Airlines may be in a prime position to experiment with virtual reality technology. One company is already letting users “travel” to remote locations in VR while boarding a decommissioned plane. Alaska Airlines is doing a bit differently, courtesy of their partnership with Skylights.
Alaska Airlines is a prominent company in that part of the world. Their flights bring passengers to and from the remote locations in Alaska. Taking their in-flight entertainment to the next level appears to be a top priority as of right now. Their new partnership with Skylights will introduce a lot of exciting opportunities. One option being explored revolves around letting passengers wear a VR headset during their flight.
Alaska Airlines Takes a big Gamble
A five-day trial has been put in place to explore the options in this regard. First-class passengers can pick a movie and have it displayed in their VR headset. This removes the need for watching on a small screen or having to deal with noisy passengers. The experience also includes the use of noise-canceling headphones.
Not much else is known about this partnership as of right now. The available movies have not been named, nor is it clear as to which VR headsets will be offered to passengers exactly. The experiment will only be accessible across 10 flights of the Alaska Airlines offering, after which the passenger feedback will be collected and evaluated accordingly.
It is rather exciting to see such companies explore in-flight VR entertainment. A flight can take several hours, and the experience is usually anything but pleasant for passengers. Allowing them to escape to a virtual world is one way to offer something no other company can do as of right now.
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