Hello everyone,
I'm booked on a flight from NY to Rome and will only have wi-fi while over the continental U.S.

The fact that this is still going on in 2011 is its own conversation, but what are you other iPad/laptop users doing for unconnected entertainment?

Hi For my transatlantic flight in a few weeks I'm planning to load a ton of movies, episodes of TV shows to go along with the games, magazines and music I already have on there. I'll have a few books on there too, but if I'm going to read for any length of time, I'll probably use my Kindle instead.

Hope this helps!

I just returned from Europe, and did the exact same thing as Missyrose. Actually made the flight in coach bearable.

You should download any TV programs before you leave US. I tried downloading an ABC show while in France via WiFi in our hotel and got a message that licensing agreements did not allow download outside of US!

My goal would be to sleep though as much of the flight as possible.

My goal would be to sleep though as much of the flight as possible.

I will be traveling to China from JFK with my IPhone (I don't have an IPad) and will load a few movies to watch because the airline that I am flying does not have individual entertainment screens.

Thanks, all. I guess we're still doing it the old-fashioned way. You would think Wi-Fi on international flights, even for a fee, would be a given by now.

Even when Wi-Fi is offered on planes, the signal isn't really enough to support streaming. If more than 1 or 2 people on the plane try, the system can get clogged up. If you really want to watch movies, read books, etc., then you have to do load everything onto your ipad in advance.

I agree with Doug, you cannot stream entertainment on the planes Wi Fi. It's really only good for basic internet browsing.

The data has to get to the plane somehow. Domestically, land-based system can provide sufficient bandwidth with reasonable cost. For international flights, only solution is satellite-based. That means very high cost and limited bandwidth.

Google "Connexion by Boeing".

You'd "think" it's a simple process.

All I know is 42 years ago we put a man on the moon....or so they say

And today's planes fly at the same speed as 50 years ago.

Does that drive you crazy, too??!!

If you can sleep then the flight is not as long.

If you are flying first class, just watch their movies for free. However if you are in the back of the bus...

There is only one way to pull this off... download before you leave and leave your WiFi off.

First off as mentioned, you may not have the bandwidth needed. Also if you try to stream from most websites, as soon as the pick up your IP isn't in the U.S., they will cut you off.

When you download from Apple, you agree to use in the U.S. However, if it's on your ipad/laptop, and it's not connected to the net, they have no way of knowing where you were when you viewed it. Rentals are good for 30 days, or until you start to watch it. So just plan ahead, and download enough for the whole trip.

Where does it say you can only use downloaded products in the USA? I just perused the terms of service and saw no such restriction.