We’re consuming more media than ever before. Our appetites for it are voracious, almost insatiable. And that hunger doesn’t just disappear when we jump on a plane.
It’s a trend that airlines have finally cottoned onto, with innovations suddenly coming thick and fast. They’re asking themselves how else they can keep us entertained while in the air?
A recent survey of airline passengers from around the globe revealed the vast majority expect inflight broadband services to be offered as standard. Of the 9,000 people questioned in the Inmarsat and GFK In-Flight Connectivity Survey, a staggering 83% said they would select an airline based on whether they can remain connected.
Furthermore, more than half would prefer inflight connectivity to inflight meals.
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No surprise then than Qantas, after years of dithering, finally decided to roll out inflight wifi across its Australian flight back in February. Trials will commence later this year with a full roll-out to take place from early next year. The airline is also examining options for high-speed wi-fi across its international and regional fleet.
“This service will give Qantas customers download speeds in the air similar to what they’re used to on the ground,” Chief Executive Alan Joyce said.
“You won’t be limited to checking your email or Facebook – it’s going to be about watching the football live, streaming your favourite TV show or movie, catching up on the latest YouTube videos, or shopping online.
Not one to be left behind, Virgin Australia announced it would follow suit with the new technological capability to be implemented from the middle of 2017.
Pictured: John Borghetti. Image Source: News.com.au
“Inflight wifi has the potential to transform air travel as we know it,” Chief Executive John Borghetti said.
“We are determined to give Virgin Australia customers the best possible combined connectivity and entertainment experience in the air.”
On the other side of the Pacific, the airline’s sibling Virgin America has been serving up inflight wifi since 2009. But the carrier recently upped the ante by announcing a significant investment in its product that would enable passengers to stream video in-flight.
After all, streaming content from sites like Netflix is widely considered to be the future of in-flight entertainment.
While Qantas does not yet have this level of capability, it has boosted its offering with initiatives such as its partnership with HBO, delivering 120 hours of popular shows such as True Detective and Game of Thrones to its passengers.
The investment forms part of a multi-million dollar overhaul of Qantas’ inflight entertainment software and hardware.
And it’s not going to stop there.
Inflight entertainment of the future will soon be enjoyed in three dimensions as virtual reality comes to the skies.
Although the technology is currently mainly used as a sales tool for showing potential customers around airline cabins without their feet ever leaving the ground, there is great potential to take the technology on board.
Airlines are already working on it.
Last year, Qantas conducted a three-month trial in first class cabins of select A380 services of a new trial entertainment service that used Samsung virtual reality technology.
In line with the trend, Airbus has also committed to investing in VR technology.
“For a passenger inside the plane, imagine being able to put on the headset and project a whole world across the roof of the cabin and allow them to fly underneath the stars, or allow them to see a movie,” Andy Anderson, deputy chief technology officer at Airbus, told CNBC in a recent interview.
“It’s a new platform for innovation.”