Say Good-Bye to Connexion
It seems that it'll take longer for wireless services to gain a foothold on airliners. Boeing has announced plans to end its Connexion service. Now its customers will no longer be able to use their GSM or CDMA phones in-flight, nor can they access the Internet from their laptops or PDAs.
Perhaps Boeing over-estimated how much passengers were willing to pay. $27 buys you internet access for an entire flight, but only long-distance commuters will benefit from this. 1 to 3 hour rates are $9.95, $14.95, and $17.95 respectively.
No Home Court Advantage: Reuters also mentions reluctance by US airlines to adopt the service as another reason for its failure. US-based Boeing doesn't seem to have friends at home in this respect, as only Air China, ANA (Japan), Asiana Airlines, China Airlines, El Al (Israel), Etihad (UAE), JAL, Korean Air, Lufthansa, SAS, and Singapore Airlines currently carry the service.
Thanks to RCR Wireless News for the heads-up.
