Hotspots at 39,000 feet? They’re back!
On Tuesday, JetBlue Airways will begin offering a free e-mail and instant messaging service on one aircraft, while American Airlines, Virgin America and Alaska Airlines plan to offer a broader Web experience in the coming months, probably priced at about $10 a flight.
“I think 2008 is the year when we will finally start to see in-flight Internet access become available, but I suspect the rollout domestically will take place in a very measured way,” said Henry Harteveldt, an analyst with Forrester Research. But “in a few years time, if you get on a flight that doesn’t have Internet access, it will be like walking into a hotel room that doesn’t have TV.”
Granted, it’s just one aircraft for starters, but you gotta start somewhere.
But… it’s not going to be a full-fledged internet quite yet.:
Live TV, the JetBlue unit that operates the system, is rolling it out in partnership with Yahoo and Blackberry maker Research In Motion. Users can send and receive e-mail from any type of account on two models of Blackberry, 8820 and 8320. Laptop users are limited to using only Yahoo e-mail and Yahoo’s instant messaging application. The companies haven’t signed exclusive deals, and JetBlue may opt to include other popular web-based e-mail accounts in the future, such as Hotmail or Gmail.
$10 for e-mail and IM’ing only? No web access? No VPN? Well, that’s a little less appealing for me and my laptop. Good for the Blackberry users, but no inflight live-blogging action, then. Until it’s real web access, I’ll probably let it go.
Related:
- Feed the Internet addiction: American Airlines will roll out high-speed inflight wi-fi next year
- It’s official: Boeing pulling the plug on its inflight internet service, Connexion
- “No Cellphones” light to be added to aircraft interiors
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December 7th, 2007 at 1:52 am
Supposedly the 1Mhz spectrum (Operated by LiveTV) doesn’t have the capability to push ‘the ultimate internet experience’ just yet. Baby steps.
December 7th, 2007 at 10:02 am
Your comment is misleading about the $10. Jetblue has said its service will be free if I read correctly.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
this will make my husband happy, as he and his crack berry are never far apart. I know there are other handheld options out there, but does RIM really have the largest market share? Maybe it is a way for Jetblue to put a stake in the sand and see where it goes. Anyway, I think it is a good step in the right direction….
December 8th, 2007 at 4:31 am
Why on earth are they starting off with Blahoo? World’s worst e-mail… once my account randomly disappeared. That’s to say nothing of their horrible IM.
December 9th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
I’m excited that it is at least a step forward! I was so stoked when Jet Blue first said they were working on this- but disapointed when it took them so long. Here’s hoping it will become REAL internet soon (with equal opportunity email for everyone!)
December 11th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
So a pale imitation of the earlier (now defunct) Connexion by Boeing service. Still, better than nothing and hopefully just the start of onboard internet becoming widely available within a few years.
August 7th, 2008 at 6:18 am
[...] airlines like Continental and JetBlue are eyeing Internet connectivity using different technology. Both are using JetBlue’s LiveTV subsidiary as a provider. LiveTV’s [...]