Continental adding live TV, Wi-Fi options

Continental will add live television programming and onboard e-mail and instant messaging capabilities on some of its aircraft beginning next year, the airline announced today. The airline says it’s offerings will include 36 channels of live television, The Associated Press reports. The Houston Chronicle says “first-class customers will get free access to the entertainment system, while other passengers will have to pay a $6 fee. … The service will be installed aboard Continental’s new Boeing 737s and Boeing 757-300s.”

Continental’s service will be provided by LiveTV, “a wholly owned subsidiary of JetBlue Airways” that “has provided live television programming and other services to JetBlue since its inception,” according to FLORIDA TODAY. Reuters says LiveTV will begin installing the service on about 225 Continental jets in January 2009, a process expected to take about 18 months to complete. Once done, the effort will cover “the majority of the carrier’s domestic fleet,” Reuters says. The news agency adds “the service will cost Continental next to nothing to start, but it will also get little in return.” LiveTV CEO Nate Quigley says: “We’re providing most of the capital and we’re retaining most of the revenue.”‘

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2008/01/continental.html

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