Airlines aren’t having a great time of it in the US. The hike in oil prices has turned profits into losses.

Looking back, I suppose we could have foreseen that it was all too good to last. In the boom times, there was a new carrier starting up almost every week. A couple of years ago, I flew from Orlando to San Francisco on a low-cost airline called Song. With a funky crew who sang the safety instructions, personal audio playlists and a high-tech entertainment system featuring live TV and quizzes among passengers, Song offered nonstop stimulation from wheels-up to unbuckling my seatbelt.

After a few hours of this I was exhausted. Unsurprisingly, Song sang its last “emergency exit” chorus soon after.

What we really want is for the airlines to get us from A to B in the company of a brainless movie and a gin and tonic. The tinkle of ice cubes melting in a glass – now there’s a soundtrack I can get behind. And one other thing – e-mail. A few hours of peace and quiet is ideal for getting to grips with the inbox.

One of the positive side effects of the credit crunch is that airlines are fighting harder for passenger loyalty. Despite tough market conditions, American Airlines has just launched internet access for passengers on 15 of its aircraft out of New York, allowing anyone with a wi-fi computer or smartphone to surf the web, send e-mails and even stream video for a flat fee of $12.95 (£6.50) per flight. Internet access is at speeds reaching 1Mbps, which is fast enough to support Voip (voice over internet protocol) phone calls using software such as Skype or Google Talk. Or it would be, if American Airlines wasn’t blocking talk services for fear of air rage among passengers.

I used a similar in-flight internet service a few years ago. Boeing’s satellite-based Connexion system was priced identically, allowed the use of Voip phones and worked seamlessly over the oceans as well as land. Connexion lasted only two years before Boeing admitted that a market for the service “had not materialised”. Hopefully, things will be different this time and internet in the air will become a standard service for all passengers.

seattle@sunday-times.co.uk

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