In-Flight Virtual Reality

When you fly on an airplane there are already lots of option for entertainment, but none of them are all that exciting – until now. One airline in Spain, Iberia Airlines, is changing the in-flight entertainment game by adding virtual reality to their offerings.

They are working with an EU based company called Inflight VR. So far, the headsets will be available only on daily flights to NYC and Tel Aviv. Passengers will be able to rent them for just 6 Euros. However, only 21 headsets will be available on the NYC flights and 12 on the Tel Aviv flights. This will really bring the entertainment level of your flight up to a new level.

In addition to virtual reality movies, you’ll also be able to play VR games and see city guides and watch documentaries. Playing VR games in an airplane might get a little dicey with the small amount of space, but it could be kind of fun as long as you are careful and don’t bump your seat mates. The content offered will be 360 degree videos, which sounds cool but 180 degrees would be amazing too since you can’t turn around in your seat all that much. This pilot run of the program will go for 6 months. Then the airline will evaluate how many people actually used it and will determine how many headsets and other flights to put it on. It is a tough game to play. Airlines need to consider the additional weight of the physical VR headsets and additional labor needed by on-board staff. The staff won’t be trained on the headsets but each one will come with instructions. With such a low rental price, only time will tell if the headsets will be worth it for the airline to offer such a service on a long-term basis.