Airlines seem to be taking a few tips from the ever-so-cool cruise industry on how to keep passengers entertained as more holidaymakers head out to sea.
Over the last decade cruise ship entertainment has gone from one extreme to another, with the introduction of robot bartenders (Royal Caribbean), large waterslides (Carnival and Disney) and even Formula One racecar simulators (MSC Cruises).
And all the effort is paying off.
In 2013, Australia alone experienced a 20 percent leap in cruise passengers on the prior year.
While airlines can’t exactly bring water activities or major pieces of technology on their aircraft, they have taken a page from the cruise ship entertainment guide by investing millions to develop their onboard edge.
Image: everything possible/Shutterstock
The first (and probably most in demand) feature airlines are fighting to perfect is Wi-Fi.
Over the past year, access to the Internet at 30,000 feet has become increasingly available, but it’s often expensive and available on limited flights or select cabins.
For example, Etihad Airways is working on getting Wi-Fi aboard its entire fleet, however, accessing it for one hour will cost travellers up to $13.95 or $24.95 for a full 24-hours.
Both Qantas and Virgin are in discussions with satellite provider NBN Co to deliver broadband on planes heading to remote and rural parts of Australia.
There’s no indication as to when it will be available, but the ground work is definitely underway.
Qantas steps up its game with new Virtual Reality headsets.
Speaking of Qantas, the airline took onboard entertainment way into the future this week.
The airline is working with Samsung Electronics Australia to trial a new entertainment service that gives customers a 3D experience in a 360-degree style interactive format.
In other words – virtual reality is coming to the skies.
Using VR headsets, passengers will be able to click their way across various destinations. The devices can also be used to watch inflight moves.
The device lets passengers visit destinations within the Qantas network from the plane.
The trial will initially be made available to customers in Sydney and Melbourne International First Lounges and in First Class cabins aboard select A380.
During the three-month test period, guests will offer feedback on how the devices and how they added to their overall travel experience.
Meanwhile, both Qantas and Virgin both offer wireless entertainment on their flights, allowing travellers to use their personal tablets to tap into the airline’s in-flight entertainment system.
Through their tablets and smartphones, guests can watch movies, TV shows, music and more without having to download and store it all before the flight.
