Monarch goes online at 35,000 feet

By Rob Davies for the Daily Mail
Updated: 04:06 EDT, 10 June 2011

Monarch Airlines is aiming to be the first British carrier to offer wireless internet at 35,000 feet as part of a bid to park its planes squarely on Ryanair's lawn.

Monarch of the skies: Mile-high wi-fi

Chief executive Conrad Clifford is in talks with several wi-fi specialists with a view to rolling out in-flight internet browsing by next summer.

Passengers will be able to pay for a full connection, but there will also be free services funded by tie-ups with corporate partners, which are expected to include booking a hire car or hotel from your seat before landing.

The first stage of mile-high wi-fi will see engineers spend up to seven days installing an internet 'base station' on each plane, which will bounce a signal off satellites in orbit around Earth.

Clifford recently unveiled plans to transform his charter airline into a competitor to Ryanair and easyJet, offering passengers the chance to pay extra for improved services or opt for a no-frills option.

Monarch has already taken a tacit swipe at consumer-bashing Ryanair by ditching charges for booking by debit card.