from Hacker News

Southwest Airlines Offering In-Flight iMessaging for $2 Per Day

by jkupferman on 12/11/13, 9:30 PM with 36 comments

  • by lukeqsee on 12/11/13, 11:44 PM

        1. Pay $2.
    2. SSH/DNS/whatever tunnel out through iMessage port.
    3. Gloat? Profit?
    Seriously, we probably all thought it. Just don't. It'll make life really rough for all of our fellow iPhone addicts who will end up having to pay $8 again. (Also, you'd be breaking contract, but I imagine that doesn't matter nearly as much to you, now does it?)

  • by sureshv on 12/11/13, 10:40 PM

    Flew out and into SJC yesterday on SW and all day wifi was $8 (covered both trips). With roundtrip fair costing anywhere from $200-$300, I'd rather pay for wifi than send some texts to iOS only users for $2. Sounds kind of lame.

  • by reinhardt on 12/11/13, 11:53 PM

    Misread it as in-flight massaging for $2/day.. Oh well.

  • by kalleboo on 12/11/13, 9:46 PM

    No net neutrality in the air at least...

  • by Zombieball on 12/11/13, 10:02 PM

    Perhaps I am missing something as I have not been following the issue very closely.

    Didn't the FAA recently announce that use of mobile devices during flight, or gate-to-gate, is now allowed?

    What is the incentive to pay $2 to send iMessages vs. simply turning on your data connection & sending iMessage as you would regularly?

    Is the issue that Southwest Airlines has not opted into the new FAA regulations? Is cellular coverage poor during most flights (I admittedly haven't tried using my cellphone during flights)?

  • by knodi on 12/12/13, 1:51 AM

    Fuck you airlines!! You charge us more for tickets, you take away services and now you're nickel and dimeing us.

  • by MichaelGG on 12/11/13, 10:17 PM

    I wonder how hard it is to pretend to be an iOS device and use iMessage as a tunnel. Probably not worth it at all.

  • by nwh on 12/11/13, 10:19 PM

  • by zinssmeister on 12/11/13, 10:04 PM

    We can argue about the price point, but charging a la carte is a great idea.

  • by knodi on 12/12/13, 1:52 AM

    Free god damn wifi, its fucking 2013 and tickets cost like $300!!

  • by Kiro on 12/11/13, 10:41 PM

    I thought most airlines had free wi-fi nowadays.