Jetstar has already tried it, so it’s not a total surprise: Qantas is trialling a service called ‘Q Streaming’ where passengers will be provided with an iPad for accessing entertainment content wirelessly. Further ahead? Watching the same programs over Wi-Fi on your own device.
Here’s how Qantas explains the program on its Facebook page:
Everyone onboard our dedicated Boeing B767-300 aircraft (registration VH-OGH) will be provided with an Apple iPad in their seat pocket to access over 200 hours of programming. Later on in the pilot you’ll be able to access the content from your own Wi-Fi enabled device. So if you’re flying on this aircraft give it a try and tell us what you think.
The entertainment systems on Qantas’ newer aircraft are already fairly decent, but not having a seat-based system could cut the airline’s maintenance costs. That said, making tablets available in a secure environment for passengers isn’t a trivial task, as Qantas’ budget subsidiary Jetstar discovered when it launched a similar service last year (and one that didn’t need Wi-Fi to work). As well, we’ve been promised some form of Wi-Fi on Qantas plans for a very long time now, so I’ll believe it when I see it. But I will probably try and get on that plane.
Republished from Lifehacker
light487
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 3:13 PMDarn sight better than those pesky screens in the back of chairs..
Esophagus
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 3:39 PM‘Course you can’t download your own apps or videos, can you? Sucks to be you if all they have is every season of A Country Practice…
Glib
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 3:42 PMHey, nothing wrong with A Country Practice.. Now, if it was every ep of Seinfeld. *shudder*
Matt
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 4:32 PMHey, nothing wrong with Seinfeld. Now, if it was every ep of A Country Practice. *shudder*
Ze
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 3:42 PMI know I won’t be flying Qantas anytime soon.
And I really have to, I’ll say: I don’t need that toy, I have my own Tablet with all the media and games I need to travel around the world
TSH
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 4:39 PMso, existing seat-back entertainment options are useless to you too? The kind that practically every airline has on their long-haul flights? Good for you!
Me, I wouldn’t mind having an iPad instead of the seat-back screen. So long as they keep the USB port for keeping my phone topped up :–]
cleverclogs
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 3:49 PMCoool, they’re using Microsoft Silverlight for access via laptops :)
cleverclogs
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 3:51 PMhttp://www.qantas.com.au/img/pdf/qstreaming-faqs.pdf
Service Unavailable
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 7:08 PMMaybe they should get a reliable in flight entertainment software load before launching into a 200 thread wireless service…just saying…
Budorat
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 8:20 AMAs someone who flies a lot, I think it is a great idea.While, I have always had my laptop with me with whatever I wanted to watch, I only just bought a SGT 10.1 and it was so much better than using my laptop. So the iPad concept is a solid idea.
Having just flown from Darwin to Canberra (via Adelaide) yesterday, only my Adelaide – Canberra segment had the in-seat entertainment system which I actually used instead of my Gtab, Why? it had different things to watch that I would not have other wise watched, eg a Mega Factories episode on the LEGO factory. So ZE, I think you could be missing out thinking that this service would be of NO use to you.
The idea of accessing the content via my own device is an awesome idea, one I think has solid merit.
My only concern about the iPad concept is how to the prevent people from stealing them ? On Jetstar you pay a fee and hand over you licence. the video above said they would be in your seat pocket.
Serendipity
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 1:35 AMLike the forward thinking, but out of curiosity will these be collected together with the blankets at the end of the flight :) ?
On a more serious note, how are they powered for longer flights?