United Airlines Enhances Regional Flights with Wi-Fi Service

United Airlines – the wholly owned subsidiary of United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL) – extended its in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity service to United Express regional aircraft.

Initially, Gogo's ATG-4 advanced air-to-ground Wi-Fi service will be available on 200 E175, E170 and CRJ700 regional jets. By the second half of 2015, the carrier expects to cover almost each of its regional flight with Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi will not only boost in-flight Internet connectivity for passengers but will also provide them with better entertainment by means of offering popular movies and TV content on Wi-Fi-enabled devices.

With the launch of United app in Nov 2014, watching online movies and TV shows while on board through Wi-Fi-enabled mobile devices has become an easy affair. Passengers can easily download the app from Google Inc.’s (GOOG) Google Play store or Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iOS platform.

Increased long distance traveling has compeled most carriers to offer such entertainment options to passengers. Moreover, availability of faster in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity has encouraged these carriers to roll out such innovative services.

United Airlines has already established Personal Device Entertainment on nearly 200 mainline aircraft, which includes Boeing 747, Airbus A319 and A320 fleet and nine Boeing 777 planes which operate mainly between the continental United States and Hawaii.

Meanwhile, United Airlines has started operating six flights every week from Los Angeles to Melbourne. The carrier will use The Boeing Co.’s (BA) 787-9 Dreamliner jets on the route which will also be the longest Dreamliner course, covering 8,550 miles.

We believe that launch of these new routes coupled with the introduction of such value-added services will provide United Airlines the impetus to improve traffic and capacity, thus catering to the increase in demand within these routes.

United Continental currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).