In an age of ever-increasing in-flight entertainment options, Qantas is looking to soar above its competitors with a little help from Samsung’s Gear VR headset.
The headsets, touted as “an industry first” by Qantas marketing executive Olivia Wirth, will be rolled out on a three-month trial at Qantas-operated lounges in Sydney and Melbourne in February. Headsets for first-class passengers on select long-haul Airbus A380 flights are expected to premiere in March.
Qantas’ usage of Gear VR tech, planned to begin with previews of Qantas-served destinations and their new First Lounge at LAX, opens up a world of possibilities seemingly as endless as virtual reality’s promises.
Passengers nervous about their flight could immerse themselves in a grounded virtual environment; others could play games, watch original interactive programming, or even experience their flight from the pilot’s point of view. The Sundance Film Festival is currently engaging in a large-scale embrace of virtual reality, while Oculus is promoting the medium as the future of storytelling.
Content partnerships with brands — like American Airlines’ in-flight programming deal with NBC Universal — will doubtlessly follow, making Qantas’ move a golden opportunity for both bored passengers and enterprising marketers looking to take advantage of entertainment and technology’s latest leap forward.
