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InFlight Messaging Service Allows Passengers to Stay Connected at 30,000 Feet Aeronautical Communications Editorial Archive

Aeronautical Communications

Aeronautical Communications Featured Article

March 04, 2011

InFlight Messaging Service Allows Passengers to Stay Connected at 30,000 Feet

By Calvin Azuri, TMCnet Contributor

InFlight Labs recently announced the deployment of a powerful new online service that has delighted airline passengers all around the nation. The new InFlightMessenger.com leverages the aircraft's WiFi (News - Alert) connection that enables passengers to have single or group two-way text message conversations with their business associates, family and friends while in flight.


This proprietary technology brings together the best features of instant messaging and text messaging to offer a new “Advanced Real-Time Communication” experience for its subscribers.

In a release, Tiffany Van Alst, head of Strategic Alliances for the InFlight Labs, said, “Business travelers can use their laptop or iPad (coming soon) to access this simple web interface to send and receive messages (approx. 4-7 seconds) to any mobile phone in the U.S. Add to that the ability to group message up to 25 colleagues at once and hold “text conversations” while at 30,000 feet, and you have a powerful business productivity tool.”

Now, it will no longer be necessary to wrestle with “size challenged” mobile keyboards or number pads to type messages as the InFlight Messenger eliminates all those challenges. Travelers will now be able to communicate with the ease and comfort of a full-sized computer keyboard. Passengers will be able to use the service while in-flight or on the ground, to send and receive messages provided they have access to an Internet connection.

The InFlight Messenger offers a time-stamped Message History along with a Text Message Calendar, which enables a subscribing passenger to enter a business associate, family member or friend's schedule, appointments or events. The individual will then receive text message reminders any hour, day, month or year. All replies to the text message reminder will be forwarded to a subscribing passenger's mobile phone even if they are not on the InFlightMessenger.com website. 

Tiffany Van Alst went on to say that the “InFlight Messenger can be the “missing piece to the puzzle” for in-flight WiFi providers and airlines. This service will move the market forward for in-flight Wi-Fi companies such as GoGo and Row44, as well as many airlines, to help achieve large-scale in-flight Wi-Fi adoption much sooner than projected”.

The InFlight Messenger is currently priced between just $1 and $1.99 depending on the passenger’s subscription. The company is offering this service for free but only for a very limited time.


Calvin Azuri is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Calvin’s articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Tammy Wolf





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