5 ms·

Google gifts: free airline wifi for the holidays

44 points by cshenoy 16y ago

dshankar 16y ago
I wonder if Gogo inflight can also fall victim to Firesheep? If I recall, it uses no security other than a authentication webpage.
- bhousel 16y ago
  Why do they even need an authentication webpage for free wifi? Other than maybe to accept terms of service.. But my point is, what's on there worth protecting?
  - jrockway 16y ago
    It's not typically free.
  - jonknee 16y ago
    It's not normally free so an authentication page is usually required, but for this I'd imagine that Google would like to get their name in there for people who take advantage.
BCM43 16y ago
This is not good timing for them. http://gizmodo.com/5679794/all-these-terrorist-scares-are-putting-in+flight-wi+fi-at-risk http://gizmodo.com/5679794/all-these-terrorist-scares-are-pu...
- jrockway 16y ago
  "Or if a passenger could use a cellphone to transmit to the hold of the aeroplane he is in, he could become a very effective suicide bomber." Don't tell them what Bluetooth is...
  - jeebusroxors 16y ago
    What about FRS/GMRS or even 2m HTs (ham radio)? Last time I checked they weren't banned. Oh, but you do need permission from the pilot to use them...
henryl 16y ago
More information here: http://www.freeholidaywifi.com http://www.freeholidaywifi.com
fname 16y ago
Shameless plug: AirTran and Virgin have wifi available on every flight, but Delta does not. So, find out which flights to book on Delta @ http://www.haswifi.com http://www.haswifi.com
- araneae 16y ago
  Kayak also has information on this if you're looking up a flight from there. You can also use "has wi-fi" as filter.
mrtron 16y ago
They offered free airport wifi last holidays - i specifically took notice if their branding because it was such a handy offer.
dotBen 16y ago
The economics of in-flight wifi assume that no more than a handfull of passengers are using the system, otherwise connectivity just gets jammed. By charging, you create the scarcity that makes such a system viable. By offering it free, you potentially make it available to no-one as suddenly everyone who has a laptop (prob most people flying in/out of SFO for example) is going to want to get on. If I was taking a cross-country flight this holiday, I'd rather the system stayed for $$ so that I knew that I had a chance to get access to a usable system rather than turn up for my flight expecting connectivity and end up bored and disappointed because I can't get any bandwidth.

44 points by cshenoy 16y ago

I wonder if Gogo inflight can also fall victim to Firesheep? If I recall, it uses no security other than a authentication webpage.

bhousel 16y ago
Why do they even need an authentication webpage for free wifi? Other than maybe to accept terms of service.. But my point is, what's on there worth protecting?
- jrockway 16y ago
  It's not typically free.
- jonknee 16y ago
  It's not normally free so an authentication page is usually required, but for this I'd imagine that Google would like to get their name in there for people who take advantage.

BCM43 16y ago

This is not good timing for them. http://gizmodo.com/5679794/all-these-terrorist-scares-are-putting-in+flight-wi+fi-at-risk http://gizmodo.com/5679794/all-these-terrorist-scares-are-pu...

jrockway 16y ago
"Or if a passenger could use a cellphone to transmit to the hold of the aeroplane he is in, he could become a very effective suicide bomber." Don't tell them what Bluetooth is...
- jeebusroxors 16y ago
  What about FRS/GMRS or even 2m HTs (ham radio)? Last time I checked they weren't banned. Oh, but you do need permission from the pilot to use them...

henryl 16y ago

More information here: http://www.freeholidaywifi.com http://www.freeholidaywifi.com

fname 16y ago

Shameless plug: AirTran and Virgin have wifi available on every flight, but Delta does not. So, find out which flights to book on Delta @ http://www.haswifi.com http://www.haswifi.com

araneae 16y ago
Kayak also has information on this if you're looking up a flight from there. You can also use "has wi-fi" as filter.

mrtron 16y ago

They offered free airport wifi last holidays - i specifically took notice if their branding because it was such a handy offer.

dotBen 16y ago

The economics of in-flight wifi assume that no more than a handfull of passengers are using the system, otherwise connectivity just gets jammed. By charging, you create the scarcity that makes such a system viable. By offering it free, you potentially make it available to no-one as suddenly everyone who has a laptop (prob most people flying in/out of SFO for example) is going to want to get on. If I was taking a cross-country flight this holiday, I'd rather the system stayed for $$ so that I knew that I had a chance to get access to a usable system rather than turn up for my flight expecting connectivity and end up bored and disappointed because I can't get any bandwidth.