Jerusalem – El Al introduced WiFi to North American flights on Sunday.
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“We recognize the needs of our customers and are proud to present the best service for our flights,” CEO of El Al Gonen Usishkin said. “We have worked hard to provide our customers with the most advanced and innovative WiFi system in the world of aviation.”
The service will be offered on transatlantic flights to New York, Toronto, Los Angeles and Miami. The service will also be available for San Francisco and Las Vegas flights in May and June respectively.
The WiFi service will be using KA Band technology, which is reportedly the fastest in-flight WiFi. However, the WiFi will have to be purchased unless the passenger is a Club member.
El Al will offer passengers to and from North America three internet packages: a basic package priced at $5.99 that is initially being offered for free and gives users access to email and Whatsapp from any mobile device; a $14.99 package that also supports access to all websites and apps as well as streaming videos of up to three minutes on mobile devices; and a $24.99 package, which will also allow passengers to connect using a laptop, stream music and full-length movies, and use a VPN service.
WiFi is increasingly a common feature offered on airplanes and frequently uses satellite technology, where the plane connects to satellites, which send and receive signals to and from earth. These are the same types of satellites that are used for TV or even the military.