{"id":140,"date":"2009-02-12T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-02-12T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2009\/02\/united-plans-wi-fi-on-some-transcontinental-flights\/"},"modified":"2016-12-17T13:41:38","modified_gmt":"2016-12-17T19:41:38","slug":"united-plans-wi-fi-on-some-transcontinental-flights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2009\/02\/united-plans-wi-fi-on-some-transcontinental-flights\/","title":{"rendered":"United plans Wi-Fi on some transcontinental flights"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"United<\/a> By Joe Brancatelli<\/em><\/p>\n

CYBERTRAVELER<\/strong><\/p>\n

Slowly They Wire, Flight By Flight<\/strong>\u2026United Airlines<\/a><\/strong> says it will offer GoGo in-flight Internet<\/strong> service on its two p.s. routes (New York-Los Angeles<\/strong> and New York-San Francisco<\/strong>). The Wi-Fi service will begin later this year and cost $12.95 a flight. If that sounds like good news, the truth is that the pace of Internet adoption on planes has been glacial. Despite all the hype around in-flight Internet in recent months, only about two dozen American Airlines<\/a>, Delta Air Lines<\/a> andVirgin America jets are currently offering Wi-Fi. While Delta claims it will have most of its domestic fleet wired this year, the airline's actual performance has lagged far behind its promises. And during a conference call with airline-industry analysts this month, American Airlines pointedly avoided saying that its current Wi-Fi test on about a dozen aircraft will be expanded any time soon. Two other airlines that have promised Internet access with another Wi-Fi provider, Alaska and Southwest, have not even begun the testing that was due to begin last year.<\/p>\n

IN THE LOBBY<\/strong><\/p>\n

More Hotels Gush Out of the Development Pipeline<\/strong>: With four in ten rooms in the nation now empty on an average night, there isn't much need for new hotels<\/a><\/strong>. But since it takes a few years for properties to go from conception to reality, a huge number of hotels continue to gush from the development pipeline. Here what's new: A 136-room Holiday Inn<\/strong> has opened in Long Island City in the New York City borough of Queens. \u2026 In Manhattan, the 124-room Wyndham Garden Inn<\/strong> opened in the increasingly crowded Chelsea neighborhood. \u2026 Starwood<\/a><\/strong> has opened an Aloft<\/strong> property in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the 250-room Westin<\/strong> in Richmond, Virginia. \u2026 After 13 years of planning, false starts and controversy, the 614-room Omni Fort Worth<\/strong> has opened across the street from the city's convention center. \u2026 Out on the West Coast, Hyatt has opened the Andaz WestHollywood<\/strong> on the site of the old Hyatt on Sunset.<\/p>\n

Related Orbitz resources<\/strong><\/p>\n