An inflight entertainment trial using Windows 8 tablets has been started by Finnair (AY) on flights of one of its Airbus A330 wide body aircraft. The plane, with the registration OH-LTT, will be used on both scheduled and charter flights.
“We want to enhance our customers’ in-flight comfort,” says Peter Gabrielsson, Vice President Customer Experience. “We want to test the functionality of the wireless network on intercontinental flights and how the passengers use the equipment during the flight. We are interested in learning how the use is divided between the fixed in-flight entertainment system and the tablet.”
“Microsoft and Finnair had a unique opportunity to re-imagine what in-flight entertainment means to our customers. Windows 8, with its revolutionary touch-optimized user interface and rapid application development, allowed Microsoft to quickly develop a visually stunning entertainment system and deliver a first-class experience to thousands of Finnair passengers”, says Riitta Eiskonen, Services Lead, Microsoft Finland.
“Businesses used to face a tough purchase decision: How to find a product that will delight employees and help them be more productive, while also making sure IT can secure and manage it,” says Todd Bradley, executive vice president, Printing and Personal Systems, HP. “The HP ElitePad meets all those tests. It combines the great style and user experience consumers demand with the features IT requires.”
The test will take place in Business Class on scheduled flights and in Comfort Class on charter flights. Passengers willing to participate in the test are offered an HP Windows 8 tablet, which includes movies, TV shows, music and games. Additionally, the tablet includes wellness-related programs, such as a relaxation app to cope with time difference. Passengers will be asked to participate in a survey, and the information obtained will be used to develop Finnair’s in-flight entertainment service concept.
Finnair’s partners in this test also include Nordkapp, which is responsible for the visual design of the tablet’s user interface. OnAir provides satellite communications and the onboard Wi-Fi service (Internet OnAir) and Spafax the audio and video content.
Source: Microsoft | Image Credit: Finnair.com
