA flight 179 from New York’s JFK airport to San Francisco (SFO). It was not working on my return flight from SFO to JFK however.

Entertainment on Demand is currently available onboard American Airlines flights on 15 767-200 aircraft – primarily transcontinental flights between New York JFK and Los Angeles and JFK and San Francisco. In addition, it is to be installed on more than 90 MD-80 aircraft before the end of 2011. The remainder of the Wi-Fi-enabled fleet, including additional MD-80 aircraft and Boeing 737-800 aircraft, will be equipped with streaming video by the end of 2012.

Seated in economy class on this flight’s Boeing 767-200 aircraft, I found that there was no outlet at my seat to charge my laptop. The passenger sitting in the closest seat with an outlet declined the flight attendant’s request to share hers with me. Although the flight attendant persuaded a more accommodating passenger to switch seats with me, the outlet at my new seat wasn’t working. Fortunately, my laptop had enough juice for the task at hand.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Currently, American Airlines’ in-flight streaming video supports recent versions of popular Web browsers on Windows and Mac platforms including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. Gogo will be adding support for certain Android Tablets on December 1, and for the iPad shortly thereafter.

After we reached cruising altitude, I powered up my laptop and accessed the service. After clicking on Gogo’s Entertainment on Demand banner, I was able to browse movie selections and view trailers quickly and easily before renting a title. I then selected a movie, set up an account, entered payment info, and installed the required browser plug-in.

The more than 100 TV shows ($0.99 cents each) and movies ($3.99 each) available included current shows and films, as well as classics such as “Vertigo” and “Psycho.” After setting Chrome as my default browser, I chose “The Interpreter,” with Nicole Kidman, and followed Gogo’s instructions to download the Widevine Media Transformer Chrome plug-in, which took only seconds.

The Gogo system allows passengers to watch rentals in full-screen mode, and although I found the picture quality to be so clear and sharp that I was immediately engrossed in the film, the audio was quite low and tinny, even when I cranked up the volume. However, this was probably due to the fact that I was using standard earphones, rather than noise-canceling headphones.

Passengers can switch between multiple film rentals (storing selections in Gogo’s My Library section) and finish watching film selections on the ground within 24 hours of purchase, and TV selections within 72 hours of purchase.

BOTTOM LINE

Although I was very pleased with the in-flight streaming video experience, when I tried to view the film on the ground, within 24 hours of rental, I couldn’t. While in-flight, even though I clicked on Gogo’s link to ground-viewing instructions, I couldn’t find them.

After my flight, a Gogo representative explained that the resumption of play on the ground is accessed from a link on the bottom of the customer’s email receipt, provided, of course, that there is an Internet connection and that the customer is within the U.S. territories. (Customers should not clear browser cookies prior to playing.)

Although most at-home broadband connections support playback of TV or video, some Wi-Fi hot spots, such as airport terminals, may have insufficient bandwidth to support playback.

Gogo’s FAQ has a couple of entries regarding this feature, but the Gogo rep agreed that the feature is not accessible enough, and noted that Gogo will be adding a more prominent link to resume play of unexpired rentals on its ground portal in the near future.

RELATED REVIEWS FROM THIS TRIP

American Airlines Business Class Flight 20 San Francisco to New York JFK Review
Vino Volo Wine Lounge, Restaurant and Wine Shop San Francisco Airport Review

American Airlines Business Class Flight 20 San Francisco to New York JFK Review

Eva Leonard — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:01:11 +0000

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is the tenth busiest airport in the U.S. and the 12th largest in the world. Among its many unusual amenities are the Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum and the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library. I arrived a couple of hours early at SFO’s Terminal 2 for my 3 p.m. flight. Short queues at both business-class check-in and the Priority Access security lane took about five minutes each to clear, as they moved smoothly, aided by pleasant, efficient personnel.

To pass the time until boarding, I headed to enjoy a glass of wine at Vino Volo (see separate review ). the wine lounge, restaurant and boutique wine shop, located opposite the American Airlines Admirals Club lounge, just after security.

Near the gate, about a five-minute walk from security, a number of waiting passengers were happily ensconced in the very comfortable Arne Jacobsen “Egg” chairs with which American has stylishly furnished the terminal. Ample quality dining options near the gate included celebrity chef Cat Cora’s restaurant and a sushi bar.

BOARDING

First class boarded first, then business class and Priority Access passengers. Aboard this B767, business class was in a 2-2-2 configuration, and pillows and duvets had been placed on the seats. After we were seated, we were offered water, Champagne, or orange juice.

SEAT COMFORT

Seats in business class on American’s 767-200s have a pitch of 49 to 50 inches, a 50-degree recline and an 18.5-inch width. I found that the seat was comfortable for working, dining, and relaxing, and the recline would have been sufficient for light dozing.

IN-FLIGHT INTERNET

Once aloft, I was able to access the Internet via Gogo Wi-Fi, but the new Entertainment On Demand streaming video system was not available on this flight, as it had been on my JFK-SFO leg. To charge my Lenovo ThinkPad, I used the Innergie mCube Mini 90W auto/air laptop adapter, which fit easily into the seat’s cigarette lighter style socket and worked without a hitch. The MCube Mini comes with 10 tips to accommodate a range of laptops (excluding Mac), a travel pouch, and a car/air charger.

Click here to continue to Page 2 – The Flight, Arrival, and Virtual Tour of SFO Terminal 2

Delta Adds Gogo Vision Video-On-Demand and Wi-Fi Portal

Eva Leonard — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 21:27:26 +0000

Delta Air Lines launched new in-flight entertainment options in conjunction with its wireless partner Gogo. The Delta Connect Wi-Fi portal offers passengers free access to real-time travel information, destination content, news and information, and on-line shopping. Gift.com and OpenTable.com are included in the free content.

In addition, Delta announced the deployment of Gogo’s new video-on-demand service, Gogo Vision, on its fleet of 16 Boeing 757-300 aircraft. Gogo Vision allows passengers to continue viewing a movie after they have landed, in case they didn’t have time to finish it while on the flight. Delta is Gogo’s second partner for the service; it was launched in August on American Airlines.

Delta Connect and Gogo Vision are available to passengers regardless as to whether they purchase Gogo’s Wi-Fi service. There is a fee ranging from $.99 (television programs) to $3.99 (movies) for the entertainment service.

American Airlines First Class Flight 181 New York JFK Los Angeles Review

Paul Riegler — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 19:24:39 +0000

American Airlines flies as many as ten flights each day from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Los Angeles, with many passengers continuing on to far away destinations including Sydney, Australia and Hawaii. Flights from JFK to Los Angeles and San Francisco offer American Flagship Service (AFS) and most utilize the Boeing 767-200 aircraft , which has a three-class configuration with ten first-class seats, 30 business-class seats, and 128 seats in the main cabin.

I arrived at JFK having printed my boarding pass at home and proceeded directly to the Admiral’s Club lounge to relax before the flight.

BOARDING

By the time I got to the gate, boarding was well underway. American Airlines offers first and business class passengers, as well as full-fare main cabin passengers and top-level AAdvantage program members, PriorityAAccess priority boarding. This includes a priority lane at the gate as well as at the security checkpoint. Priority AAccess passengers can board at any time. First and business class passengers can also board the aircraft before passengers seated in the main cabin

Boarding was completed very quickly and we pushed back on schedule. As I settled in, a flight attendant was hanging up coats (I didn’t have one, thanks to the heat wave) and offering a choice of pre-departure drinks.

SEAT COMFORT

American’s 767-200s feature the Voyager first class seats up front. The seats are in a 2-1-2 configuration, have a 60” pitch, and recline to 150°. There are direct selection buttons for Bed, Takeoff/Landing, and Dining via a convenient touchpad. The bed position is not quite flat but extremely comfortable. The pull-out tray table has an extension for personal video devices.

The seats feature a cloth seating area and leather trim and, thanks to three motors, have almost infinite adjustability. There is also a built-in massage function accessible via the touchpad.

The duvet was far to warm to use during the heat wave and the pillows, as I have observed before, are not fluffy enough. The pillow case’s fabric feels synthetic and was somewhat uncomfortable.

Click here to continue to Page 2 – In-Flight Internet and In-Flight Service

United Continental To Invest $500 Million in Lie-Flat Seats, In-Flight Entertainment, and More Overhead Bin Space

Paul Riegler — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:00:31 +0000

At the Global Business Travel Association annual convention in Denver, United Continental Holdings announced plans to invest more than $500 million in onboard improvements to its aircraft.

The planned improvements include adding lie-flat seats to 62 long-haul aircraft, bringing the total number of aircraft with flat-bed seats in the fleet to 185, more than any other U.S. airline. In addition, the company will continue its upgrades to its three-class Boeing 777 aircraft. Currently, 17 of 46 777s (the airline has 19 777-200s and 33 777-200ERs) have flat-bed seating and new in-flight entertainment systems in first and business class. More than one dozen 777s will be retrofitted in 2011.

Starting next month, United Continental will install all-new flat-bed seats along with on-demand audio and video programming plus iPod connectivity on 26 Boeing 767 aircraft, comprised of 12 Continental 767-400 aircraft and 14 United 767-300 aircraft. These airliners will serve trans-Atlantic, Latin American, and Hawaiian markets with BusinessFirst business class and economy cabins. The 767-400s from Continental will also get EconomyPlus seating with extra legroom and the Channel 9 air traffic audio channel which has been a fixture on United aircraft, allowing passengers to listen in to the cockpit crew’s interaction with air-traffic controllers during the flight.

EconomyPlus will be added to all Continental mainline aircraft to provide a consistent experience with United, which has EconomyPlus deployed throughout its fleet.

Other improvements include plans to deploy of streaming wireless video on its 747-400 aircraft once a vendor has been selected (American Airlines recently announced a trial of Gogo’s streaming video service ) and new overhead bins on Airbus 319 and 320 aircraft that will double the space available for non-checked baggage in the aircraft. The airline’s 152 Airbus single-aisle aircraft will also get new carpets and lighting.

The company’s so-called “p.s.” fleet of 13 757 aircraft that serve the New York to San Francisco and Los Angeles routes will be reconfigured with lie-flat beds in business class, an Economy Plus section, and a main cabin section. Every row will have power ports and each passenger will have access to Wi-Fi and on-demand audio and video services.

Exclusive Interview: American Airlines Officials Discuss Boeing, Airbus Deal

Jonathan Spira — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:31:20 +0000

Gerard Arpey at the announcement

Yesterday, after weeks of speculation, American Airlines announced the largest ever order for new aircraft. Would it be Boeing? Or perhaps Airbus? In the end, it turned out to be both. With one of the oldest fleets among major U.S. carriers, American’s ambitious five-year fleet renewal plan meant that no one manufacturer could deliver within the airline’s timeline.

According to American Airlines executives we spoke with, the deal “was literally signed in the dark hours of the night.” Until shortly before the deal was announced, “we didn’t even know whether this was going to be one manufacturer [or] two.”

They told us that the deal consumed “a huge amount of corporate brainpower, time, energy, [and] focus for weeks and weeks and weeks.” As a result, in some respects little if any planning has been done in terms of specifics, such as what routes the new planes will fly, how many will be deployed where, and so on.

Airbus A321

“Today’s news,” said an executive at the company, “is by and large very good news for your audience in almost every case that I can think of. And I also think they will be thrilled with the speed with which this happens, which is one of the reasons we did two deals to get these planes in 5 years which is bordering on unprecedented.”

Jonathan Spira and Ben Rossi discussed the announcement with Gerard Arpey, American Airlines’ CEO, and Tim Smith, an official spokesman for the company.

THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MARKET

Jonathan Spira: As you know, my main interest is the business travel market. I presume you want to attract new corporate travelers to the airline through a major fleet renewal, so I wondered if you would want to comment on the perceived impact of the aircraft acquisition on one of your largest and most important groups of customers.

Gerard Arpey: What we have tried to do with our own network and OneWorld partners is try to create a global network that is the best network for premium traffic. So if you look at our five cornerstones in the U.S., New York, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, L.A., those are, if not the top, among the top premium markets around the world. Looking beyond there’s British Airways with its Heathrow hub, Iberia with its Madrid hub, JAL in Japan, Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong… it’s designed to focus on premium business traffic. But the other piece of the puzzle is having a quality product on board our aircraft and these airplanes are going to allow us to make a lot of progress on that front

Click here to continue to Page 2 – Fleet Reallocation, Fuel Economy, Premium Cabin, Inflight Entertainment/Internet, Routes, American Eagle/OneWorld