Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA
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Row 44 gets major studio support for in-flight VOD platform, can't match Gogo's reach
Southwest Airlines passengers now have something better to do on their cross-country jaunts than grip the armrests and pray that the kid behind 'em stops kicking the seat. Row 44 has partnered with Disney, Warner Brothers, Universal and Fox to create an on-demand streaming service for folks who bring their WiFi-enabled devices onboard. You'll get a variety of archive content to watch as you cruise the friendly skies, including shows like Friends, Glee and The Office as well as big-ticket movies like Harry Potter, Avatar and Inception. The service also offers streaming IPTV, with CNBC, Fox News and NBC Sports on tap initially. Row 44's market share is paltry compared to Gogo -- which has the business of every WiFi-lovin' airline in America outside of Southwest -- but it's certainly interesting news in light of the latter's own video endeavors. Mum's the word on pricing, but we're told that the new material can be accessed "later this year."
Norwegian Air rolling out in-flight phone use, internet access
Passengers on Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA will soon have something to talk about... literally. The company is joining the growing ranks of airlines that allow mobile phone and / or wireless internet service on flights. According to the Scandinavian airline, the new features will be offered sometime later this year, and will be provided by a new subsidiary, Norwegian AS. Now, if only they'd allow smoking again.
