Airlines offer free in-flight Facebook for pokes on a plane

Come Wi-Fi with me, let's fly, let's fly away... to Facebook. US airlines are offering free access to the social network thousands of feet up in the air.

US airlines Delta, AirTran, American, Virgin America, Alaska, US Airways and United are offering free access to the popular social network throughout February.

The offer is powered by Gogo Inflight Internet, which provides Wi-Fi aboard aeroplanes. Virgin was the first to offer Wi-Fi, while Delta now operates the largest wireless-connected fleet.

US flyers will have to pay extra for other sites, but status updates, pokes and friend requests won't cost a dime. Facebook is the most popular site used by flyers anyway, although use of Wi-Fi is higher on some flights than others. Virgin crew refer to the flight between San Francisco and Boston as the "nerd bird".

Free access to Bumped.in would be useful too. Bumped.in is an innovative social network that helps you meet other users on the same journey, whether it's for networking, a game of cards or a crack at joining the mile-high club.

If your horizons are a little smaller, Wi-Fi is available on Virgin trains, as well as underground on Glasgow Subway and London's tube.