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2008
- 20072006Frontier Airlines Press Release - The view just got a little better for Frontier Airlines customers. Today the airline announced it has upgraded its DIRECTV® channel lineup to include seven popular new networks. The 24-channel lineup will now feature MTV, CBS, FOX, USA, Comedy Central, ESPNU and the CW. The new channels are now available in all of Frontier's mainline aircraft.
"Frontier Airlines prides itself in providing customers an entertaining travel experience," said Frontier Airlines Director of Advertising Diane Willmann. "The seven new channels are a great addition to our inflight entertainment lineup and will provide our customers the variety in programming they've been looking for." <read the article>
June 9, 2008 - LiveTV Announces Agreement to Purchase
Verizon Airfone Network
LiveTV Press Release - LiveTV LLC, the world's leading provider of live in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems for commercial airlines, announced today it has reached an agreement to purchase the Verizon Airfone network, a move that will anchor the company's in-flight email and messaging platform.
LiveTV plans to enhance the Airfone network to expand its "Kiteline" service - an in-flight email and messaging service targeted at the commercial aviation market. To develop and launch its Kiteline service, LiveTV purchased 1 MHz of Air-to-Ground spectrum from the FCC in June 2006, and in December 2007 launched an email and messaging service on "BetaBlue," JetBlue Airways' first A320 aircraft equipped with Wi-Fi access points and an air-to-ground antenna and radio. Using the Airfone network of base stations, BetaBlue became the first commercial aircraft to offer free in-flight connectivity in the U.S. BetaBlue continues to utilize the Airfone network to provide airborne connectivity to passengers every day, transferring more than 100,000 messages to date.
Since the launch of JetBlue's BetaBlue aircraft, both Continental Airlines and Frontier Airlines have committed to deploying LiveTV's Kiteline product across significant portions of their fleet when the service becomes commercially available. Both airlines plan to offer Kiteline as a free service to all passengers.
In addition to supporting its commercial platform, LiveTV plans to provide ongoing support and product enhancements to the General Aviation market. Planned product enhancements include a next-generation radio supporting both voice and data services. The Airfone network, comprised of 100 base stations stretching across the continental U.S., currently supports airborne communication services for over 2,400 Magnastar® customers in the General Aviation market. Verizon will maintain network operations until December 31, 2008 after which LiveTV will take over operations on January 1, 2009. Current Magnastar customers will have no interruption in their service.
"Airfone was the pioneer of in-flight connectivity," said Nate Quigley, LiveTV CEO. "We look forward to building upon the foundation they have laid to bring email and messaging to all air travelers."
"Airfone is the industry leader in in-flight communications. We are pleased we can continue to support our existing valued General Aviation customers, and we are excited to play a role in LiveTV's efforts to bring email and messaging services to commercial airline passengers," said Michael Kuehn ,Vice President Marketing and Sales of Verizon Airfone.
Wall Street Journal
Bloomberg
Reuters
Flight International
Newsday
Washington Post
June 4, 2008 - JetBlue Airways Expands Free In-flight Connectivity Services Onboard 'BetaBlue'
The Boston Globe, Washington Post and CNN Money report on the expanded "in-flight connectivity services onboard 'BetaBlue,' JetBlue's Wi-Fi equipped A320 aircraft. The expanded services will provide customers with a simple yet extensive search and discover option from Amazon.com, as well as a more diverse email and messaging platform open to both Microsoft Exchange corporate email accounts and leading webmail providers such as Gmail, AOL Mail, Hotmail and Windows Live Mail.
Since its launch in December 2007, customers on BetaBlue have used their Wi-Fi enabled laptops and smartphones to transfer more than 100,000 messages using free services from Yahoo! and Research in Motion, JetBlue's launch partners. The expanded services, provided over LiveTV's basic connectivity network platform called Kiteline, will also be offered free to all customers." <read the article>
May 31, 2008 - Virgin TV crashes and burns: Richard Branson's bad luck
with TV continues as Virgin America Airlines' video system fails
Broadcast Newsroom - Reporter Ben Grossman has flown both JetBlue and Virgin America. He found out that when it comes to inflight entertainment, not all are created equal. Here are some excerpts from his blog:
...I started flying JetBlue for one simple reason: The in-seat DirecTV helps with my second-grade-level attention span...
I love the original Virgin Atlantic, so when I heard that the new American version had Dish Network, I decided to give it a shot...I booked a trip at a time when I could watch a World Series game to pass the L.A.-to-New York flight.
It didn't happen: The system was a clunker. I got exactly three channels for most of the trip...
...Seven months after my first try, I decided to give Virgin a few more chances...I settled into my seat and fired up the old system just before kickoff. I was greeted with a nice big error message that might as well have read: "Sucker." I didn't plug in my earphones, but I'd bet there would have been a clown voice laughing at me...
The system actually did kick in...and then proceeded to crash three more times over the next 45 minutes...
So I'm probably going back to JetBlue from now on. <read the article>
It's not easy making live TV work on airplanes. Lucky for us, we're awesome at it.
May 29, 2008 - Why everyone should have FREE email at 30,000 feet
Forbes - Forbes reports the Federal Communications Commission is mulling over a decision to "require the winner of airwaves being auctioned off by the government to provide free wireless high-speed Internet service across a large swath of the country." What's a large swath? 50 percent of the population four years after the winner gets a license, and 95 percent after 10 years. <read the article>
Mandated free broadband on the ground. Another reason to offer free connectivity in the air.
to Continental, Frontier
The new offering, called Airline TV, is projected to reach 21 million passengers by the end of 2009, and up to 45 million passengers by 2010, according to the companies.
Beginning in January 2009, Continental's domestic fleet of next-gen aircraft will be retrofitted with LiveTV's in-seat satellite TV system, which delivers up to 36 channels of live DirecTV programming, four channels of stored content, nd a real-time GPS map channel."
"The carrier, which has attracted $150 million in startup capital, plans to take wing in January from its Sao Paulo base with Brazilian-built Embraer 195 jetliners outfitted with 118 leather seats and LiveTV."<read the article>
Advertising Age - Zeroing in on the specific "job" your customers are trying to accomplish, rather than on the customers themselves -- or even on the customers' perceived needs - is an analytical concept that drives innovation by demanding a closer examination of the "fundamental problems customers are trying to solve in particular circumstances."
"There may never be a snappier explanation of the 'jobs' concept than late Harvard Business School professor Ted Levitt's famous utterance, 'The customer is looking for a quarter-inch hole, not a quarter-inch drill.'"
"Of course, there can be a level of uncertainty about which jobs are most important to customers. LiveTV, a subsidiary of JetBlue, will soon find out if it chose the right job with its in-flight Wi-Fi offering. LiveTV isn't the only company trying to bring internet connectivity to the skies, but the company is gambling that what travelers most want to get done is "stay connected while I'm in the air," not be entertained. The latter requires full broadband internet access, an expensive proposition that will most likely require passengers to pay a fee. LiveTV's e-mail-only solution is much cheaper to provide and as a result will likely be offered for free. "We're betting that e-mail scratches the connectivity itch when you're on a plane," said Nate Quigley, LiveTV CEO. The company is targeting a very specific job and has been able to cut scope -- and cost -- from its offering. <read the article>
"Now the question is, how long will hotels, airports and other venues be able to continue charging sky-high fees for a service that many people see as essential as running water and electricity… When Starbucks first introduced its fee-based Wi-Fi service in 2002, it seemed like a novel idea. But today, when many consumers have become accustomed to
"As detailed in this vendor profile, the success of LiveTV and its entertainment concept proves that perseverance pays. Now owned by JetBlue, this company provides just what its name implies plus more, and its track record for successfully entertaining airline passengers has been firmly established."<read the article>
January 29, 2008 - Continental
Airlines partners with LiveTV
CNNMONEY - "Continental Airlines
today announced that it has entered into an agreement with
LiveTV, L.L.C. (LiveTV)
that will allow Continental to offer 36 channels of live, inflight satellite-based
television programming provided by DIRECTV®, the nation's leading
satellite television provider, at every seat on Continental's new generation
aircraft. The service is expected to be available to customers on flights
operating within the continental United States beginning in January 2009.
In addition, Continental will be introducing onboard Wi-Fi services
including e-mail and instant messaging connectivity offered by LiveTV."<read more>
"We're thrilled that Continental, the fifth largest airline in the world and one of the most respected brands in the industry, has chosen us as their inflight entertainment and connectivity partner," said Nate Quigley, LiveTV CEO. "This is a significant milestone for LiveTV and a very positive indication of the market's demand for our proven product offering."
USA Today
Rueters
Business Week
ABC News
Tech Spot
PC World
Florida Today
Houston Business Journal
Houston Chronicle
Dallas Morning News
The Plain Dealer, Columbus, OH
Electronista
Fox - Houston
New Zealand Herald, New Zealand
Techchannel.att.com - "Watching live satellite television at 30,000 feet above the ground and traveling at over 600mph is not as easy as it looks. It takes innovation to turn a plane into a mobile entertainment center and LIVETV shows us how they do it."<watch the video>
December 6, 2007 - LiveTV, JetBlue, Yahoo and RIM partner to offer the first ever free in-flight email and instant messaging service
LIVETV - The
Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Times, AP, Reuters, Boston Globe,
Time and several other news agencies report on JetBlue's announcement
of BetaBlue, the airline's first aircraft to offer in-flight connectivity.
Beginning December 11, passengers onboard BetaBlue will be able to send and receive
emails and instant messages with Wi-Fi enabled BlackBerrys and laptops through
their free Yahoo accounts or BlackBerry service.
JetBlue's onboard connectivity -- like its live satellite television and radio -- is powered by LiveTV. In June of 2006, LiveTV won an FCC auction for 1 MHz of Air-to-Ground spectrum. Since that time, LiveTV has been at work developing the connectivity technology and business model (FREE!) that air travelers have been waiting for.
With all the amenities on BetaBlue - DirecTV, XM Radio, leather seats, extra legroom, and now free email and instant messaging - it will be easy to feel At Home in the Air.
UPDATE: Since news of BetaBlue hit the press on December 6 and the airplane’s launch on December 11, nearly 400 news outlets have reported on the event. BetaBlue continues to fly passengers across the country as the first – and so far, only – aircraft to offer free onboard connectivity. Over a thousand emails and messages were sent during BetaBlue’s maiden voyage, and hundreds of emails are sent from her Wi-Fi cabin every day.
Wall Street Journal
USA Today
AP
Reuters
New York Times
Boston Globe
Bloomberg
CNET News
Florida Today
Los Angeles Times
Macworld
PC World
MarketWatch
National Public Radio
San Francisco Chronicle
Washington Post
CNN
Wired News
Salt Lake Tribune
Denver Post
Sydney Morning Herald
Taipei Times, Taiwan
Malaysian Sun, Malaysia
ABC Money News, UK
November 12, 2007 - LiveTV customers dominate the WAEA awards -- Win first and second for Best Overall In-Flight Entertainment in the Americas
LIVETV - There was a common theme at the 19th Annual World Airline Entertainment Association's AVION Awards: Passengers want their live TV.
JetBlue and Frontier, the only domestic airlines that currently offer fleet-wide live satellite television, were voted first and second in the Best Overall In-Flight Entertainment category for the Americas region. While JetBlue placed above Frontier, both airlines have similar in-flight entertainment systems and they are both customers of Florida-based LiveTV, the company that invented in-seat television and first introduced fleet-wide live satellite programming to the commercial aviation market.
The LiveTV in-flight entertainment system used by JetBlue and Frontier features up to 36 channels of DirecTV satellite programming, four channels of stored content and a GPS map channel displaying flight progress. Passengers watch TV on individual seatback video screens.
The WAEA selected winners by assessing the feedback of more than 36,000 airline passengers surveyed about their in-flight entertainment experiences.
"There is no in-flight passenger experience that beats watching live television at 30,000 feet," said LiveTV CEO Nate Quigley. "The recent World Series shown on Frontier and JetBlue is a great example of that. Because of LiveTV, Rockies fans flying out of Denver and Red Sox fans flying out of New England didn't have to miss a single pitch of the Fall Classic. What other in-flight offering can compare with that?"
"We're honored to be recognized in this year's AVION Awards," said Frontier Sr. Vice President of Marketing and Planning John Happ. "Our satellite TV and movie offerings are an important part of Frontier's overall customer service package, and we're proud to offer an in-flight entertainment product as highly regarded by our passengers as LiveTV."
October 31, 2007 - JetBlue Airways and LiveTV partner to provide cashless cabin for In-flight purchases
Peanuts! Low Cost Airline News - "As a point-of-sale device, Cashless Cabin greatly simplifies the on-board purchasing process, making life convenient for JetBlue Crewmembers. And as we look ahead, we see potential for this product to streamline other operational processes, hopefully adding even more value to an already rich relationship with JetBlue," said Lisa Eisele, LiveTV's Cashless Cabin product manager. <more>
Oct 26, 2007 - Flying the Rockies
In Business (Las Vegas) - "Denver-based Frontier Airlines solved a dilemma it had when the hometown Colorado Rockies made the World Series. Wanting to provide good service as the official airline of the baseball team, Frontier negotiated an 11th-hour deal with DirecTV and LiveTV to broadcast World Series games on Fox on the airline's seat-back entertainment system on its planes. The deal was struck less than a week before the start of the first game and assures that late-booking business travelers would be able to watch games while flying instead of possibly going to a competitor."
Oct 25, 2007 - Frontier, JetBlue rally behind the 'home' team; each will show World Series games on planes
Aero-News Network - "Eager to show its pride for the hometown baseball team, Denver-based Frontier Airlines announced it will show World Series games onboard its planes... The games will be broadcast onboard Frontier Airlines mainline planes by DirecTV. Obtaining permission to show the games required some fancy legal footwork, as the airline's contract with [LiveTV and] the satellite television provider doesn't normally cover the Fox Network. Red Sox fans shouldn't feel let down, though. New England-based JetBlue Airways (well, Queens, NY... but the Mets aren't in the Series) will also show World Series games on its planes." <more>
Oct 22, 2007 - Frontier will air World Series in flight
Denverpost.com - The Rockies' historic run has landed them in the World Series for the first time in team history. LiveTV, Frontier, Fox Sports and DirecTV finalized a deal to make sure passengers on Denver-based Frontier won't miss a game. <more>
Oct 14, 2007 - Cash won't fly on some U.S. airplanes
Los Angeles Times - "Fliers, get ready for the cashless cabin, where you need a credit or debit card to buy food, drinks, headsets and anything else onboard. No currency needed -- or wanted. This month, JetBlue Airways announced it would take only credit or debit cards for onboard purchases starting Nov. 1." <more>
Oct 2, 2007 - JetBlue Airways and LiveTV partner to provide Cashless Cabin
CNNMoney.com - "Customers will enjoy the convenience of a cashless cabin on all JetBlue flights. LiveTV's secure technology will enhance the JetBlue experience for customers by providing a quick and hassle-free way to purchase in-flight offerings onboard." <more>
Oct 2, 2007 - JetBlue's cashless cabin
Nytimes.com - "The days of in-flight crew members trying to keep track of all those stray dollars and cents are over," said Lisa Eisele, LiveTV's product manager for the new system, called Cashless Cabin." <more>
Sept 24, 2007 - JetBlue's inflight entertainment named best in the Americas
CNNMoney.com - "JetBlue pioneered live inflight television service in partnership with LiveTV, our wholly owned subsidiary, and as we continue to expand entertainment options even further for our customers, we're thrilled by the recognition they've given us." <more>
Aug 10, 2007 - Sales rise and convenience improves when airlines accept cards in-flight
Electronic payments coalition - "According to ATM & Debit News, airlines have enjoyed increased sales and customer convenience through the use of in-flight card payments technology for the purchase of food, beverages and entertainment products. "When plastic is available, the propensity to spend goes up, as does the amount they spend," says Scott Easterling, director of sales and marketing for LiveTV, a provider of in-flight products and services." <more>
Aug 10, 2007 - No cash, no problem - ExpressJet gives credit card option to passengers
LiveTV - "You'll be hearing a different announcement the next time you board an ExpressJet aircraft: Exact change is no longer necessary. Beginning this month, the Houston-based regional carrier equipped its fleet of 59 E-145 aircraft with wireless, handheld electronic credit card readers - using LiveTV's "Cashless Cabin" technology - in an effort to oblige passengers using either cash or credit. In offering a cashless alternative, ExpressJet has joined a growing number of airlines who are responding to society's gravitation toward the convenience of swipe-and-go transactions."
July 6, 2007 - New York discount carrier JetBlue to detail wireless email plans; plans to let passengers send free email or text in service that would be first for U.S. carriers
The Toronto Star - "JetBlue Airways Corp., the first U.S. carrier to offer live in-flight television, will detail plans by year's end to let passengers send free email or text messages from wireless handheld devices. Spokesman Jenny Dervin said LiveTV, a subsidiary of JetBlue, is developing the technology."
May 9, 2007 - More airlines asking passengers to pay for inflight services with plastic
Tripinfo.com - "The distress call usually goes out about halfway through the in-flight drink service. A flight attendant gets on the intercom and asks whether any passengers have change for a $10 or $20 bill. Ding. ding. ding. Passenger call buttons go on, and the flight attendant heads for the in-flight bankers and a deal is done. The cumbersome dash for cash by flight attendants and passengers is disappearing on some airlines as technology makes it easier to accept credit and debit cards in flight." <more>
Mar 28, 2007 - Satellite TV creates sports bar in the sky
New York Times - "Dave Adams of Brooklyn had his eyes glued to the NCAA men's basketball tournament game between Ohio State and Memphis last weekend . He threw a celebratory fist in the air as Ohio State center Greg Oden, his favorite player on the court, made his way to the basket. A cold beer sat to Adams's side, and he held a bag of chips in one hand. But Adams was not in his living room. Nor was he at a sports bar. He was cruising at 19,000 feet, or about 6,000 meters, on JetBlue Airways to Washington Dulles from New York's Kennedy International Airport, a thick layer of clouds visible through the window beside him."
Mar 28, 2007 - Frontier Airlines' cabins go cashless
PR Newswire - "LiveTV partners up with Frontier to transition its fleet to "Cashless Cabins" beginning April 1, 2007. The new service will eliminate the need for correct change and is expected to expedite the in-flight service process. To accept and track purchases, Frontier's flight attendants will carry [LiveTV's] state-of-the-art personal digital assistant (PDA) equipped with a card reader." <more>
Feb 5, 2007 - ExpressJet Airlines begins flying under its own banner
Xjet.com - "ExpressJet is bringing a young fleet of planes and more comfort, convenience and quality customer service to cities that either did not have non-stop service, or had too few travel options," Ream said. "Now, our customers will be able to relax on a non-stop flight, in a comfortable leather seat with more than 100 channels of free XM(R) Satellite Radio." <more>
Feb 2, 2007 - On Sunday, Frontier has the best seats for football fans
PR Newswire - "Kick back this Sunday and tune in to the big game at 30,000 feet. Frontier Airlines (NASDAQ = FRNT ) is treating all Airbus passengers*, regardless of which team they root for, to the biggest football game of the year, free of charge on their own personal LiveTV seatback monitor." <more>
Jan 2, 2007 - Technology: Look for cell service, rental car kiosks
USA Today - "Boeing shut down its in-flight broadband service in 2006, but the airline industry is expected this year to roll out new initiatives to keep passengers connected. LiveTV, a subsidiary of JetBlue that provides in-flight entertainment for airlines, may introduce e-mail and text-messaging service," says Nate Quigley, CEO of LiveTV. "Starting in mid-2007, six airlines will install iPod connections in their in-flight entertainment systems." <more>
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