Complementary Wi-Fi in Admirals Clubs

[eolesen]

American Airlines Announces New Benefit to Admirals Club Membership
Admirals Club Members to Receive Complimentary T-Mobile Wi-Fi Access In All Domestic Locations

Last update: 9:44 a.m. EST Dec. 5, 2007Print E-mail RSS Disable Live Quotes

FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec 05, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- American Airlines announced today that it is offering complimentary Wi-Fi service powered by T-Mobile to Admirals Club® members visiting club locations in the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as to individuals visiting the lounges with a one-day Admirals Club pass.
The complimentary in-club service is part of American's continuing focus on enhancing the value of the Admirals Club membership, and it allows members a way to remain easily connected to work, home or elsewhere when traveling.
"American Airlines recognizes that Admirals Club members are always looking for ways to remain even more productive before and in between flights," said Nancy Knipp, President - Admirals Club for American Airlines. "By extending complimentary Wi-Fi service to our Admirals Club members and one-day pass guests, American Airlines is strengthening the value of the Admirals Club membership by offering a service our members have asked for and appreciate."

"Reliable and high quality wireless Internet access that is located in places where people are better able to connect with family and friends is one of the amenities most requested by the traveling public," said Joe Sims, Vice President and General Manager, Broadband Products and Services, T-Mobile USA. "By partnering with American Airlines to provide complimentary T-Mobile Wi-Fi service for Admiral Club members, we are helping to ensure that their customers stay connected with those who matter most in their lives."

Members can access the complimentary Admirals Club Wi-Fi service by inputting their Admirals Club membership number at the login page, while one-day pass visitors can access the service using a co-branded Access DayPass. Domestic lounge visitors not using an Admirals Club membership card or one-day pass will continue to have access to high-speed Wi-Fi through a subscription to T-Mobile. High-speed Internet also is available internationally, although Internet service providers vary by location.

One-year Admirals Club memberships for new members range from just $300 to $450. Memberships can also be purchased with AAdvantage® travel reward miles, starting at just 45,000 miles. One-day passes are available for $50 for each, and up to two additional one-day passes can be purchased for $25 each. Passes may be purchased at Self-Service check-in machines, online at http://www.aa.com/daypass, or at any Admirals Club location.

 

[eolesen]

I've been debating whether or not to buy a membership for some time, but this probably will push me to do it. I've had to pay the day-use fee for T-Mobile one time too many, and a subscription to T-Mobile works out to about the same cost as a club membership if you don't have TM as your wireless provider. Hopefully this will spread to the international clubs as well....

 

[jersey777]

Wi-Fi is free in the entire Jet Blue terminal at JFK. Another example of the American playing catch up when it comes to customer service.

 

[FWAAA]

Somewhat odd that Platinum and Executive Platinum members (and OneWorld Saphires and Emeralds) who qualify for lounge access due to their status when flying internationally won't get free wi-fi. Neither will paid Biz or First Class passengers, if I'm reading this correctly. Maybe the celebs and other Paid F pax will get wi-fi through Premium Services.

 

[AAStew]

Isn't that just like AA? Our premium passengers will be shut-out. Anything to make a buck. Why not just get a T-1 line with a strong router and offer it free in the Admirals Club? Why not offer it free in our terminals? Who is the genius in Ft Worth that comes up with these great customer service ideas? Hopefully one of the 300 being eliminated, but I doubt it. This airline bites off their nose to spite their face.

 

[eolesen]

Our premium passengers will be shut-out. Anything to make a buck.

For the most part, clubs are supposed to be self-sustaining from memberships, food/liquour sales and meeting room rentals. Perhaps they're also being set up for a spin-off as well. So, the premium customers who don't also have a membership will be shut out, but we're shut out today, so what's the difference? Amex used to have the tagline "membership has its privileges" and I fully support that.

Why not just get a T-1 line with a strong router and offer it free in the Admirals Club? Why not offer it free in our terminals?

Well, for starters, airlines don't own their terminal space in most cases, and they're subject to whatever restrictions come with the leasehold.

One thing most airports have controlled pretty tightly is "air rights" for the radio and wireless spectrums.

Some airports, including TPA, TUS, and CMH, chose to offer wifi for free. Others chased the concession revenue, including DFW, ORD, LAX, etc. Some allowed airlines to offer it (e.g. Jetblue @ JFK), and some didn't.

In 2004, both AA and CO were providing wi-fi in their lounges at BOS, and the airport ordered both to remove their equipment because they didn't receive approval from the airport, who was offering a competing service. AA removed their stuff, and CO gave Massport the finger...

Fast forward to November 2006... The FCC finally ruled in the CO/MassPort dispute, and told the airport they couldn't regulate wifi.

My guess is that AA's contract with T-Mobile had a clause in it which didn't permit free access, and it simply took this long to work out a change...

 

[PHL]

It takes an 18 year old savvy IT kid to take an internet connection feed and put up a few WiFi access points. Why do these airlines keep relying on the big telecoms when they can use a local internet provider, pay for the right amount of bandwidth and share it out in their locations? I'm pretty sure it wouldn't cost anything near whatever AA pays towards the annual T-Mobile contract.

 

[eolesen]

I seriously doubt AA pays anything for T-Mobile to run wifi in the clubs. It's the other way around -- T-Mobile pays for the right to the concession, and recoups that from subscriber fees.

One of the things I manage is a data center. We expect 24/7 support for our data lines, and most of the local ISP's I talk with wind up being one or two person operations who simply resell someone else's bandwidth.

With AT&T, Qwest, T-Mobile, etc., we get service level commitments to send a tech onsite within X hours if they can't resolve the issue over the phone.