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JetBlue Launches In-Flight Email

Airline pairs with Yahoo, Blackberry to bring the (limited) Net onboard

By Caroline Zimmerman,  Newser User

Posted Dec 6, 2007 10:32 PM CST

(Newser) – JetBlue is offering email and instant messaging services on an A320 test flight, in a move to equip its whole fleet with wireless access. The tech-savvy, low-budget airline has paired up with Yahoo and Research in Motion to give passengers with laptops or Blackberries the possibility of plugging in, in-flight. But other airlines are jumping on the bandwagon, the Wall Street Journal reports.

While the BetaBlue test plane flies for several months to fine tune the system and get customer feedback, other companies like American Airlines are scouting out their options to bring the Internet onboard. JetBlue wants to keep its services free, but it's unclear whether others will follow suit, and whether the new systems will support heavy traffic; JetBlue plans to limit the apps passengers can use.

Brad Garlinghouse, left, senior vice president of Yahoo, and David Neeleman, founder and chairman of JetBlue, demonstrate the capabilities of a laptop and Blackberry during a media preview flight aboard BetaBlue, an Airbus A320 aircraft equipped with an onboard wireless network, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. JetBlue will start offering free...
Brad Garlinghouse, left, senior vice president of Yahoo, and David Neeleman, founder and chairman of JetBlue, demonstrate the capabilities of a laptop and Blackberry during a media preview flight aboard...   (Associated Press)
Brad Garlinghouse, foreground, senior vice president of Yahoo, demonstrates the capabilities of a laptop during a media preview flight aboard BetaBlue, an Airbus A320 aircraft equipped with an onboard wireless network, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. JetBlue will start offering free online messaging services on one of its planes next week,...
Brad Garlinghouse, foreground, senior vice president of Yahoo, demonstrates the capabilities of a laptop during a media preview flight aboard "BetaBlue," an Airbus A320 aircraft equipped with an onboard...   (Associated Press)
David Neeleman, founder and chairman of JetBlue, checks his Blackberry during a media preview flight aboard BetaBlue, an Airbus A320 aircraft equipped with an onboard wireless network, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. JetBlue will start offering free online messaging services on one of its planes next week, becoming among the first...
David Neeleman, founder and chairman of JetBlue, checks his Blackberry during a media preview flight aboard "BetaBlue," an Airbus A320 aircraft equipped with an onboard wireless network, Wednesday, Dec....   (Associated Press)
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