Hey, times are tough and if United Airlines has to advertise sex pills on Twitter to keep costs down, I’m all for it. Maybe the company needed the extra revenue and used Twitter instead of installing quarter meters on its plane’s bathrooms. Or the account was hacked. Either way, it makes for a fun, Friday morning post. [NYC Aviation via Consumerist]

Several airlines have been offering Wifi for a while now. United Airlines wants to ensure that people are actually trying it out and so through the end of the year, you can get one free session if you create a new account with Aircell’s Gogo Inflight. The offer is only good on United’s 757-200 flights between New York Kennedy and the airline’s Los Angeles and San Francisco hubs.

Of course this is aimed at getting more people to pay for the service, which costs $12.95 per flight. But hey, you can’t turn down free Internet. Your boss will love it.

United Airlines Introduces Try-Before-You-Buy Wi-Fi Promotion
Gogo ® Inflight Internet now available on all p.s. flights

CHICAGO, Nov. 23, 2009 – Just in time for the busy Thanksgiving holidays, United Airlines customers on transcontinental p.s. (SM) flights can enjoy a complimentary
onboard Internet session with the new Try-Before-You-Buy promotion, offered in conjunction with airborne communications provider Aircell.

Through Dec. 31, first-time users of Aircell’s Gogo ® Inflight Internet service will be offered one free session upon creating a new account.

Gogo enables customers with Wi-Fi enabled devices such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs to surf the Web, check e-mail, send and receive instant messages, and access a corporate VPN.

The service is available on all of United’s p.s. flights between New York Kennedy and the airline’s Los Angeles and San Francisco hubs.

“Gogo Inflight Internet service on our p.s. flights provides our customers with an even more productive and enjoyable travel experience,” says Allen Will, managing director of strategic aircraft programs. “With Gogo Inflight Internet and an AC power port at every seat, p.s. customers will get more accomplished in the air this holiday season, leaving time for more holiday cheer on the ground.”

For more information on United’s inflight Internet service, visit united.com/Wi-Fi.

About United
United Airlines (Nasdaq: UAUA) operates approximately 3,300* flights a day on United and United Express to more than 200 U.S. domestic and international destinations from its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C. With key global air rights in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and Latin America, United is one of the largest international carriers based in the United States. United also is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides connections for our customers to 1,071 destinations in 171 countries worldwide. United’s 47,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. News releases and other information about United can be found at the company’s Web site at united.com.

*Based on United’s forward-looking flight schedule for October 2009 to October 2010.

Yup, another airline is poised to offer in-flight Wi-Fi. United Airlines has said that it will start use of Aircell’s Gogo service beginning with flights between New York and California. It’s $12.95 for laptop access for the duration of the flight.

A grand total of 13 planes (Boeing 757s) will be equipped with Wi-Fi. If I had any business in California, I would just play World of Warcraft for the duration of the flight.

Oh, and one thing I was wonder: what kind of security are we looking at here? Can some punk kid just fire up Ettercap, and steal everyone’s username/password to every single site they visit? You can see the headline now: HACKING AT 30,000 FEET!

Picture added for humorous effect.

Now, the smart thing to do when faced with the prospect of a long aeroplane flight is to load up on Benadryl (or Ambien, if you have money and a cooperative doctor) right before boarding. That way you sleep for the duration of the flight—no having to worry about crying babies for you! But, for the sake of this here post, let’s say you want to, or have to, stay awake for a certain amount of time. You know who’s got your back in this instance? Panasonic, of all people, what with its “iPod merge” in-flight thingamabob.

Keep in mind this isn’t for the average United Airlines flight. No, it’s for Boeing Business Jets—rich people, in other words. See, all they (read: their assistants) will have to do is plug in the Company iPod and then the whole cabin can enjoy the latest funny Will Ferrel movie while knocking back a few brews. Hey, you’ve earned it!

Planes should be outfitted with iPod merge by September of this year.

And while it’s great that companies like Panasonic are working toward making long flights more bearable—can you even imagine being on an old Spanish galleon, going from Sevilla to, I don’t know, Cartagena! That must have taken forever, lol!—I think I speak for most of you when I say, Hey, how about a little more legroom in coach? Is that so hard?

via Giz