JetBlue Adds Gmail, Hotmail to Wi-fi Service
JetBlue has made it even harder to break away from your iPhone, BlackBerry or MacBook even when you’re three miles in the air. The company has opened its on-board wi-fi network to include Gmail, AOL mail, Hotmail and Windows Live Mail.
The BetaBlue in-flight wi-fi service launched last December with access to Yahoo Mail and Yahoo Messenger. The addition of four more popular mail sites means that all major webmail providers are now supported. Wednesday’s announcement also included a “search and discover” feature from Amazon.com that allows users to browse millions of products from the online store while elbowing your neighbor for typing room.
The service is provided free with the price of an airline ticket and accompanies JetBlue’s LiveTV network on a basic connectivity platform dubbed Kiteline. The network is provided on all JetBlue Airbus A320 planes, which make up the bulk of its fleet.
For free wifi 20,000 feet in the air, JetBlue is ahead of the curve. Albeit, the provided internet access is limited to only a very small portion of the web. We have yet to see what Virgin America, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have in store with their promised onboard wi-fi programs, which are due sometime in 2008.
