Delta Air Lines Inc. is the first U.S. airline to try to make some money off in-flight Wi-Fi Internet access. Similar limited plans were unveiled by several carriers, but Delta intends to provide the service on all its domestic flights by next year, excepting its smallest planes which typically seat 50 to 75 people.

Thus all its medium and large 330 planes will be fitted with the hardware required to relay data from the plane's Wi-Fi network to the Aircell dedicated cellular network on the ground.

Aircell said that Virgin America will also use its Gogo service soon. Gogo does provide most Internet functionality and services, excepting, among others, voice-over-Internet services such as Skype. However, web, e-mail, IM, and VPN services will be available.

The service comes in two offerings: $9.95 for flights under three hours, $12.95 for longer flights. The first planes to be fitted with the hardware will be Delta's MD-88 and MD-90 planes. Subsequently, the airline will expand the service to its Boeing 737s, 757s and 767s by next summer.

American Airlines and other carriers announced plans to deploy Wi-Fi as early as this year, but on a limited basis and mostly on transcontinental flights.

Aircell was founded in 1991 with the dedicated purpose of developing broadband for both private and commercial aviation and is the only company in the United States authorized by the FCC and FAA to use cellular frequencies for in-flight communications. There's a competing service which provides connectivity even over water, Row 44, which uses the existing HughesNet satellite Internet access system.