If you’re one of those people who simply cannot stand being off-line, you probably have dreaded flying within the US. But airlines are now beginning to implement in-flight WiFi Internet access, and US carrier Delta Airlines is leading the way.

Delta has announced a plan to offer WiFi Internet access beginning in 2009. The company plans to gradually roll out the service to over 300 of its planes, covering all major routes within the continental United States. The wireless system Delta chose is called Gogo, and will be installed by Aircell. The system will provide broadband speed Internet to any WiFi enabled device, including smartphones and laptops. The service will also accommodate SMS texting to cell phones, to help keep passengers in the loop while traveling.

While all this sounds very good to business travelers, most would like to see some type of cell phone access on board as well. Unfortunately, the use of cell phones on domestic flights is still against the law in the United States. Pressure seems to be mounting, however, for lawmakers to reconsider the ban on in-flight calls; the European Union recently repealed a similar law, and will now allow passengers to make calls aboard certain flights.

But short of allowing full mobile phone access on board flights, Delta is taking a big step forward by offering wireless Internet. The company plans to charge a flat rate of $9.95 for full WiFi access on all of their shorter flights (less than three hours). The charge is expected to be $12.95 on longer flights.

Initially the in-flight WiFi will only be available on Delta133 MD88 aircraft, but the company plans to gradually expand the service to cover their entire domestic fleet, including 757s and other “Airbus” type aircraft.

Delta has received permission from the FAA to offer wireless broadband connectivity during flights, and is adamant that the wireless service will pose no threat to passenger safety, or interfere with air to ground communications used by the flight crew.

Importantly, the Gogo wireless system Delta has chosen is also extremely light weight, and takes up very little space in the cabin. Coming at a time when jet fuel prices are at an all-time high, this is certainly significant; commercial airlines in the US have been doing everything possible to reduce the amount of weight on flights and lower fuel costs.

The service will be compatible with virtually any make a smart phone or laptop that uses a 802.11 a/b/g wireless device. iPhone, Blackberry, Nokia and other PDAs and smartphones have already been successfully tested with the system. So even if you can’t make a mobile call on board the plane (yet), at least you can surf the web and check e-mail on that cool new smart phone. For many business travelers, that certainly is better than nothing.

• FAA Software Glitch Causes Massive Flight Delays
• Southwest Airlines Cuts Flights due to Higher Fuel Prices
• Stop-Smoking Drug “Chantix” Linked to Traffic Accidents