So long, airborne internet. At least that’s the message we’re getting from Qantas today as it quietly cans its in-flight internet offering for passengers. Sigh.
According to Australian Business Traveller, Qantas ditched the service simply because not enough people were using it. A Qantas spokesperson has been quoted saying that people who used it certainly enjoyed it, but not enough people were taking it up to make it viable.
Qantas kitted out a few of its Airbus A380 superjumbo aircraft with in-flight Wi-Fi capabilities for an eight week trial period in March. It was late to take-off, missing a scheduled go-live date in February, and spanned six A380s in the Qantas fleet.
It was never going to get you NBN-like speeds, as it was based on the Inmarsat satellite services, but it would be fine for staying connected as you crossed the pond for example. When the in-flight Wi-Fi launched it was free, and Qantas had been toying with how much to charge, but now those conversations look destined to go unresolved.
I never thought I’d see the day when I pined for air travel in the US, where in-flight Wi-Fi is abundant.
Sad face. [AusBT]
Picture by Simon_sees