Qantas economy passengers get iPad Minis for inflight video
By David Flynn, February 16 2015
Qantas has turned to Apple's iPad Mini to serve as an inflight entertainment system for passengers on its revamped Airbus A330 jets.
The tablet is being used on all 243 economy seats on the domestic jets, which mainly ply the east-west transcontinental trek between Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
Business class travellers get their own dedicated 16 inch HD touchscreens (as shown below).
The iPad Minis are being installed in eight domestic A330-200 jets which don't currently have inflight video screens.
Movies, TV shows and music are beamed to a customised app on the iPad Minis via inflight WiFi over Qantas' Q Streaming network, giving economy passengers access to the same wide range of content as their business class brethren.
Qantas is also issuing new-design headsets in economy, with flexible silicone earpads replacing the older foam pads for a better fit and improved noise reduction.
Qantas says the tablets can be used on the tray table or docked into custom-designed holder installed into the seat as part of each aircraft's refurbishment.
The holder used a spring-loaded mechanism to keep any tablet in place, such as your own iPad or any other tablet for that matter.
Each economy seat has also been fitted with two USB ports, one for the passenger's own tech and the other to keep the iPad Mini's battery topped up.
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
QFF
21 Jul 2014
Total posts 6
What the? I was under the impression that all Dom A330's had AVOD... Whilst I'm no longer an overly frequent traveler, every PER flight I've done in the last couple of years I've had AVOD on that flight. Your now telling me I might not have AVOD this Wednesday / Thursday?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Not all. Only the latter 8 deliveries have the Pansonic IFE. 4 International config -200s have the smaller Rockwell Collins, and the rest (about 4) have nothing - along with some aircraft still at Jetstar that have nothing
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Apr 2013
Total posts 387
So are the 4 -200 international A330s getting new economy seats and entertainment like the A330-300 economy class
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Apr 2013
Total posts 387
So will there be for A330 economy improvements depending on the aircraft be
international:all new economy seats and entertainment
10 (all) A330-300s
4 A330-200 international
Domestic:
8 newer A330-200s just refreshed economy with no economy entertainment improvements
4 older A330-200s refreshed seats with wifi for entertainment to iPad minis
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
10 Jan 2012
Total posts 258
So those flash new Y seats that QF said were going into the refurbed A330's aren't actually being installed (as evidenced by EBA)?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Apr 2013
Total posts 387
Are they retina iPad minis or the regular ones?
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1560
You need to do something very special to notice difference without magnifying glass. Watching movies definitely not in this category.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 Jun 2012
Total posts 40
"The iPad Minis are being installed in ten of the 18 domestic A330-200 jets which don't currently have inflight video screens."
I can only think of 8 out of 10 A330-200's that don't have fixed IFE in Y, these aircraft are:
VH-EBA (Refurbishment Complete, iPad Mini's in Y)
VH-EBB/EBC/EBD (QF)
VH-EBE/EBF/EBJ/EBK (JQ) *These aircraft are scehduled to be retuned to QF in Oct/Nov.
Two International A332's VH-EBH/I will be the aircraft which will be returned to their lessors.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Apr 2013
Total posts 387
So there will be the 8 newer a330s with Panasonic AVOD and refreshed seats
and 10 with just wifi with iPad minis with 4 of them set up for international flights
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1250
Whilst there will undoubtedly be A330-200's used internationally, I understand these will be the same the domestic ones... so I don't think 4 of them will be set up specifically for 'international'.
23 Mar 2015
Total posts 5
-EBC (34J 265Y) is one of the A330s with only an overhead screen.
What other regos are lacking individual entertainment units?
22 Apr 2016
Total posts 1
The Economy Seats with the protruding metal iPad mounting clip are dangerous.
How anybody could think that having your head of face slam into a metal protrusion on the back of the seat in front of you in any sort of impact event is safe is bizarre.
Who wants to be disfigured or die because of a badly designed mount for an entertainment device?
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