Airline to start offering iPad on flight-entertainment?

[marriott0.01]

http://assets.habbox.com/images/68videowall_01b850.jpg

So you’re on a plane and you’re bored? What do you do? Well, a company called Bluebox Avionics which offers in-flight entertainment is now going to begin offering its service on the latest of Apple’s killer devices, the iPad, and the service will be launching in July.

Dubbed Bluebox AI, the company’s in-flight entertainment package will run on all Apple iPad’s which will be given to travellers to use during their flight. Through the iPads, with Bluebox AI, passengers will have the opportunity to watch ‘first-run’ movies, play games, read e-books and magazines, and even gamble on the in-flight casino. Not only that but passengers will have the ability to access the App Store where they’ll be able to download more than 200,000 apps.

Bluebox Avionics is currently in the process of offering Bluebox AI to airlines, although details are a little thin on which airlines will sign up and whether or not the airline themselves will be offering the iPads or the company. The company however said that they were a way of replacing current in-flight entertainment which force the customer to get on the plane and watch a movie which the airline has chosen, or bring themselves something. Bluebox Avionics says that their new Bluebox AI gives customers a ‘diverse choice’ of what they want to do.

Bluebox Avionic’s says that all films will be ‘streamed’ to the iPad Device and will only last the duration of the flight.

Bluebox Avionic have been linked with an International Airline, no idea who as they declined to comment, but it will be rolled out in June with hopes to roll out to more airlines in the future.

http://www.habbox.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73610:tech-airline-in-flight-entertainment-company-launches-ipad-entertainment&catid=126:entertainment-and-technology-news&Itemid=500210

Seems interesting, would you like to see this on your airline?

[Mathew]

Hmm.. quite intresting I must admit.
The majority of flights we go on these days have the "on-demand system" outlined in this report so I can only see the iPad being used for it's novelty factor.

Still, I'd love to sit on a 8 hour flight to Florida using one of these! :)

[marriott0.01]

Hmm.. quite intresting I must admit.
The majority of flights we go on these days have the "on-demand system" outlined in this report so I can only see the iPad being used for it's novelty factor.

Still, I'd love to sit on a 8 hour flight to Florida using one of these! :)

Me too, Free Movies always excite me and them on the iPads will look amazing :O

[Jordy]

I remember reading a year back there's a similar service in South Korea/Japan where you can "rent" Sony PSPs for a flight with a large variety of games.

It's a good idea but what we really want on flights is internet, end of.

[marriott0.01]

I remember reading a year back there's a similar service in South Korea/Japan where you can "rent" Sony PSPs for a flight with a large variety of games.

It's a good idea but what we really want on flights is internet, end of.

Many airlines offer on-flight wifi, I know that flights from Virgin America all offer in-flight wifi. But that's only domestic flights :(

[Stephen]

lol that is pretty cool

[Smits]

It would deffinately make flying more bearable.

[Mathew]

I've seen wifi on board a Delta flight within the USA before with Gogo. Decided not to use it though as it was only a hours flight.

http://www.delta.com/traveling_checkin/inflight_services/products/wi-fi.jsp

Prices are quite reasonable actually (http://www.gogoinflight.com/gogo/cms/price.do), but I suppose you'd only use it for the novelty of posting on Facebook "I'm 30,000 ft in the air!".. unless you're a businessman :P

[marriott0.01]

I've seen wifi on board a Delta flight within the USA before with Gogo. Decided not to use it though as it was only a hours flight.

http://www.delta.com/traveling_checkin/inflight_services/products/wi-fi.jsp

Prices are quite reasonable actually (http://www.gogoinflight.com/gogo/cms/price.do), but I suppose you'd only use it for the novelty of posting on Facebook "I'm 30,000 ft in the air!".. unless you're a businessman :P

iJustine uses it quite often, seen her in her YouTube videos using it

[Jordy]

Yeah I know it exists, I'm forever seeing Americans brag about it on Twitter, it's just yet to hit the UK. There's so many issues with it though so I really don't know. With high speed rail coming soon there won't be much investment in something for domestic flights which will mostly become a novelty in many parts of the UK. You face the issue of being surrounded by the sea, planes generally get internet from masts on the ground rather than satellites. And of course all the nations in Europe would have to agree with it otherwise the coverage would be all over the place. Still, it'd be nice :)

[Kieran]

Every single plane in the air has the ability to use the internet via Satellite it's just that a lot of operators wont pay the cost to implement WiFi services.

[Robbie]

I remember reading a year back there's a similar service in South Korea/Japan where you can "rent" Sony PSPs for a flight with a large variety of games.

It's a good idea but what we really want on flights is internet, end of.

I flew with Thomson a few weeks ago and let you rent PSPs now.