In this summer’s Finnair Plus News, Markku Remes, the manager for Finnair’s long haul product, promises that the airline’s new Airbus long haul fleet will have wireless internet and laptop power ports in all classes.
Finnair is, as far as I know, the first airline to make such an announcement. Many, including SAS and Lufthansa, already offer WiFi throughout the plane (using Boeing’s struggling Connexion service), but power plugs have only been available in the premium classes. They make all the difference on long haul flights, where you can get internet access for the whole eight-hour flight for $30 but run out of batteries in two.
In a related area, Finnair has decided to follow rather than to lead: they, like many other airlines, have started to nickle-and-dime their business class and frequent flyer customers with paid-for wireless access in their lounges. The cost is four euro per hour or €20 per month.
Anyone traveling a lot or traveling in premium classes can attest to how absurd this practice feels: paying, say, $5000 for a ticket does get you into a first class lounge, surrounded by $150 bottles of free booze, but want to check the news on your laptop? Sir, that’d be $10 extra!
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