Some airlines offer limited messaging

0 Comments | USA TODAY, August, 2007 | by Roger Yu

Even before in-flight broadband connectivity catches on widely, some airlines are allowing passengers a limited form of instant messaging.

Intraflight messaging allows instant text communication between passengers on the same flight.

When Virgin America, the USA's newest airline, takes flight on Wednesday, one of its key features will be intraflight messaging.

It's part of the in-flight entertainment system that Virgin America calls Red, after the color of its planes' tails.

Virgin Atlantic, the well-established London-based carrier, has offered the free feature since 2003 on its flights. It's part of Virgin Atlantic's V-Port entertainment system, which has preprogrammed movies, TV and audio.

To initiate an instant chat, the...