If you fly Alaska Airlines, your onboard Wi-Fi is expected to get up to 20 times faster under a plan to convert to a satellite-based Internet system. With an air-to-ground system, passengers can’t connect to the Wi-Fi system until the plane reaches 10,000 feet. Alaska Airlines’ current Wi-Fi system is provided by Chicago-based Gogo Inflight Internet, the same company that will provide the new satellite-based service. Alaska Airlines plans to begin its conversion to the faster system in the first half of 2018, with hopes of expanding the service to all Alaska Airlines planes and those of Virgin America by early 2020. Alaska Airlines said the new price will be revealed in “the near future” but suggested the fare may drop under the faster Wi-Fi system.

Source: Los Angeles Times August 26, 2017 12:56 UTC