Upgraded: iPads as inflight entertainment
Discount airline Iceland Express, which flies primarily within Europe, but also offers limited trans-Atlantic service from Reykjavik to New York and Winnipeg (Winnipeg!), is launching iPads as inflight entertainment. You’ll be able to rent an iPad onboard long-haul flights, for starters, and eventually on shorter flights. The unit will cost £9 or $13 to rent, with about 25 units on board each flight.
Upgraded: Contraband
Most of the news regarding TSA lately has been about junk-touching and radiation’s effects on the body, but what about the contents of the bags themselves? Well, according to a recent poll by British airfare aggregator SkyScanner, “a massive 43% of travellers admitted to having smuggled banned items past security staff; 29% had done so by accident, but 14% confessed to smuggling knowingly.”
Upgraded: Biofuels in the real world
Lufthansa is testing a 50-50 blend of traditional jet fuel and biofuel on Airbus A321 runs on the Hamburg-Frankfurt route, beginning April 2011. This isn’t just a one-off test. Been there, done that. This is a weeks-long test in a real-world environment, carrying paying passengers.
Upgraded: Classic airport security cartoons
In a good reminder that frustration with the TSA is nothing new, the New Yorker provides a brief cartoon retrospective mocking airport security. One dates back to 1938. Alas, most are post-9/11.
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December 1st, 2010 at 6:57 am
December 1st, 2010 at 9:28 am
This sounds like a great way to stay entertained on the flight, a good way for Iceland Express to make a few bucks, and a great marketing opportunity for the iPad, winner all around.
December 1st, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Wow… this is pretty cool! I’d like to play around on an ipad during a long flight. Not too bad!
December 1st, 2010 at 7:33 pm
I know that Iceland is part of Europe, but it still sounds rather strange to me to say they fly within Europe.
The iPad is great for inflight entertainment (I know, I have used one since the day Apple released it). These guys aren’t the first ones to come up with this idea, though.
http://crankyflier.com/2010/06/02/jetstar-plans-ipad-inflight-entertainment-plan-do-we-really-need-that/
By the way (off-topic), what do they do with their aircraft during the winter (compare summer and winter route map). Lease them out to other airlines in warmer climates?
December 9th, 2010 at 12:35 am
This is a great idea to entertain passengers on board…and great way for Iceland Express to earn a few extra bucks.. excellent marketing strategy!
December 9th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Airlines are really taking notice with the tremendous response iPad tablet has generated. I recently have fly to Malaysia where the flight lack of in-seat power arrangement. However, I was informed that they are planning to make it possible asap. Though that’s a different story, Airlines are trying best to improve their customers experiences with wi-fi and iPads!
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Rent-an-iPad is really cool. Other airlines should follow.
March 5th, 2012 at 7:12 pm
[...] great deal.” Some notable recent posts include The Latest Threat to Your Safety: Inflight Wi-Fi? Upgrades and Downgrades: iPads Inflight, Contraband, Biofuels, and Security Cartoons, and Lufthansa Revives Inflight Internet Over the [...]