757 Unplugged: American temporarily deactivates powerports on Boeing 757 fleet

If you’re traveling on a 757 and planning to get some work done, make sure you charge your laptop or maybe just bring a book.  I came across this on American’s site:

Due to a recent issue involving a powerport on an American Airlines Boeing 757, the American Airlines team will proactively deactivate all powerports on the domestic fleet. The deactivation will begin on Wednesday, September 1, 2010, as the team inspects all 104 aircraft. It is yet to be determined how long the powerports will be deactivated. We realize this is an inconvenience and the issue will be resolved as quickly as possible.

The 757 is now one of the older planes in the American fleet, but because of the roomy cabin and extra overhead storage space, it’s always been a favorite of mine. But, since American decided not to install wifi on their 757s, I’ve been avoiding them, so the lack of a powerport isn’t as inconvenient as it would be if they deactivated them on the 737 or the MD-80.

Does the availability of onboard wifi affect which flights you choose?