JetBlue to Launch In-Flight E-Mail Service

Low-fare carrier JetBlue Airways is expanding its in-flight entertainment options this month, adding e-mail and instant message capabilities to its fleet. JetBlue, and its partners Yahoo!, Blackberry manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) and JetBlue subsidiary LiveTV, launch the “BetaBlue,” its Wi-Fi-enabled Airbus A320 which will allow passengers to check e-mail and send instant messages while in flight. In-flight versions of Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! Messenger can be accessed using Wi-Fi enabled laptops and Smartphones, JetBlue said. LiveTV's FCC-licensed air-to-ground spectrum provides full continental U.S. coverage of Wi-Fi services above 10,000 feet.  Other carriers in the United States are also bringing the Web to the skies in the coming months. Virgin America and Aircell announced in September they are partnering to bring broadband Internet to continental U.S. routes in 2008, allowing passengers to surf the Web, using either Virgin America’s in-flight entertainment system or their own Wi-Fi-enabled devices. American Airlines also announced a deal with Aircell to test broadband services on it begins testing services in the United States in 2008.