Communications at 30,000 Feet

Home Office Computing, June, 1999 by Amee Abel

Stay connected by e-mail, phone, and fax while you fly

AIR TRAVEL USED TO BE THE BLACK hole of business productivity. But not anymore--and we're not just talking about tapping away on your notebook PC until the battery runs out of juice. Thanks to improved digital communications, you can phone, fax, and e-mail in midair, and even receive calls at your seat. What's more, late-model commercial aircraft can charge your notebook for you, letting you compute from Los Angeles to London without lag time. Follow these tips to make your next trip a soaring success.

Internet and Fax Access According to Kathy Peterson, a senior analyst of in-flight products at American Airlines, passengers can connect to the Internet on any of the carrier's domestic flights (over North America or up to 200 miles offshore). Other airlines are similarly equipped. Be aware that there's no such thing as a free call when you're flying, even if you dial a toll-free number: Domestic calls are billed at $2.99 per minute, plus a $2.99 per-call setup fee. However, if you make five outgoing calls in one month, you can receive free incoming calls the following month.

If you plan to fax or e-mail on the plane, be sure to bring a standard phone cord. In-flight phones offer an RJ-11 jack into which you can plug your computer's modem, just as you would plug it into a land line. But don't expect a 56Kbps connection: Some of the radio links used for in-flight phone service can barely sustain 14.4Kbps data transfers.

International Calls Calling a continent other than the one you're flying above is possible only on planes equipped with satellite communication (SATCOM) service, and will cost you $10 per minute plus a $5 setup fee. Currently, American Airlines and Delta offer this service. Although it's technically possible to send international faxes via SATCOM, it's not recommended: Using the satellite results in transmission lags that degrade fax quality and run up your bill.

Incoming Calls Although your pager system will have to store your messages until you land, domestic flying no longer puts you out of reach. With the Inflight Incoming Call Service from AT&T Wireless Services (www.attws. com), you give anyone who needs to reach you a 10-digit identification number--for example, your business phone number--before you fly. Once on-board, you swipe your credit card through the in-flight phone and press FCN 6 to register. To call you, your contacts on the ground dial 800-RINGSKY, then input the identification number. A version of caller ID lets you decide whether to accept the incoming call, which is billed at the same rate as outgoing calls. This system is especially useful in coach seating, where three passengers share one phone.

Extended Computing An Internet connection doesn't do you much good if your computer runs out of power mid-flight. By next year, a new generation of lightweight lithium-ion batteries may be available with the power to run a portable computer for up to 10 hours. The breakthrough, a lithium-ion polymer alloy, is being touted by Lithium Technology Corp. (www.lithiumtech. com, 610-940-6090), and the new batteries are in the late stages of market development.

For now, your existing batteries may be good enough, if you find a Power Port socket at your seat. Widely available on aircraft flown by American Airlines, Delta, United, and others, the socket is an in-flight DC power supply that lets you charge or run your portable computer directly from the aircraft's power supply. You'll need a special adapter designed for your computer model. Two to try: the Auto/ Air Notebook Power Adapter (Port Inc., 800-242-3133, www.port.com; $80 to $100) and the Laptop Power Adapter (Lind Electronics, 800-897-8996, www.lindelectronics.com; $100).