There are a number of airline companies that are now supporting in-air WiFi connectivity. U.S. Airways is now joining in on the fun. In select U.S. Airways planes, there will be WiFi powered by Gogo starting early 2010. WiFi will be added to about 50 A321 aircrafts. Consumers that are interested in using WiFi in mid-air will notice the icon placed next to the travel reservations when booking tickets.
“Gogo Inflight Internet will allow our customers to make the most of their flying time by catching up on work or relaxing and surfing the Internet. This is an exciting new option for our passengers that we believe will enhance their travel experience,” stated Andrew Nocella, SVP of Marketing and Planning at U.S. Airways.
When you think of how people are rewarded unfair sums of money for sueing a company over your own stupidity, I instantly think of the Stella Liebeck who burned herself with hot coffee from McDonald’s. If this Yale kid somehow wins $1 million by sueing U.S. Airways over a lost Xbox, I’ll have a new story associated with the above statement.
Jesse Maiman was flying from New Haven, CT to Cincinnati, OH. He packed his Xbox 360 in his checked luggage and he supposedly had a specialized hard drive and other components within the console worth about $1,000. The Xbox went lost during the transportation so he intends on sueing the airline company for $1 million. A new Xbox costs less than $300. Maiman believes he should be awarded “non-economic distress” at a minimum value of $25,000 and up to $1 million as allowed by law.
U.S. Airways has yet to be notified about the lawsuit, but has sent Maiman a response stating, “there are federal loss limits applicable to all airlines on their liability for lost luggage and belongings, which are currently set at $3,300 per bag.”
As most of you know by now, a U.S. Airways Group plane number 1549 had two engines lose power simultaneously when several birds were sucked into them. The plane had to make an emergency splashdown a few days ago in the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey. Fortunately ferries on the river responded immediately and helped everyone safely escape the river and the sinking plane. Although several people were injured, everyone made it out alive.
The way that the accident was handled is mainly credited to U.S. Airways pilot Captain C.B. “Sully” Sullenberger III. He knew that the passengers would have a better chance at surviving if he turned the plane to head towards the river. Now people on Facebook are showing their appreciation by joining a Fan page created in honor of the airlines pilot.
Over 300,000 people have joined at a rate of more than 1,000 new fans per minute. Over 279 items have been posted and the wall has been signed over 14,000 times.
The role that social media played regarding the entire emergency as a while is impressive. Janis Krums used Twitter and his iPhone to show the first picture of the plane accident. He also wrote a tweet saying that he was on his way to help the passengers escaping from the sinking plane from the ferry that he was on.
There are certain times I question what the point of Twitter is–microblogging–what a ridiculous concept! But everytime something wrong happens, I am reminded of Twitter’s intangible value. Earthquakes in California, the shootings in Mumbai, and now a plane crashing in the Hudson River. Janis Krums of Sarasota, Florida reported on Twitter, “There’s a plane in the Hudson. I’m on the ferry going to pick up the people. Crazy.” The tweet also contained a picture.
About 34 minutes after he posted the photo, MSNBC interview him live on TV as a witness to the incident. Fortunately everyone is reported alive after the accident. Although the picture is no longer available from Krum’s tweet, Silicon Alley Insider was able to save it:
