You ever have one of those days? You know, nothing’s going right, it’s raining and your umbrella won’t open, your dog is sick, and your boss just dumped a pile of work on your desk? Or maybe you slipped on a wet kitchen floor—courtesy of the leak in your roof? Then, out of nowhere, a little ray of sunshine enters your life.

After a 2008 spent in the doldrums, the clouds have lifted on air travelers, if only for a brief moment. That’s because American Airlines has picked today to test wireless Internet service on two flights between New York and Los Angeles. And if those tests go well, we’re looking at more trials on planes from New York to L.A., San Francisco, and Miami.

Once the Wi-Fi goes live, “passengers will be able to connect free to American’s Web site, Frommer’s travel guides, and limited news headlines.” All well and good, but what about the Holy Grail of all Internet users: unfettered access to the full capabilities of the World Wide Web? Not surprisingly, that isn’t exactly free. Depending on the length of your flight, you’ll be paying $9.95 to $12.95 to get fully online. No, that’s not cheap. But in American’s defense, it’s not much more than an average airport lunch. And assuming there’s enough bandwidth, the service will be incredibly useful to business travelers and armchair Web surfers alike. And the airline, like all of its peers, is in dire need of cash. You’re not going to get all thrifty now, are you?

I know this announcement has brightened my day. How do you feel about it? Is there any technology you’d rather see on your next flight than wireless Internet? Share it with us by posting a comment below.