Kindles discounted to mark FAA rules

Amazon is offering a 15 percent discount on its Kindle electronic readers to celebrate the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) decision to allow passengers to keep their electronics on longer during flights.

The FAA said last week that it was clearing the way for airlines to allow passengers to use iPads, tablets and e-readers from “gate to gate,” as long as they’re in airplane mode.

Amazon said on Monday that it was selling Kindles starting at $59 to mark the occasion, as long as customers entered the discount code “ThanksFAA.”

{mosads}Amazon and other electronics manufacturers and sellers had long pushed the FAA to relax its rules.

Prior to last week’s announcement, the FAA banned all electronics use when airplanes were under 10,000 feet, so passengers were required to put their gadgets away during take-offs and landings.

The FAA’s new stance on in-flight electronics use does not extend to making cellphone calls. The agency cited regulations from the Federal Communications Commission to explain why calls will continue to be prohibited until planes are safely on the ground.