« Old Media + New Media = NOW Media | Main | My kids are now on twitter »

April 21, 2009

Flying at 35,000 ft and staying connected on social media

The last time I had reliable WiFi access while flying was in December, 2006. Since then I have lost track of how many flights I have been on, but for today at last I feel like I'm back in 2006. Back then I wasn't on Facebook nor on twitter so being on WiFi when flying meant web surfing and checking on email. Oh, and accessing my Sling Box which worked quite well back then.

So far on my flight I've enjoyed being in a number of Facebook and twitter conversations and staying caught up on my email. While I could have spent the entire flight either resting or just watching the inflight TV, knowing there was WiFi access meant that it was something I had to try out. And I enjoyed the moment when I sent my first tweet at 35,000 ft.

While it is just a matter of time for WiFi to become expected when we fly, there is something cool about being online and feeling connected at a time I normally don't feel connected. On the other hand, the price that I may pay is the brainstorming that sometimes happens at 35,000 ft when there is nothing else to do other than rest my eyes and think.

(@earcos encouraged me to take a photo to remember this flight. The photo was taken from seat 10C on board Virgin America flight 23 enroute from JFK to San Francisco. [posted while flying])

- - -

Tags: social media, Virgin America, San Francicsco, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff on April 21, 2009 02:46 PM | Permalink

Additional resources: #140conf events | Watch the Jeff Pulver Show | Jeff's Qik Videos

Comments

That will be me, on Friday, in seat 13C.

As for the batteries, my understanding is that VirginAmerica has outlets, as well as WiFi. In some ways, the power is more important.

Posted by: Barbara Gavin at April 22, 2009 09:56 AM

Cool pict. and thanks for sharing your thoughts, now about the batteries, in
my case I have a cable for my MacBook Pro that goes into the car, as well as in planes,(in case that someone else other than Ben wondered).

Posted by: Dogos at April 21, 2009 06:00 PM

Background looks like you're on a new Boeing AirBus flight. Or you're on the flight Snoop Dogg piloted in "Soul Plane". :-)

Now to get batteries to last a whole flight and this part of the network will be the next place to extend services into. Love it.

Thanks for sharing.

Posted by: Ben Ortega at April 21, 2009 03:42 PM

Jeff,

You nailed it. The most important lesson from all of this is the realization that we must evolve a stronger sense of self discipline to achieve those moments of clarity we used to when we were forced to sit and think. (said the guy who loves being connected!) Cool pic.

Mike

Posted by: Michael J Pratt at April 21, 2009 03:32 PM