Comments on: Continental Channels JetBlue with TV, Email

By: Free Proxy

Free Proxy — Sun, 10 May 2009 17:57:44 +0000

proxy sites wouldnt be needed if we were not spied on at every turn. Some people don’t believe in a right to privacy

By: airwarmer

airwarmer — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:05:10 +0000

Great news. Though I don’t frequent Jet Blue, this is a godd sign. Wonder why they did it only now.

By: Inflight internet update: Southwest blocks Skype, Continental (hearts) Blackberry » Upgrade: Travel Better

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:29:15 +0000

[...] access onboard a limited number of their planes in coming months. Then, this week, Continental followed suit with a JetBlue style TV and limited internet service. The similarity to JetBlue’s product [...]

By: CF

CF — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:43:30 +0000

Thanks Seth – I definitely messed up on the installation timeline. It’s been fixed now.

Nicholas – I really wouldn’t know if an IPO is in the cards. That would certainly be one way to raise cash if they needed it, but that’s what the Lufthansa investment was for. They shouldn’t be desperate unless they think it will start losing value as the product becomes more of a commodity.

By: Seth

Seth — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:09:25 +0000

I’m glad to see someone else is disappointed in the “internet” offering that CO has chosen to pursue. The fact that 99% of email accounts will not be accessible via this solution and only Yahoo Mobile content will be available, severly limiting the utility of the “internet” though at least CO will be givingit away for free.

Also, they aren’t starting the deployment of the new system until January 2009, with completion expected by the end of 2010. And the older planes will have the “internet” offering, but no TVs. It is not clear if they will have the XM radio offering ot not.

Yeah, this is a step forward, but still not a great offering for anyone trying to get work done online during a flight.

By: Nicholas Barnard

Nicholas Barnard — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:26:50 +0000

So I’d guess LiveTV’s/JetBlue’s calculation boils down to: “we can sell it to them, and get some money off of it, even though it helps our competitor compete against us. Either that or they can buy Panasonic and have a similar service and no extra money for us.”

LiveTV always seems like a weird subsidiary for JetBlue. I get that they bought them initially to make sure they’d have the product available and their competitors couldn’t get it. But if you’re selling it to competitors anyway?

Cranky, do you think with JetBlue’s new management and liquidity situation an IPO of LiveTV is in the cards? (I don’t know financially what LiveTV’s position is, perhaps it is a nice cash flow generator?)

By: Artie

Artie — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:11:45 +0000

I just flew Continental round trip from my med school in the Caribbean to LAX for a wedding. I know that generic awards don’t tell the whole story about an airline, but I did feel compelled to share how impressed I was with Continental. It was the first time (in hundreds of flights) that I have flown Continental, and I was so pleasantly surprised and impressed with their level of service, friendliness, and attitude that I may very well be hooked! They just had an overall positive “aura” about them and it was a nice change from the usual flights I’ve taken on my regular carrier.

Highlight of the trip: they used a 757-200 for the red eye from LAX to EWR with the BusinessFirst product installed (I was flying first because it only cost $200 more than coach when I booked). I wasn’t sure if they usually used this aircraft (they didn’t when I was flying to LAX from EWR the previous weekend), but if they do, it makes it quite a relaxing trip. Plus, boarding Continental at LAX was so super easy – there was NO line at security (regardless of having a First class ticket) and the Business lounge was very relaxing, clean, and had a great view outside.

By: thisworldtraveler

thisworldtraveler — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:18:11 +0000

According to what I’ve read, the LiveTV will only be free in BusinessFirst, and not in coach. It will cost $6 for people flying Economy to watch the TV.

Reason being that the investment of the TV is going to be primarily from LiveTV and all the money from it goes to LiveTV.

By: DR Gooch

DR Gooch — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:46:51 +0000

A better comparison would be to Air Canada, since it is another network carrier with varying aircraft types. Of course AC decided to do on-demand and it is across the entire fleet.