United Airlines adds e-mail for U.S. flights

United Airlines and Verizon Airfone announced June 17 that United is the first U.S. commercial carrier to offer two-way e-mail capability via Verizon Airfone JetConnect Service on its U.S. domestic flights. JetConnect is an in-flight e-mail, instant messaging and text messaging service, which costs $15.98 per flight, plus 10 cents for every kilobyte after the first two kilobytes.

United has offered JetConnect service on select 767 domestic aircraft since December 2002, but the airline is expanding to the JetConnect with e-mail service across its entire domestic fleet by the end of 2003. Airfone uses Tenzing Communications as its JetConnect e-mail service provider.

"The availability of e-mail is critical to business flyers ," said Bill Pallone, president of Verizon Airfone. "The impact on in-flight productivity is tremendous; for this reason, users have said access to JetConnect will determine which airline they'll choose. This will significantly enhance the passengers' experience."

How it works

Customers access JetConnect by plugging their laptops into jacks on the Verizon Airfone handsets. No software downloads or changes to connections are needed; passengers just use their standard dialup routine to link to JetConnect.

Verizon Airfone and Tenzing conducted service trials on United aircraft in May, and will continue installation ramp up throughout the summer.

Initially, JetConnect with e-mail will be available to frequent business travelers who use POP3, Microsoft Exchange via Outlook Web access and Lotus Notes via POP. Additional ISPs will eventually be supported as well.