So you’ve found a way to make VoIP calls on American Airlines flights with Gogo by using some Flash-based service? Good for you, really, but anyone saying that they’ve hacked the system needs to reassess the meaning of the term. Stumbling upon an app that works is not hacking anything. It’s called being lucky. I honestly didn’t care enough to try out all the possible VoIP apps that are out there because I didn’t feel the urgency to chat with anyone. Nor did I want to bother other passengers. I despise loud talkers wherever I am and if I have to be stuck on a plane for any length of time with some jackass yapping away, I sure as hell will let them know I don’t like it.
Aircell released this statement regarding the situation because everyone and their mother is all aflutter about it in the tech space of the Interwebs.
It is against American’s policy and Gogo’s terms of service to use VoIP. Aircell has multiple protocols and practices in place to prevent the use of VoIP. Obviously, it is extremely difficult to stop every instance of VoIP but Aircell is monitoring and working constantly to enforce American’s policy and Gogo’s terms of service.
This is American Airline’s policy not to allow VoIP and Aircell does their best to abide by those rules, which is why it’s stated in the agreement you check off on when purchasing the service. If you violate those terms then you should have your service cut off, but Aircell doesn’t plan on doing that. They want you to enjoy the service with one caveat. It might be something they should seriously think about for those striving to be the asshole on the plane, though. Get drunk. Snore. Just don’t babytalk with your signif, tell your frat bro how hot the chick you banged last night was (this goes both ways, ladies), yell at your intern/co-workers or read your kid a bedtime story. Need to converse with someone that bad, do you? Then try emailing or IM. Emoticons can go a long way. You’re making an otherwise great service a real stinker in the minds of everyone else, jerk.
Oh, and what’s this about airlines trying to protect revenue streams from those Airphones? Yeah, those Airphones have been useless for years. Aircell swooped the spectrum that Verizon used for the service in 2006 in an FCC auction. They’re relics of the past and indicators that the plane you’re currently occupying is very old.
So, VoIP on Aircell’s Gogo service. Yeah, you can do it, but you should really get over it and just watch your damned reruns on Hulu or fancast and STFU.