Yeah baby!

Here's what I think is an interesting first-hand report of the new "Connexion" airborne Wi-Fi internet, aboard a Lufthansa transatlantic flight...one of the first routes to offer this service:

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=3457

I've got a Lufthansa flight scheduled for June, and I'm really looking forward to trying this puppy out!

Supposedly United Airlines will be adding this to their premium transcontinental "P.S." flights between LAX and JFK, and SFO and JFK. I was told one United 757 is already outfitted and ready to go, but they are awaiting approval from the FAA and for the completion of quality control tests, before turning it on for sale to the public.

I just wish they had more power outlets in coach. How are you supposed to take advantage of this kind of thing on long flights when your battery won't even last?

I just wish they had more power outlets in coach. How are you supposed to take advantage of this kind of thing on long flights when your battery won't even last?

Yeah, laptop power in Economy on Lufthansa doesn't exist. Neither does it on most airlines in Economy. Yet. But I do know that in Business and First on Lufthansa they offer regular U.S. 110 volt sockets at every seat (Euro plugs work as well).

Now on the United Airlines specially configured "P.S." 757's that are currently running the LAX-JFK and SFO-JFK routes, all Economy seats also have standard U.S. 110 volt sockets! :) All of Economy on those planes are also "Economy Plus" seats which offer a few more inches of legroom so that you can actually open your laptop while the guy in front of you reclines their seat. :)

But on the rest of United's fleet, it's Empower ports only in Business and First, and you have to have a separate Empower Converter for those non-110 volt systems.

But hopefully the new 110 volt sockets and sockets appearing in Economy on newer configed planes, indicates this is something we'll see expanding soon in the future.

I certainly hope so.

My travel laptop (I have a office/home laptop too) is a new Fujitsu S7010 which is lightweight and has the new Crystal View XGA TFT display screen that requires less power to give a brighter image. This combined with the low-power Intel Pentium M Processor 745 chip with Centrino, and with a second battery loaded into the modular bay and the convenient flip switch that turns off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth seeking and power consumption...I easily get a full 9 plus hours of work and/or movie time (movies downloaded onto hard disk from Movielink.com) out of this 4 lb lightweight puppy. With that, I'm not even going to purchase an Empower Airline Converter this time. I'm just going to rely on my batteries.

And I love it! On my recent LAX-Paris-LAX flights, I had the laptop on doing work or watching movies almost the whole 11 hours (minus shutdown for meals) on strictly battery power alone! :) I love being wireless, even for power.

www.seatguru.com will tell you which planes have power ports and where. unfortunately it doesn't seem to be working right now.