American Airlines passengers hoping to be productive and have more options for what to do with their time in-flight will have their wishes fulfilled in 2008 as the airline has announced they teamed up with wireless data and voice communications provider, AirCell to test the use of broadband services with passengers across the US.

 

Whether you’re a business or leisure traveler looking to check emails, surf the web or get some work done while away from the office, having a Wi-Fi connection has become the norm just about anywhere, and adding it as an option while in-flight, raises the bar.

 

With the new in-flight capabilities, users can connect using their Wi-Fi enabled laptops, PDAs, iPhones, BlackBerrys and portable gaming systems.

 

The broadband connections are made available thanks to AirCell's air-to-ground network, which "uses the latest technology to transmit and receive data between the ground and the aircraft," a news release noted.  

 

Testing for the service will be conducted on American Airlines Boeing 767-200 aircraft and will offer nationwide in-flight broadband internet service.

Dan Garton, Executive Vice President - Marketing for American Airlines commented in a statement to the press, "We understand that broadband connectivity is important to our business customers and others who want to use their PDAs and laptops for real-time, in-flight broadband communications. This is part of our continuing effort to take the lead in enhancing the travel experience for our customers and meet their evolving needs."

 

The cost for the broadband service will be announced at the time of roll-out.