HarperCollins to Provide Ebook Excerpts for JetBlue Passengers

Posted on November 26, 2014

HarperCollins announced it has teamed up with JetBlue to provide content for the airline's new Fly-Fi platform. Until recently, airlines have not allowed passengers to access wifi during flights. Now most airlines offer wi-fi, some for free and some for a fee.

JetBlue is rolling out the inflight service and has partnered with various companies to offer content for its passengers. HarperCollins will be the exclusive book content provider for the service. Passengers can now read excerpts from more than 20 bestselling books by HarperCollins authors in a variety of genres. The books being excerpted for the rollout include Yes, Please by Amy Poehler, Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwell, Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses by James Dean, and Endgame: The Calling by James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton.

The partnership will help sell books. Passengers who like what they read can buy the titles from a choice of retailers with the click of a button. The deal will last through 2015.Angela Tribelli, Chief Marketing Officer of HarperCollins had this to say about the deal: "We are thrilled to be working with JetBlue on their Fly-Fi Hub. This is a terrific opportunity for travelers to enjoy some of the best books of the year during the busy, and oftentimes stressful, holiday travel period."

The book selection will change every month. Other authors whose titles are now available include Daniel Silva, Martin Short, Anthony Bourdain, Patti Smith, Joyce Carol Oates, Carine McCandless, Paulo Coelho, and Dorothea Benton Frank.

The Fly-Fi Hub is only accessible on 35% of the airline's plans so far, but they are working to expand the service. The service is free, but customers can pay for an upgraded, faster service. It's a nice option for passengers who have already read the in-flight magazines cover to cover and don't regularly buy ebooks on their Kindle or Nook. Even those customers won't mind reading some free excerpts from authors they may not be familiar with.