Now here’s a deal from BlackBerry that would be nice to see in Canada.
Weeks after the launch of its Z10 smart phone in the United States, the Canadian company is hoping to make a strong impression on air travelers by offering free in-flight Wi-Fi access for Delta Airlines passengers who use BlackBerry phones.
The deal with Delta also involves Gogo Inflight Internet. Gogo provides in-flight Internet service, streaming video and other connectivity services for commercial and business aircraft.
The campaign also includes a contest with a grand prize of $10,000 from Delta Vacations and a BlackBerry Z10.
The complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi service is available on all domestic Delta flight until June 30 this year. While the promotion appears to be targeted at frequent-flyer executives, the offer is open to all passengers.
In its bid to establish a presence in U.S. airports, BlackBerry has also opened stores in airports in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C. The company has also installed 12-foot interactive screens and Z10 demo units in these locations.
BlackBerry launched the Z10 and the Q10 with QWERTY keyboard on Jan. 30.
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The Z10 went on sale in Canada in Feb. 5 and the United Kingdom in Jan. 31, but only rolled out in the U.S. in March. The Q10 is slated for release in the U.S. this month.
Thortson Heins, CEO of BlackBerry, said his company has shipped one million units of the Z10 and that the company has posted a profit.
Initially, there was apprehension about the lack of applications for the new smart phones, as BlackBerry’s app store only offered 70,000 apps at the time of the Z10’s launch. That number has since grown to 100,000.