United Airlines plans to be the first commercial carrier to offer two-way email capability aboard all its US domestic flights.
By the end of the year, passengers on all flights will be able to plug their laptops into jacks on the Verizon Airfone handsets, which will use technology by Tenzing Communications to transmit email.
United has offered JetConnect service on a trial basis on some 767 domestic aircraft since December - charging $US5.99 ($A8.95) per flight for instant messaging, one-way text messaging and other features. The new technology increases the cost to about $US16 ($A24) but enables passengers to send and receive email, including attachments. Another $US0.10 ($A0.15) will be added for each kilobyte of data over 2 kilobytes.
John Tague, United's executive vice president for customer initiatives, said the expanded offering illustrates the airline's focus on products and services that are "useful, affordable and in line with what travellers are asking for".
United, which is restructuring in federal bankruptcy court after losing millions of dollars and many passengers, hopes to get a jump on the competition in the scramble for business travellers.
"The availability of email is critical to business flyers," said Bill Pallone, president of Verizon Airfone.
United isn't first with the concept. Lufthansa, Japan Airlines, British Airways and Scandinavian Airlines System are all testing or have committed to using a satellite high-speed internet service offered by Connexion by Boeing this year.
United and several other airlines, including American and Delta, committed in 2001 to buy the service by Connexion, a competitor to Seattle-based Tenzing. But the September 11 attacks scrapped those plans, when the drop in air travel demand forced carriers into a fight for their survival.
AP
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/06/23/1056220515678.html
By the end of the year, passengers on all flights will be able to plug their laptops into jacks on the Verizon Airfone handsets, which will use technology by Tenzing Communications to transmit email.
United has offered JetConnect service on a trial basis on some 767 domestic aircraft since December - charging $US5.99 ($A8.95) per flight for instant messaging, one-way text messaging and other features. The new technology increases the cost to about $US16 ($A24) but enables passengers to send and receive email, including attachments. Another $US0.10 ($A0.15) will be added for each kilobyte of data over 2 kilobytes.
John Tague, United's executive vice president for customer initiatives, said the expanded offering illustrates the airline's focus on products and services that are "useful, affordable and in line with what travellers are asking for".
United, which is restructuring in federal bankruptcy court after losing millions of dollars and many passengers, hopes to get a jump on the competition in the scramble for business travellers.
"The availability of email is critical to business flyers," said Bill Pallone, president of Verizon Airfone.
United isn't first with the concept. Lufthansa, Japan Airlines, British Airways and Scandinavian Airlines System are all testing or have committed to using a satellite high-speed internet service offered by Connexion by Boeing this year.
United and several other airlines, including American and Delta, committed in 2001 to buy the service by Connexion, a competitor to Seattle-based Tenzing. But the September 11 attacks scrapped those plans, when the drop in air travel demand forced carriers into a fight for their survival.
AP
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/06/23/1056220515678.html
