Virgin Atlantic to offer in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity

by Steven Mostyn - Sep 14 2011, 06:41

Remember the ye olde days when we weren’t allowed to use even the simplest of mobile devices to help stem the boredom associated with hurtling through the air strapped into a jet-propelled aluminium tube? My, how things have changed.

More pointedly, while smartphones and notebooks are now as commonplace on flights as rubbery meals and screaming toddlers, Virgin Atlantic plans to take mid-air connectivity to a whole new level.

The revamped Red in-Flight Entertainment system, which is set to be integrated into seatback systems aboard certain Virgin Atlantic aircraft during 2012, has been built on Lufthansa’s BoardConnect platform and will provide passengers with instant Wi-Fi access and a raft of other services.

“The idea behind Red has always been to reinvent the flight experience, by offering travellers more options, more control, more content and more interactivity,” trumpeted David Cush, president and chief executive at Virgin America.

“Our focus on innovation is a core part of our business model and guest offering, and BoardConnect will allow us to not only leap further ahead of the airline pack, but also pace the larger consumer trends in mobile technology,” he added.

In terms of interaction, Red users can look forward to receiving touch-screen access to live satellite television, cached specialty channels, more than 30 on-demand movies, premium TV channels (i.e., HBO), videogames, seat-to-seat chat, in-flight shopping, and an MP3 library containing 3,000 music tracks.

Although it remains to be seen how much Wi-Fi freedom Virgin will deliver, it is believed passengers equipped with or without compatible mobile devices will be able to use their email accounts and social networks directly through Red.

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