BA Supplement - Technology - Check in log on.

(From Financial Director)

Byline: Anthony Harrington.

The internet, email and mobile phones are now so integrated into the fabric of business life that the prospect of a long-haul flight without access to these support functions sends business travellers into a mild panic. For others, of course, the thought of escaping into a phone-free, internet-free haven for several hours is a welcome return to a bygone era.

But the days when the aircraft cabin could be viewed as a sanctuary, where a business traveller could remain far removed from anything related to work, are a thing of the past on some of today's airlines.

There are now two competing services that airlines can buy, both of which offer services for passengers: Boeing's Connexions and Tenzing Communications' range of email, instant messaging (IM) and internet products. A number of airlines have already installed one or other of these systems, and more are trialling it each day.

In February 2003, for example, British Airways began a three-month trial of Boeing's Connexions system. When BA announced the trial, it claimed that the system, which offered on-board email and internet access for passengers in its First, Club World and World Traveller Plus cabins, was "a further step in the next generation of air travel".

The system allowed passengers to use their laptops and surf the internet in real time. The link was provided via satellite, with Boeing Connexions acting as the internet service provider (ISP) for all participating flights around the globe. Because users were connected via a live link, they were able to send and receive emails with attachments. They could even access their own corporate intranets while cruising at 35,000ft. Commenting on the trial, a BA spokesperson said it had been well received by travellers on its New York to London route - the only route enabled during the pilot.