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Spotify streaming comes to Virgin America planes

Virgin America has teamed up with Spotify and the New York Times to stream music and deliver news articles aboard its planes. If it's new in-flight ViaSat WiFi connection can stream Netflix videos 35,000 feet in the air, then music files and news articles should be a cinch, right? We hope so, because Spotify will make its whole catalogue accessible onboard Virgin America flights -- the company claims it's the first airline to offer the service -- along with city-inspired mood playlists. For instance, if you're flying to NYC, you can choose to play VA's "Empire State of Mind" or "A Night On Broadway Mix" playlist on your phone/tablet/laptop, while you can play "Welcome to the Windy City" if you're going to Chicago. It's a great chance to sign up for a free 30-day Spotify Premium trial, if you haven't yet.

The New York Times, on the other hand, allows any connected device to access curated content and breaking news from its website's Business, Travel, Technology and 'Most Viewed' sections, though subscribers can browse the full website. Just like VA's Netflix collab, you can take advantage of these partnerships until March 2, 2016, after which, well, there are lots of other options on the airline's in-flight entertainment system. In fact, those Android-powered devices have recently been upgraded with better screens and now offer more shows and video games.

[Image credit: Johnny Vulkan/Flickr]