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Airline plans to rent Apple iPads on flights

Summary: Australian airline JetStar plans to roll out its iPad rentals on all domestic and international flights later in 2010.

Larry Dignan

By for Between the Lines |

Would you rent an Apple iPad on a flight? An Australian airline thinks so. JetStar, a low-cost airline, will launch a trial to rent an iPad on flights for $10 a pop.

ZDNet Australia reports that JetStar will launch a pilot in June for its rent-an-iPad efforts. The iPads will come with movies, TV shows, e-books, games and other goodies.

JetStar plans to roll out its iPad rentals on all domestic and international flights later in 2010.

With airlines trying to snare every last dime out of fliers with additional fees, iPad rentals could be a stroke of genius. First you rent the iPad for $10. Then you charge for the Wi-Fi access at another $10.

The rented iPad efforts could also be a boon for Apple. Plenty of folks will try an iPad so they get a nice test drive. Meanwhile, Apple could sell iPads to fleets much like automakers do with rental cars.

There's really only one-hangup: All those fingerprints from strangers could be a germaphobe's nightmare.

Topics: iPad, Apple, Mobility, Networking, Wi-Fi

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Talkback

15 comments
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  • Smart move

    You know everyone without an iPod will rent it out just to see what all the hype is about, so it doesn't matter if they're impressed with it or not, the airline made it's money.<br><br>As for the fingerprints, it's safe to assume Howie Mandell won't be renting one...<br><br>
    John Zern
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Airline plans to rent Apple iPads on flights

    Larry I guess the fingerprints from strangers on the toilet door or inflight magazine or the reading light switch don't count. Already many airlines have touch screens on the back of seats so if you haven't taken precautions before the iPad will be no different.
    jfry777@...
    Reply Vote

  • iPad was made for Jetstar

    This low-cost subsidiary of Qantas based on the South West/Ryan Air model operates flights up to 10 hours to Osaka, Bangkok, Saigon etc... but does not offer built-in inflight entertainment. It has been renting portable video players onboard for sometime (it's all about the weight). On Jetstar you pay for everything - food and drinks included - so provided the iPad's don't fall apart too often, this will be a winner.
    Ian_M
    Reply Vote

  • Why not rent regular notebooks and netbooks

    Movies are nice, but what I would really like to do during a long flight is to catch up on my email, facebook, as well as spend some quality time debating everyone who is wrong on the Internet.
    hamobu-22333136139518773481685514128812
    Reply Vote

    • Hell!!! What didn't you understand about the name iPad?

      Are you really this clueless that you don't know that you can browse the web, check your email, play games, watch movies, read a book and waste time with an iPad??

      Seriously, what planet do you live???
      wackoae
      Reply Vote

      • Yeah, check out this awesome video of someone browsing on an iPad

        @wackoae
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfmbZkqORX4

        HTML5 support on the iPad is just so great!!!

        LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!
        NonZealot
        Reply Vote

      • Wow!! A post on some idiot visiting some unknown websites

        Yeah!! That is a laugh. Poorly written unknown websites are always a laugh. But more laughable is that idiots would actually take that as a real review.

        LMAO
        wackoae
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Airline plans to rent Apple iPads on flights

        @wackoae

        I hope you are joking. Yeah you can check email and surf the web, but still a real keyboard would be nice.
        hamobu-22333136139518773481685514128812
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Airline plans to rent Apple iPads on flights

        @hamobu

        And what exactly is preventing you from using a real keyboard?
        SpiritusInMachina
        Reply Vote

    • Why Not is obvious

      @hamobu Uhm, cuz it would be open to viruses, idiots trashing system files, etc. To make it idiot-proof would handicap it and make it useless. This is the right move.
      SpectreWriter
      Reply Vote

  • Brilliant, just hope they don't get burned

    This is a great idea! I just hope that their data carrier doesn't screw them over. In the States, AT&T just announced that they are "replacing" the unlimited data plan that Apple negotiated with a $25 limited data plan... not even 2 months after the iPad comes out. That cinched it for me. The unlimited data plan was a big reason for me to go with the iPad. Glad I hadn't bought it yet. Now I won't have to.
    SpectreWriter
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Airline plans to rent Apple iPads on flights

    This is a good idea.
    gumpe
    Reply Vote

  • Hospitals will be next!

    If you have the bad luck to be hospitalized, your stay may be a lot easer for you if you could rent a iPad. Someplace and in some country someone will make this offer. It's an open opportunity to make some big bucks for someone.

    If only I had the money to startup this business. Anyone if a 20K to invest please let me know.
    MacNewton
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Airline plans to rent Apple iPads on flights

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