Gogo are continue to expand their customer base, with Alaska Airlines signing up for Gogo 2Ku’s platform.
The upgrade to 2Ku will be fitted to both the airlines Airbus and Boeing fleets (remember: Alaska have inherited some Airbus’s when it brought Virgin America).
2Ku should not be confused with some Air to Ground products, and offers high-speed internet. It also coverage across oceanic bodies, it allows coverage when a passenger is travelling to destinations such as Hawaii, Mexico, and Costa Rica on a Gate-to-Gate basis.
Andrew Harrison, chief commercial officer at Alaska Airlines states:
We conducted an extensive review to find a satellite Wi-Fi solution that has a proven track record with commercial airlines and will meet our guest’s expectations for what they want to do in the air today, but will also continue to meet their needs in the future.
Our guests will soon be able to connect in the air, just as they do out and about on the ground helping make their travel time more relaxing and productive – whether that’s scrolling through Facebook, checking email, or watching what’s trending on YouTube.”
Gogo is happy with the signing, with Michael Small, Gogo’s president and CEO stating
“We are excited to partner with Alaska to bring their guests a new onboard connectivity experience with 2Ku,
2Ku is the leading inflight internet solution on the market today in terms of bandwidth delivered to each guest’s device, coverage and reliability. We have market leading satellite capacity with the ability to continually add more to meet growing demand. We continue to innovate and improve the technology to make sure 2Ku will keep Alaska ahead of the technology curve.”
In terms of installations, Gogo 2Ku will be installed initially Alaska Air’s Boeing 737s in the first half of 2018, with Gogo and Alaska Air aiming to have between 40 and 50 aircraft configured by the end of 2018. Total fleet reconfiguration (covering both the Airbus and Boeing fleets) will be completed by early 2020.
Alaska Airlines currently operated 156 Boeing 737 family aircraft in their passenger fleet, and 65 Airbus aircraft in the Virgin America fleet. The airline holds order 47 Boeing 737 family and 38 Airbus A320 family aircraft.
Gogo 2KU Antenna with the low profile Airbus fittings at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2017- Image, Economy Class and Beyond
Pricing is to be disclosed closer to the launch of service. In the mean time, Alaska will offer free chat now, with Gogo Messaging Pass on flights operated by Virgin America. This benefit is already available passengers flying on Alaska Airlines. This allows you to use iMessage, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger on your smartphone for free
Gogo 2Ku is spreading, with airlines adding it to their portfolio (such as Virgin Australia, British Airways, Delta Air Lines and so on). And it’s good to see this as customers in the air are expecting a similar experience of Internet connectivity as they would on the ground.
And 2Ku is a great way of giving customers that connectivity in the air.
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