JetBlue completes fleet-wide rollout of high-speed Fly-Fi
U.S. budget airline JetBlue on Wednesday announced the finished rollout of Fly-Fi, a free in-flight Wi-Fi service that claims to offer faster connections than some paid options like Gogo.
Fly-Fi is now available on every JetBlue aircraft, the airline said. A number of airports in the U.S. and elsewhere are offering access as well, though in rare cases it may be paid -- like Newburgh, N.Y. -- or non-existent, as with places like Mexico City and Montego Bay.
Under ideal circumstances travelers should be able to stay connected from gate to gate, even avoiding the need to reach cruising altitude once onboard a plane. In practice, Fly-Fi can only be active if a flight is over the U.S.
Speeds should be about 12 to 15 megabits per second, which -- while slower than LTE or many landline internet connections -- should be enough for music and video streaming. In fact JetBlue has been adding various streaming partners, foremost Amazon, which has a prominent place on the Fly-Fi Hub and is sponsoring free access. People who shop on Amazon.com will earn 3 TrueBlue points for each dollar spent.
Travelers have often complained about the state of in-flight Wi-Fi, which can be slow and expensive. While a one-hour Gogo pass is $7, a day pass is $19 -- more than half of what some landline plans cost for an entire month.
Fly-Fi is now available on every JetBlue aircraft, the airline said. A number of airports in the U.S. and elsewhere are offering access as well, though in rare cases it may be paid -- like Newburgh, N.Y. -- or non-existent, as with places like Mexico City and Montego Bay.
Under ideal circumstances travelers should be able to stay connected from gate to gate, even avoiding the need to reach cruising altitude once onboard a plane. In practice, Fly-Fi can only be active if a flight is over the U.S.
Speeds should be about 12 to 15 megabits per second, which -- while slower than LTE or many landline internet connections -- should be enough for music and video streaming. In fact JetBlue has been adding various streaming partners, foremost Amazon, which has a prominent place on the Fly-Fi Hub and is sponsoring free access. People who shop on Amazon.com will earn 3 TrueBlue points for each dollar spent.
Travelers have often complained about the state of in-flight Wi-Fi, which can be slow and expensive. While a one-hour Gogo pass is $7, a day pass is $19 -- more than half of what some landline plans cost for an entire month.
Comments
As much as I loathe Gogo for its lousy performance and high prices, it should be noted that T-Mobile customers get a free hour of WiFi on Gogo.
$30!