Above: It has been an exciting couple of years for JetBlue, with its FlyFi program going strong, and the launch of its Mint business class. For more details on Mint, see HERE
October 14, 2015 – New York-based JetBlue has announced that it has passed two major milestones on its path to becoming the only US carrier to offer free high-speed wi-fi Internet on every aircraft. The free service is good for web browsing, streaming video or checking email, but more bandwidth-intensive activity such as transferring large files, accessing VPN or playing online games requires the purchase of the Fly-Fi Plus plan at US$9/hour.
Fly-Fi uses Ka-band satellite technology package from ViaSat and Thales to offer speeds up to 20Mbps per passenger – enough power to stream video and use multiple devices at once. JetBlue has completed installation of Fly-Fi on its fleet of more than 150 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, and its first Fly-Fi-enabled E190 made its official inaugural flight this week. The airline anticipates it will complete the installation of Fly-Fi on all 60 of its E190s by fall 2016, at which point it will have completed installation of Fly-Fi on its entire fleet.
These installation milestones come as JetBlue and Amazon prepare to bring unlimited, on-demand entertainment with the upcoming launch of Amazon Video onboard, giving Amazon Prime members instant streaming access to tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes in-flight, at no additional cost with their membership.
Customers connected to Fly-Fi can access content on The Hub via their personal devices. The Hub hosts a growing collection of entertainment, educational content and news. Hub content includes video from Vox Media, PBS, NatGeo and more, the latest e-books from HarperCollins Publishers, and magazines from Time Inc.
“Soon every JetBlue customer will step onboard knowing their aircraft is equipped with free, fast Internet and entertainment, the same way they expect our friendly service and the most legroom in coach,” said Jamie Perry, vice president of brand and product development, JetBlue. “Our Fly-Fi model has proven that there is a way to offer customers more without adding extra costs to their travel.”
