Singapore Airlines plans to introduce inflight mobile phone and Internet access in May this year, beginning with its flagship Airbus A380 fleet.
Several pricing models are believed to be under consideration, beginning with a low-cost package suitable for Webmail services such as Google Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail as well as a 30MB allowance for around SGD$25 (that’s $20 Aussie and US, and £120 and €14).
The airline is polling selected members of its KrisFlyer frequent flyer loyalty program to participate “in an online survey about your attitudes towards inflight mobile and Internet services, which we are planning to introduce from May 2011” according to the email invitation.
The survey asks travellers for their opinions on pricing packages such as SGD$25 for 30MB, as well as if mobile phone calls and SMS messages should be permitted.
Should passengers be allowed to make and take calls at 30,000 feet they’ll pay plenty for the privilege, with calls being charged at international roaming rates.
As it’s up to each country to decide what those rates are – and with Singapore Airlines effectively being its own ‘country’ in terms of providing a fully controlled and self-contained telecoms system on board each plane – those rates could literally be sky high.
Several pricing models are believed to be under consideration, beginning with a low-cost package suitable for Webmail services such as Google Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail as well as a 30MB allowance for around SGD$25 (that’s $20 Aussie and US, and £120 and €14).
The airline is polling selected members of its KrisFlyer frequent flyer loyalty program to participate “in an online survey about your attitudes towards inflight mobile and Internet services, which we are planning to introduce from May 2011” according to the email invitation.
The survey asks travellers for their opinions on pricing packages such as SGD$25 for 30MB, as well as if mobile phone calls and SMS messages should be permitted.
Should passengers be allowed to make and take calls at 30,000 feet they’ll pay plenty for the privilege, with calls being charged at international roaming rates.
As it’s up to each country to decide what those rates are – and with Singapore Airlines effectively being its own ‘country’ in terms of providing a fully controlled and self-contained telecoms system on board each plane – those rates could literally be sky high.
