Several airlines have announced that they will soon begin offering in-flight web access, according to the New York Times (and Adotas).  JetBlue looks like they’ll start by offering email and instant messaging.  More airlines will follow, including Virgin, American and Alaskan.

The fact that its taken this long for us to have internet access while flying is absurd, so I’m not exactly jumping for joy at this news.  The airlines seem to be stuck about 10 - 15 years behind the rest of the world.  We can put a man on the moon but I can’t listen to my iPod on take off.  You’ve got to be kidding me with that.  A few other things I’d like the airlines to work on while they try to give me email in-flight:

* How about letting me recline my chair to what almost would constitute as a normal posture while we take off and land?  Instead I have to actually lean forward until we’re in the air.  Makes sense.

* When I walk up and try to buy a ticket for a flight that leaves in 2 hours, do you really have to charge me 8 times the original price?  Do people really pay that?  Isn’t it better to fill the seat or are you hoping that 1 out of 7 people take that deal?  (This has only happened to me at a time when they lost my original booking…customer service isn’t exactly a high priority at some of these airlines).
* How about having more than 12 pillows and blankets on board?  Oh, and don’t give me those unsealed nasty blankets, that’s disgusting.  Sealed only please.

* And everyone has made fun of the peanut bags but seriously, the last time I flew I counted eight and a half peanuts in the bag.  At least the stewardess gave me two bags.  17 peanuts really hit the spot.

Ok, so I’ve been traveling a lot and just waiting for a reason to rail on the airlines.  Luckily this amazing news about in-flight web access gave me the opening.  I’ll enjoy that for the 18 minutes that they actually let me use my laptop in the air.