
The latest numbers from Instat suggest that just 7% of potential customers use in-flight Wi-Fi. Though that number is still up from 4% in 2010, usage is still low enough that making the services profitable continues to be an ongoing problem. Customers have grown increasingly used to getting free Wi-Fi from coffee shops, their ISPs, and even in airports courtesy of Google -- and most seem to feel that the price for in-flight service remains in the luxury range. Instat notes availability remains limited with just 16% of the North American commercial fleet being wired for Wi-Fi service in 2010. Airlines collected $155 million in charges for onboard Internet service in 2011, and are expected to collect $225 million in 2012.
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