BREAKING: JetBlue to Offer Free WiFi Starting Monday!

[Matt Molnar]

JetBlue, Yahoo, Rim plan free in-flight Wi-Fi

Thu Dec 6, 2007 3:11pm EST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - JetBlue, Yahoo Inc and Research in Motion plan to offer free, in-flight, Wi-Fi web connections for laptop computers and advanced cell phones, Rim said on Thursday.

The service will allow passengers to access customized Yahoo mail and Yahoo instant messenger services on their laptops or to access corporate e-mails on Wi-Fi enabled versions of the popular Blackberry device from Rim.

According to a spokesperson for Rim the first JetBlue flight offering the service will be on December 11.

[Matt Molnar]

Wall Street Journal:

JetBlue to Test Inflight Email, Instant-Messaging Services
By SUSAN CAREY
December 6, 2007 2:23 p.m.

Got mail?

JetBlue Airways Corp., a pioneer in inflight entertainment with its satellite-television and radio offerings, plans to become the first U.S. airline to provide free inflight email and instant-messaging services on Tuesday when one of its A320 planes equipped with an onboard wireless network takes flight.

The low-fare carrier has been working quietly for months with partners Yahoo Inc. and Research in Motion Ltd. to prepare the first plane, dubbed "BetaBlue," for the test flights with actual passengers. If they respond favorably to the offering in several months of trial flights, JetBlue said it hopes to install the system on its entire fleet.

Read more...

[Matt Molnar]

First "BetaBlue" flight: Monday morning's flight 641, JFK-SFO. The plane will rotate through other routes after that.

[PhilDernerJr]

This is a big move that makes their IFE more competitive with Virgin America. Will it be enough though...who knows.

[nwafan20]

Grr, why this limited "Yahoo email/IM" thing, why not do the entire web?

[hiss srq]

Thye will never match up with VA unless they put ovens in their galley in my opinion. I think with my stomach and my legs though when I fly. If I am not eating and we are not landing I am sleeping.

[NcSchu]

According to most technical blogs I've read the service Jetblue's offering really isn't that good, but I suppose it's a start..

JetBlue's on board product is still lacking to VX IMO though.

[PhilDernerJr]

JetBlue is offering a special sale to promote this new feature. The prices are decent, but nothing that impressive.

http://biz.yahoo.com/pz/071211/132837.html

[Iberia A340-600]

Looks like this aircraft is also painted in a special scheme:



http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4524

[PhilDernerJr]

That's actually the closest thing that JetBlue's had to a special scheme yet.

I'd hate to deride on them, but I just see this as such a desperate attempt to show that they are trying to keep up with Virgin America....and failing at it.

[Matt Molnar]

Tech blog Engadget was on-board the maiden flight of "BetaBlue" and did a writeup of the experience. They weren't thrilled...there are a number of dead spots across the country, bandwidth is slow, and you can only use Yahoo messenger and mail.

Hands-on with BetaBlue, JetBlue's WiFi-equipped Airbus (with photos)

[adam613]

Looks like this aircraft is also painted in a special scheme:

Anyone know the reg?

[Alex T]

HAHAHA

The title he put.. Breaking" Jetblue...

Made me laugh. If the net doesn't work up to its standards, Breaking Jetblue might work in terms of brekaing up the net service.

I wish B6 luck, WN is doing the same testing on 4 of its 737-700's also.

Alex

[Iberia A340-600]

Looks like this aircraft is also painted in a special scheme:

Anyone know the reg?

N651JB