Delta is about to start letting its passengers text from 35,000 feet above the ground.
Starting Oct 1, Delta passengers connected to in-flight wi-fi will be able to text anyone via iMessage, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, the airline said Wednesday.
The service will be free, though only words and emojis will be sendable — no sending videos, photos or SMS messages — and if wi-fi is heavily in use, messages may have some lag.
It is the first major American airline to do so.
"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," said Chief Marketing Officer Tim Mapes in a statement.
The airline is also touting faster paid wi-fi on its flights.
