Philippine Airlines introduces iPads on flights


Philippine Airlines has partnered with UK-based IFE Services to provide in-flight entertainment aboard all of its flights.

Under the agreement, IFE Services will be responsible for providing all content for mainscreen, personal TV and audio video on-demand systems installed across the airline's fleet. The content will include the latest releases along with classic Hollywood movies, Filipino films, television series and audio.

philippine airlines inflight entertainment
Photo Copyright: Philippine Airlines
Of particular interest to passengers will be the new iPads that Philippine Airlines will be providing passengers in business and economy classes on trans-Pacific flights. IFE Services will be supplying the iPads which will include a regularly updated package of Hollywood, classic, and international movies, television shows, music albums, games and Philippine Airlines' very own Mabuhay Magazine.

Philippine Airlines announced last July that it would work with Apple developers to introduce the Apple iPads to become part of its inflight entertainment options. PAL will be the first full service airline in Asia to have iPads inflight. The third-generation iPads will be available on flights to PAL's North American destinations. The service will be available to business and economy passengers who can opt to use the iPad for a minimal charge.

Looking to take a position as a trendsetter in the industry, PAL's inflight iPads have been customized to also contain the regular in-flight reading materials including the duty free catalogue, inflight meal menu, safety card, and PAL promos.

It is not known as this point whether PAL intends to expand the iPad service throughout the rest of its network in Asia, Australia and the Middle East. At present, Philippine Airlines only offers personal seatback entertainment systems aboard their Boeing 777 fleet and reconfigured Boeing 747 aircraft.

According to the Philippine Airlines website, for those lucky enough to travel on-board their new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and reconfigured Boeing 747 aircraft, this is what PAL's in-flight entertainment currently has in store for you:

The entire cabin of the new B777-300ERs is equipped with Panasonic eX2 Inflight Entertainment System while the reconfigured B747 aircraft is equipped with Thales’ i5000 IFE System. Both systems offer a fully digital inflight entertainment system that enables Mabuhay Class passengers to choose from a full-library of video and audio content. Each passenger seat is outfited with personal TV and Audio/Video On-Demand AVOD feature.

Each seat is outfitted with personal TV, 15.4-inch seatback-mounted monitors and 10.6-inch in-arm monitors, with AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) feature that will enable passengers to start, pause, rewind, and fast-forward any of the video programs at any time using the touch-screen controls or the passenger control units.
The AVOD system gives passengers a wide range of digital on-demand entertainment options – they can individually select from a variety of digital games and entertainment programs anytime.
The selections includes 18 of the latest Hollywood movies, a Filipino film, 8 popular TV programs, 12 radio channels and a selection of CD albums.

Each passenger can also create his own audio playlist from the collection of CD albums. On-screen instructions are available in English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

It is unknown if personal in-flight entertainment systems will be introduced on the newly ordered A321 or A330 aircraft. Passengers can expect the iPads to be introduced in the very near future.


1 comment:

  1. I pads would be redundant if used on aircraft with IFe not to mention the weight penalty involved. Perhaps for their longer Airbus flights this would be a good idea.

    ReplyDelete

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