Delta will add free mobile messaging to some flights on October 1

Delta has announced that it will offer free mobile messaging to its passengers on certain flights, enabling them to send and receive messages from the sky. The support will launch on October 1 and will be a complimentary service with support for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage. This makes it the first US-based global carrier to offer this support, according to Delta.

In most cases, you have to wait to land before you can send a text message or pay for in-flight WiFi when available, using that to send a message via a WiFi-based app. This new Delta service is more or less the same, but is free and available for text only, not videos or photo messages.

The support will be launching on all of Delta's flights with Gogo, which includes all of the airline's planes with at least two cabins. It's a relatively small change, but will represent a huge convenience for many customers who otherwise wouldn't use the WiFi service and, thusly, not be able to send messages.

Delta's SVP Tim Mapes talked about this, saying:

We know many of Delta's customers want or need to stay connected in the air and on the ground, which is why we're investing in an easy, free way to send and receive messages inflight through some of the most popular global platforms. Coupled with our investments in seat-back screens, free entertainment and High-Speed Wi-Fi, free messaging is one more way customers can choose how to make the most of their time on Delta flights.

SOURCE: Delta