Virgin America Takes In-Flight Wi-Fi to a New Level

Virgin America hangs its hat on its tech-forward persona, boasting fleetwide Wi-Fi, robust inflight entertainment, and signature mood lighting. So it’s no surprise that it’s among the first airlines to take inflight Wi-Fi to the next level.

Last week, the airline completed upgrading its entire fleet of 53 planes to Gogo’s ATG-4 Wi-Fi service. With speeds up to 9.8 Mbps, Virgin America claims the new service is up to three times faster than the fastest speeds available with first-generation inflight Wi-Fi.

Prices for Virgin America’s Gogo WiFi range from $4.95 to $34.95, depending on flight duration. That’s awfully pricey at the high end. But there is an alternative: an all-day pass, available directly from Gogo, for $16. Although still expensive, that’s a relative bargain. And the speedier performance makes it a better deal still.

Reader Reality Check

How much are you willing to pay to stay connected while in flight?

This article originally appeared on FrequentFlier.com.