British Airways is trying out the new Connexion by Boeing’s in-flight satellite broadband service onboard one of its daily transatlantic flight between London and New York.

The service is designed to give airline passengers the ability to plug their laptops into an Internet connection at their seats and log on as they would in the office or at home. Users would be able to use corporate intranets, the Web and e-mail for work or pleasure.

The three-month trial, available to First Class, Club World and World Traveller Plus passengers, is taking place onboard a British Airways 747-400 aircraft equipped with satellite receiving capability.

Passengers pay flat fee of GBP20 ($31.89) to connect to the Internet for their entire flight. Customer reaction will affect the decision about whether the service will be installed across the British Airways long-haul fleet.

Research by the airline forecasted that passengers would have a “strong interest” in the service, said Martin George, director of marketing at British Airways. The service is a “huge step” forward in innovation, he added.

–Paul Dykewicz

(Sara John, British Airways, 44-(0)208-738-5102; Sherry Nebel, Connexion by Boeing, 206-655-5291)