Emirates' "ice" in-flight entertainment system -- installed on all the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft the airline flies to Australia -- is the world's best, according to a poll of passengers by airline ratings company Skytrax.
It's the seventh year in a row that Emirates' ice system ("ice" standing for information, communication and entertainment) has scooped the award.
In our recent review of the airline's A380 flight from Auckland to Sydney, we were certainly impressed by the range of entertainment offerings on the very latest version, ice Digital Widescreen.
The award comes as Emirates has upgraded its older A330 and A340 planes to add the older "ice on demand" version of the system to all first and business class seats.
Previously, you might have got off your A380 flight from Sydney with ice Digital Widescreen and transferred to a European flight without the same features. Economy passengers, however, will still have to make do with the older system.
On the A380, though, Emirates' first class passengers get the largest screens at 19 inches, with a separate hand-held touchscreen remote:
Business class has a 17" version of the same system:
Economy has the same system but on a relatively smaller 10.6" screen -- which is, of course, significantly better than many other airlines' offering:
Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.
15 Apr 2011
Total posts 580
Also of interest is that the new VA A330s have the same system as the one in Y on the EK A330s... Hopefully that will change soon though!
And their economy class screens are identical to most airlines newest offerings...
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