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A 5G deadline could ground some US flights starting July 1st
Planes without compatible altimeters won't be allowed to fly in low visibility.
British Airways expands its biometric boarding gate trials in the US
British Airways is expanding its biometric boarding gate tests in the US. Last November, it began testing self-service boarding gates in Los Angeles Airport that don't require customers to produce either their boarding pass or their passport. Instead, passengers only need to look into a camera, wait for their biometric data to be checked against their passport, visa or immigration photos and then walk onto the plane once their identity has been verified. So far, the US tests have been limited to those flying out of LAX on British Airways flights to Heathrow. But now, the self-service gates are also being tested in Orlando International Airport with customers flying to Gatwick as well as in New York's JFK airport and Miami International Airport with passengers flying in to the US from Heathrow.
Two airlines are bringing faster WiFi to their international flights
Two airlines have made moves to upgrade their WiFi offerings today. Cathay Pacific Group will provide GoGo's 2Ku satellite-based broadband technology starting in 2018 and Emirates has partnered with Thales to bring 50Mpbs connectivity to its Boeing 777X fleet in 2020.
Your face could be your ticket to fly on JetBlue (updated)
Airports are where hopes and dreams go to die. But JetBlue thinks that one method of how people typically pass the time could be used to speed up the boarding process. For some passengers, a taken-at-the-gate photo will suffice to get them to their sky-chair. It's part of a collaboration between the airline and the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office, Jetblue announced today.
Zunum Aero's hybrid planes could halve the cost of US flights
Boeing and JetBlue have backed a little-known company called Zunum Aero -- and for good reason. The startup is three years into the development of small planes powered by hybrid-electric propulsion, which it says can "pave the way to a golden era of fast and affordable electric air travel." Zunum's planes promise to make local flights a more feasible alternative to traveling by car or high-speed trains. The 10-to-50-seater aircraft will cut travel time by 40 to 80 percent, so if you're flying a flight that typically takes five hours, it'll only take two-and-a-half hours. Thanks to the planes' lower operating costs, seats will cost 40 to 80 percent below current prices, as well.
JetBlue's Fly-Fi broadband is now free on all flights
JetBlue has finally made good on that promise to provide free WiFi on every flight. The airline announced today that every jet in its fleet is now equipped with JetBlue's Fly-Fi broadband, offering "gate-to-gate" high speed internet you can use even before the flight reaches cruising altitude.
You might be warned if your next flight allows WiFi calling
Between screaming babies, flatulent passengers and that guy ahead of you who insists on leaning all the way back, air travel can be pretty miserable. And that's before you think about the possibility of someone loudly making a call over WiFi during your flight. The Department of Transportation wants to address that last bit, though.
Amazon starts streaming Prime music and videos on JetBlue
Back in May, Amazon said it would bring Prime Music and Instant Video to select JetBlue flights. Fast forward to today, over six months since the original announcement, and the retailer is finally turning this feature on for Amazon Prime customers. If you're a subscriber who's flying in one of JetBlue's Fly-Fi-ready planes, you can stream tunes, movies and TV shows at no extra cost thanks to the airline's newly developed internet service. The experience itself is built into the Fly-Fi hub, letting you easily access your Prime media library on laptops, iOS and Android smartphones or tablets and, naturally, Amazon's Fire devices. Amazon says this is already working on most of JetBlue's Fly-Fi fleet, with the full rollout expected to be completed by November 26th.
JetBlue will have free satellite WiFi on every flight by fall 2016
JetBlue's plans to outfit its aircraft with fast satellite WiFi are most definitely on track. The airline has announced that it not only has Fly-Fi on all of its Airbus aircraft, but that it expects to have the free internet access aboard all its remaining flights by fall 2016. That's a big deal, particularly if you're a frequent flier -- it guarantees at least one carrier that will have relatively brisk (20Mbps per device) connections on every trip, whether it's a short hop or cross-country. JetBlue no doubt hopes that you'll use its expanding service to buy a few things, but it's hard to be too cynical about the company's motives when some other airlines charge you for WiFi that's virtually unusable.
Amazon is bringing Prime videos and music to JetBlue's fleet
Amazon has spent an exorbitant amount of cash to grow its Prime Instant Video service. Still, the company knows there's more it can do to make the offering better for subscribers. As such, Amazon is teaming up with JetBlue to bring Prime's on-demand video and music content to the skies, though only in the US. The new feature, which will be powered by JetBlue's super-speedy Fly-Fi internet, will be included as part of any existing Prime membership -- it's free in-flight entertainment, and that's a gesture people are likely to appreciate. Unfortunately, it won't be available until later this year, but at least that gives you some time to start building out your Watchlist.
JetBlue will soon let you buy in the sky with Apple Pay
There will soon be one more place where you can purchase goods with Apple Pay, and for the first time, it's located 35,000 feet in the sky: a JetBlue airplane. The company is in the process of replacing its old in-flight payment systems with iPad minis that can accept mobile payments from iPhones 6 and 6 Plus. And yes, you can use the option to buy food, booze and even upgrade to an empty premium seat, in case you're struck with the need to treat yourself: just place the phone with your thumb on the home key near the flight attendant's iPad mini. Apple believes this won't be the last time an airline welcomes Apple Pay on board either, so if you don't fly JetBlue, well, you may want to cross your fingers that your favorite carrier follows suit.
The poetry of my tweets
I'd like to think my tweets offer some cultural value and promote a better world. I consume plenty of brilliant films and scholarly articles, then reflect my learnings on Twitter multiple times a day. So when I heard there was a tool to turn my tweets into real poetry, I expected a reflection of the erudite person I've become. Unfortunately, I was painted as, well...a boob.
Engadget Daily: Target's network breach, a tour of JetBlue's 'Mint' cabin and more!
Flying first class is a wonderful experience, but for most it's simply too expensive. JetBlue's new premium "Mint" cabin, however, is fresh, accessible and affordable. That's not all we have on deck, though -- read on for the rest of our news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Now Boarding 'Mint': JetBlue's take on the first class experience
When JetBlue took flight in 2000, the company aimed to "bring humanity back to air travel." The team started by ordering a bunch of new Airbus A320 aircraft, filling them with comfy leather seats (and enough legroom), serving unlimited free snacks and, best of all, offering a TV at every seat with 20 channels of live satellite TV. Part of this exercise in "humanity" involved keeping ticket prices affordable for everyone. Fast-forward 14 years later, and the airline is bringing this approach to first class travel with the introduction of "Mint." Until now, first class and even business class weren't accessible to everyone. Maybe you've been lucky to sit in a premium cabin because you're a frequent flier with status on an airline like Delta. Even then, the upgrades aren't always guaranteed. Or maybe you're rich and have stacks of cash to buy first class tickets at full price. Good on you, then! But, even if you've flown first class elsewhere, JetBlue's new Mint cabin is unique. That's partly because it uses some innovative technology, but also because it's actually affordable.
Engadget Expand is all about you. And us. But really, you.
Engadget Expand is our annual event that's all about you -- our fans. It's not your typical tech conference that's priced for people fortunate to have an expense account. We make the event completely FREE thanks to our generous sponsors, giving you the chance to experience the future -- right now. And while you're at it, you get to meet your favorite Engadget editors. When you join us at the Javits Center North in New York City next week on November 7-8, you'll be set loose on our show floor. You can check out some of our exhibitors and get your hands on gadgets that people can't buy yet (or in some cases, build your own in our workshops), head to our Expand stage and hear from some smart and inspiring people and so much more.
What's up with Engadget Expand?
We're just two weeks away from our free Engadget Expand event, taking place at New York City's Javits Center on November 7th and 8th and there's still so much to tell you about. If you can't join us in person, don't worry -- we'll keep you updated throughout the weekend with dispatches from the show floor and our livestream here on Engadget.
Engadget and JetBlue will beam you to Expand!
We're sending one lucky Engadget reader (and a guest of choice) to Engadget Expand in New York City on November 7-8, thanks to our friends at JetBlue Airways and our sponsors. What's more, if you're one of the 10 runners-up, Suitable Technologies will give you a block of time to mosey around the Expand floor remotely with its BeamPro device.
A traveler's guide to in-flight WiFi
You're on a nice, long domestic flight. In coach. There's a screaming baby two rows up; the pages of the in-flight magazine are stuck together with someone else's chewing gum; and the 9-inch overhead CRT is showing a 2-year-old episode of New Girl that you've already seen a half-dozen times -- without sound, because you always end up in the seat with a broken headphone jack. Oh, and you have five hours left to go to LAX. If you play your cards right (and pack some noise-canceling headphones), your next cross-country haul could be a whole lot more pleasant, thanks to in-flight WiFi. Nearly all of the major US airlines now offer WiFi in the sky. Thousands of passengers flying above North America are online right now, watching adorable kittens meow on YouTube, reading up on their destinations or researching a new device right here on Engadget. But while some carriers offer service on many of their planes, few have it available fleet-wide, making it difficult to plan your travel around connectivity. So, which airlines offer the best service and how can you sort what you'll have on board? Join us here as we explore the turbulent world of WiFi at 30,000 feet.
JetBlue fills a plane with reporters for the ultimate Fly-Fi satellite internet test
JetBlue's been quoting some pretty ambitious figures for its new ViaSat-powered in-flight WiFi, and during our test flight last month, the Ka-band satellite service seemed to be up to the task. The promise? A claimed 12 Mbps internet at every seat on the plane; enough to stream HD video, download new apps and conduct your online business just as quickly as you would on the ground. That performance pledge generally assumes that only a handful of passengers will be watching Netflix films and YouTube clips -- however, that condition went right out the boarding door when the airline filled a few dozen A320 seats with journalists eager to push the service to its limits on today's official launch flight. It was a charter plane to nowhere -- a 90-minute journey from New York's JFK airport to New York's JFK airport -- but for this group of passengers, it was the ultimate adventure.
Weekly Roundup: Moto G and Nike FuelBand SE reviews, Smartphone buyer's guide and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
