Page 19 - AAA OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2019 Online Magazine

[ IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT ]
and point-of-interest content, monetization
opportunities for airlines through Panasonic’s
Marketplace e-commerce platform, and the
ability to integrate with airline advertising and
promotions. Panasonic’s Arc personalized
3D inflight map application allows airlines to
leverage the high viewership of moving maps
inflight. It is available across all inflight displays
including seatback, overhead, handset, and
within mobile apps and web portals. Launched
in April, the Games offering, which is part of
Panasonic’s Theatre entertainment solution;
is an attempt by Panasonic to cater to gamers
worldwide as
crew to receive a brand-new iPhone XRs. The new phones will be
loaded with a selection of apps to help crew offer customers instant
additional assistance during their journey, such as; provide flight
and airport information; confirm requests for airport assistance;
confirm details of new bookings when onward flights are delayed
or cancelled; book special meals and amend personal preferences.

New Look
Australian carrier Qantas will upgrade all 12 of its A380 aircraft
as part of a multimillion-dollar upgrade. The airline recently took
delivery of the first upgraded A380. Upgraded Qantas A380s can
seat a total of 485 passengers in a four class layout with: 14 First
Suites (unchanged), 70 Business Suites (up by six), 60 Premium
Surefire Investment Economy (up by 25) and 341 Economy (down by 30) for (up by one).
British Airways (BA) is another airline that is
investing in overhauling the IFE experience Smarter use of space on the A380 has allowed Qantas to increase
onboard its aircraft. The airline is adding 73 the number of Premium Economy seats (Caon-designed) from 35 to
new aircraft, including 18 A350s, with four of 60. The larger Premium Economy cabin also features a self-service
the new aircraft joining the fleet before the bar. At the same time, the carrier has significantly expanded the
end of the year. The airline is investing £6.5
billion, over the next five years, in an effort to
improve its customer experience, which will
include the installation of high-speed, indus-
try-leading WiFi across its fleet. In another step
towards increased customer satisfaction and
cater for the greater demand from passengers
for more personalised service, the airline will
issue iPhone XRs to all of its 15,000 cabin crew.
The carrier has already completed a successful
trial of iPads for its senior cabin crew on board
every flight. More than 45 million customer-
stravel with the airline every year.

“Recently, when a customer realised that he had
forgotten to order a special meal, he was really
impressed when I quickly took out the phone, aircraft’s upper deck lounge, which now features seating for 10
logged onto ba.com and ordered a meal for his people on deep green leather couches and wood panelled walls.
return journey - all within a matter of minutes
in the middle of the flight. “It felt so rewarding Larger, Full HD screens with a movie picture quality resolution of
to be able to immediately resolve the situation 1920x1080 in First Class (18” IFE screen) , Business (16” IFE screen)
for the customer. All my crew reference guides and Premium Economy (13” IFE screen). The refurbishment of the
are also loaded onto the phone, so everything remaining 11 aircraft is expected to be completed by the end of
I need is in my pocket throughout each flight; 2020. Qantas took delivery of its first A380 in 2008 and operates
it really has made a huge difference already,” the aircraft to Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore, London, Los Angeles,
says Bradley Smith, 27, one of the first cabin Hong Kong and Dallas.

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