in-flight entertainment

How Virgin America lets you text a hottie midflight

It is possible to meet the lover of your dreams on a plane.

Usually, this involves being fortunate enough to have them sit next to you. Idle chatter is exchanged and, before you know it, you're living together.

A serious amount of serendipity is needed for a happy ending in the air. So Virgin America has decided it should broaden your chances.

As ClickOrlando teases it, your in-flight entertainment system will now offer the potential of some off-flight entertainment too.

For, should you see a man, woman or stuffed toy that sparks your amorous aspirations, you will be able … Read more

The future of in-flight entertainment in an iPad age

During the past decade, airlines have been keeping passengers' eyes focused on the seat backs in front of them, filling in-flight entertainment systems up with satellite TV, real-time maps, and movies on demand. But does the proliferation of devices like the iPad mean people will stop paying attention?

It's a particularly compelling question for Virgin America, which runs an in-flight entertainment system called Red that's inarguably the fanciest out of any U.S. airline. Virgin is still on its way to profitability--it recently posted a first-quarter loss of $35.5 million, narrower than last year's--and while trying … Read more

iPad to fly Australian budget airline

Australian budget airline Jetstar Airways has announced plans to pilot the use of Apple's iPad tablet as an in-flight entertainment device.

In a statement Tuesday, the Qantas subsidiary said passengers will be able to rent the device for $10 Australian (US$8.50) to access content including movies, e-books, TV programs, games, and music.

Noting the high market demand for iPads, Jetstar CEO Bruce Buchanan said the carrier is anticipating "strong appeal amongst our passengers" for the tablet.

Read more of "iPad to fly by budget airline" at ZDNet Asia.

iPod + free peanuts = less air rage?

Reuters says that Papa Steve Jobs has agreed to let six airlines (Air France, Continental Airlines, Delta, Emirates, KLM, and United) provide iPod hookups to their in-flight entertainment systems as of mid-2007. The hookup would let you watch iPod-stored videos on seat-back monitors, thus allowing frequent fliers to avoid watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest four times in a month.

We might find this news compelling if we weren't so disappointed that Zune release day didn't bring a rumored (but we admit, extremely unlikely) release of the "true video" touch-screen iPod.

Souped-up iPod battery pack gets you through 'Titanic'

Don't batteries suck? I mean, either they blow up in your face, or in the case of Apple's iPod, their lifespans just don't cut it--especially when you're watching video. I mean, what good is a portable video player if it can't get you through a flight from New York to L.A.?

Enter the Sonnettech Volta, a battery add-on that you strap onto your iPod like a backpack. If it works, it'll keep your iPod's video player going for 16 hours or recharge the little guy up to three times. Just think--you could … Read more