Coming soon: Airline WiFi that actually works

The Seamless Air Alliance, a nonprofit group of 30 companies, says its new tech architecture will make in-flight connectivity systems modular, with open interfaces and components that can easily be swapped out. — dpa

Air travel and glitch-free Internet access are often considered mutually exclusive, thanks to the technical difficulties associated with making WiFi work at 40,000 feet.

For the airlines, a satisfying online experience is even more elusive. The hardware, software, maintenance and inability to easily switch service providers combine for a very expensive headache.