United Airlines will bring in-flight Internet access to a portion of its planes later this year, according to an announcement. The company has specifically chosen AirCell's gogo service, which has already been attached to companies like Delta, American Airlines and Virgin America. Passengers will be able to connect via any Wi-Fi device, and access conventional Internet functions such as e-mail and web browsing, or more elaborate ones like VPN tunneling.

The first United craft to support gogo will be 13 Boeing 757s, flying from JFK International in New York City to California's Los Angeles International and San Francisco International. Initial deployment will take place in the second half of 2009, at a cost of $13 per flight; further expansion plans are as yet undecided.