WiFi Takes Off
The one remaining bastion of solace from the far reaching arm of the Internet is about to fall. One of the things I enjoy about flying is that it forces you to disconnect for a few hours. Sure, you can still get work done, but you aren’t getting flooded with new emails or IMs while you are working.
All of that is about to change next year. Delta plans to launch a broadband service across its entire domestic fleet. This will open up WiFi capabilities to all passengers. They will be able to use Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs to surf the Web, check e-mail, Instant Message and access their corporate VPN. Luckily, Delta does not plan to enable voice capabilities — for now. Of course, once Internet is available I find it hard to believe that voice won’t be following soon after. Moreover, Delta is not the only airline carrier planning to offer WiFi service. American Airlines has already tested the service on some of its Boeing aircraft. Southwest Airlines, Jet Blue and Alaska Airlines are also expected to trial similar services soon.
I’m conflicted about this decision. On one hand, I see the value of being able to surf the Web and be productive while you are stuck in a plane for hours. However, there’s a part of me that mourns the loss of the only place I don’t feel guilty about not being connected. On a flight, I can turn off WiFi and be free from the bondage of technology (and work). I don’t have to check my mobile device every few minutes for the next email or text. It’s a nice place, a simpler place, a haven — if only for a few hours.
Some call the inclusion of WiFi on planes “progress”; others call it productivity. I’m not sure what label to give it. Technology is wonderful. It has made my life easier in some ways, but it has also complicated many other aspects of it. This “always on, always available” technology makes it more difficult to strike a good work/life balance. In the past, work didn’t follow you home (or on a plane). Now, it follows you everywhere. Companies love it because it makes employees more productive, but the personal costs can be high.
I’m sure recreational travelers will welcome the addition of WiFi. For these travelers, it will help minimize the boredom they experience on long flights. Many business travelers will rejoice also. I see the advantages, and I’m sure I’ll use the service when it’s available. Who knows, I may be happy to be more productive while I’m in the air. Maybe it will mean that I won’t have to work quite as late when I reach my destination — that’s always a good thing.
WiFi might be a blessing in the long run, but then again it could also be a curse. Even worse, it could be the precursor to enabling voice in the cabin. Just imagine…150 people using their cell phones in flight…lovely.
