VR in Airlines

Airlines and virtual reality

Virtual reality is a cutting-edge technology that allows people to experience products on a virtual level. It is the new way to watch movies and experience another world without having to step out of your comfort zone. Airlines now use virtual reality to create an experience for the customer and to show what a real in-flight service would be like.

Lufthansa used virtual reality to create a virtual holiday experience in 2015’s ITB (International Travel Trade Show in Berlin).  The virtual travel and flight experience started from inside a Boeing 747 Aircraft. Passengers would sit inside a rounded ball chair, wearing a custom painted Oculus Rift DK2 headset, whilst holding a Sony PlayStation motion controller to interact with the virtual experience. The virtual experience finished with the participant sitting on a beautiful beach with a virtual post card in hand, when the experience finished they were given a physical post card. Lufthansa’s virtual holiday demo showed off their on board services in a virtual environment and it is a great way to stand out in terms of branding purposes. Qantas also paired up with Samsung to start offering the VR Gear to first class passengers on long haul flights the airline became the first to offer virtual reality entertainment in-flight. The virtual reality headset became available inside Qantas’ first class lounges in mid- February and on select A380 flights between Australia and Los Angeles in the first-class cabin in March.  Qantas sees VR as a new way to showcase the airline’s destinations and services to passengers.  British Airways also had a campaign which covered the city centres in Milan, Paris and Frankfurt, it allowed European customers to test out the technology by riding a bucking bronco in Texas , ice skating in New York’s Bryant park and a walk down in Californian board walk.

Virtual reality is a great way for Airlines to market their products in addition, customers get to experience on-board services before they get on board the aircraft and before they reach their destination. Virtual reality is experiential marketing in its own way, as it creates a live and fun experience for the customer.

Bibliography

Ads of the world. (2014). British Airways: Virtual reality USA. Retrieved from http://adsoftheworld.com/media/ambient/British_airways_virtual_reality_USA.

Virtual Reality Reporter. (2015). Lufthansa takes you on a virtual reality. Retrieved from https://virtualrealityreporter.com/lufthansa-airline-takes-visitors-on-a-virtual-journey/.