More than three years ago I wrote a post noting that gogo internet service www.gogoair.com was so-so.   I’ve used the service when available and again this past week I flew on a certain airline that offered the gogo internet service.    I’m here to report that there has been zero improvement in three years.

Does this surprise you as much as it does me?  Three years?   Prices have only increased – $ 14.00 for an all-day pass, $40.00 for a ‘monthly’ traveler pass on one airline.   Also offered is unlimited monthly service on any airline for $50.00.

If there are inherent limitations on the speed and signal consistency when traveling in an airplane at 30,000 plus feet, then why do we have to pay a fee that is so out of sync with the level of service?    Are we to expect that if a truly fast and reliable service were to be available on airlines that should cost $25.00 per flight or $100.00 per month for unlimited service?    It appears that in concert with the airlines gogo internet service is simply a price-gouge and you get what you get.   Count me among those that are entirely unimpressed and even a bit aggravated.

Being able to work online, and even watch a web video, is an excellent way to pass what is mostly boring time in the air.   I can see a site like Skype being blocked (nobody I know is in favor of telephone calls in the air being allowed), and I can also understand that an application like Facetime should be blocked( or disabled) so as to deny an online actual conversation.   Trust me when I tell you that none of your fellow passengers have ANY interest in being privy to your in-air conversations any more than they are interested when you are talking at length while riding the train (sorry a personal pet peeve).

When it comes to in-the-air Wi-Fi I ask, ‘Where are the competing offerings?’  I imagine there are complicated reasons involved in the process but accepting things the way they are is not good enough for me.  

How about your experiences using Wi-Fi in the air?