Continental To Offer IM, E-Mail And Live TV

Reuters has reported that Continental Airlines will begin offering its passengers live in-flight television beginningnext year, as well as access to e-mail and instant messaging.   The airlines, the fourth biggest in the US, will begin offering 36 channels of DIRECTV,provided by Live TV LLC, as well as giving passengers Wi-Fi access to e-mail and instant messaging.   Installation will begin next January. It follows anannouncement by Southwest that it will trial a satellite-based Internet service later this year.   As the economy tightens and airlines have to competemore for passengers, the decision to offer more to attract high-paying business customers means we can probably see a greater increase in services. Continental has said that the service will be freein first-class (of course). The rest of us will have to pay $6.