Thanks to standalone virtual reality (VR) headsets immersive entertainment can be enjoyed anywhere, especially when travelling long-haul. Specialist VR provider to the travel industry Inflight VR has recently announced a new collaboration with Iberia, helping to expand the airline’s in-flight entertainment options for passengers.
Iberia will run the new entertainment service on routes between Madrid and New York and Tel Aviv as part of a six-month trial period, making headsets available to passengers on the two daily Madrid-New York flights that Iberia operates with Airbus A350- 900s, and on the daily Madrid-Tel Aviv flight in an Airbus A330-200. Depending on how the trial goes Iberia will then decide whether to expand the service to other routes.
Inflight VR will be providing Iberia with Pico Goblin 2 headsets – just like it did for FlixBus – with passengers able to rent the headsets as an alternative to standard movie content. They’ll be able to choose videogames, films, city travelogues, and documentaries, including dives into the depths of the Red Sea.
Commenting on the new collaboration Nikolas Jaeger, founder and managing director of Inflight VR, said in a statement: “We think virtual reality has a great potential and it can change the air passenger experience as a part of the in-flight entertainment programme. The viewer is no longer a mere observer, but can take a stroll in the city he or she will be visiting, or simply relax before arriving at the destination.”
Ignacio Toval, Iberia’s Digital Transformation Director, added: ”We learned about Inflight VR through Hangar 51, IAG’s start-up accelerator programme. Since 2017, we’ve been working together to develop a VR solution that can offer a new experience to our customers. An important aspect of Iberia’s digital transformation push lies in the incorporation of new technologies and digital innovation during the entire travel experience, from the moment they think about buying a ticket to arrival at the destination.”
Additionally, Secret Location has teamed up with Skylights and Inflight VR to bring the studio’s cinematic adventure, The Great C to both company’s customers. Via Inflight’s VR entertainment system multiple Paris Star Alliance lounges at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and Fiumicino Airport in Rome will benefit, with a larger rollout expected at additional locations as well as Inflight’s in-flight VR system later this year. Skylights rollout will include five different Air France lounges also at the Charles de Gaulle Airport.
For further Inflight VR updates, keep reading VRFocus.