Delta tests in-flight Internet service

Delta Air Lines has conducted its first wi-fi test flight as it prepares for its first passenger flight with the Internet service in early November.

Delta installed the system on an MD-88 and an employee successfully sent an e-mail message from the plane while in flight Tuesday.

Delta must also secure a certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration to install the system on more aircraft. The testing will continue as Delta launches wi-fi flights next month and puts the system on several dozen of its MD-88s by the end of the year.

“We’ll continue to ensure that everything remains seamless for customers by the time it launches,” said Delta spokesman Kent Landers.

Atlanta-based Delta announced in August its plans to launch in-flight wi-fi service from Itasca, Ill.-based Aircell.

The MD-88 is used for many Delta flights up and down the East Coast, from Atlanta to destinations such as Washington, D.C., New York and cities in Florida, Landers said.

By next summer, Delta plans to have wi-fi on its entire mainline fleet of more than 300 jets, including 737, 757 and 767-300 aircraft.

The in-flight wi-fi will cost $9.95 for flights three hours or less. On longer flights, the service will cost $12.95.

The planes with wi-fi will be marked with a sticker at the boarding door and flight attendants will make announcements about the service, Landers said.