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Emirates' VR experience lets you wander around its planes

Check out the fancy perks of first and business class.

Sean Keane Former Senior Writer
Sean knows far too much about Marvel, DC and Star Wars, and poured this knowledge into recaps and explainers on CNET. He also worked on breaking news, with a passion for tech, video game and culture.
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Sean Keane
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Visitors to Emirates' website can talk a virtual walk around the cabin of one of its planes.

Emirates

Emirates added a 3D VR experience to its website Tuesday, allowing visitors to check out the interiors of its A380.

Users can wander around 3D renderings of the plane's economy, business and first class cabins, as well as the fancy lounge and shower.

They can also sit in various seats in each section to check out the view and features, in addition being able to flick the cabin lights on and off -- something passengers aren't allowed to do normally.

The real novelty is found in the more expensive sections, where users can see the extra legroom and (in first class) a minibar.

Customers visiting the website via their mobile devices or the Emirates app can also book their seats within the virtual environment, and both cabin navigation and seat selection can be done using any VR headset.

"We are pleased to be the world's first airline to introduce this cutting edge web VR technology, which offers our customers an immersive opportunity to learn more about the fantastic Emirates experience before they step on board," said Alex Knigge, Emirates' senior vice president of corporate communications, marketing and brand (digital), said.

"In our usability tests with customers, we found that they particularly appreciated the 3D seat and cabin models when selecting their seats."

Last week, Walmart added a 3D virtual shopping tour to its website.