JetBlue Airlines started its in-flight wifi Internet service by allowing only Yahoo mail, Blackberry Mail or Yahoo Messenger. Now JetBlue is expanding its allowed services to include Gmail, AOL,Hotmail and Live Mail, plus partnering with amazon to offer a shopping portal.

Specially equipped Airbus A320 in the JetBlue fleet offered wifi after resolving multiple technical issues. JetBlue had to secure a signal to its planes onboard access point in the 800MHz ground to air spectrum similar to cellphone technology. In JetBlue’s case the ‘cellphone’ was travelling at 500mph and required a bigger bandwidth pipe than just phone audio.

 

JetBlue already owned LiveTV entertainment provider so JetBlue leveraged that connectivity with a network client from Kiteline.

Travelers on JetBlue can now access the most popular email gateways and devote their air travel time to work.

Full Internet access is some time away due to bandwidth and privacy issues, but for the meantime free email messaging capabilities are a great start.

Other JetBlue news released is a $189 fare between Boston and Austin, one way, plus additional charges.

Not so long ago JetBlue looked like it was in dire trouble after some very public poor handling of delayed flights and irate trapped passengers when bad weather wrecked schedules. JetBlue failed to have a contingency plan of allocated planes. Poor PR contributed to give JetBlue a black eye.

Reduced revenues left the airline battered and bruised but not out. Free in-flight entertainment was ended and first run movies cost $5. rising fuel costs continue to challenge JetBlue’s viability as a low cost airline.

Christina Szele has a problem. Christina Szele lit up cigarette on board a flight last week. Not even in the lavatory, but in plain view in the cabin. Christina Szele, excuse me, but you are a sick, selfish idiot.