Virgin Australia will begin fitting out the majority of its aircraft with Samsung's Galaxy Tab tablets for in-flight entertainment this month, ahead of Qantas' own rollout of Apple iPads on a limited number of its older Boeing 767s.
Virgin trialled the devices over a one-week period in April, with the Android-powered tablets handed out in the business class cabin of selected Boeing 737 and Embraer E190 flights.
"Following the successful completion of this trial, Virgin Australia is now rolling out the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 across the majority of its domestic and short-haul international network, including trans-Tasman flights" a Virgin Australia spokeswoman told Australian Business Traveller.
The tablets will be offered free for business class travellers "and, on flights over three hours, flexi fare guests, subject to availability", although the spokesperson was unable to advise if economy passengers would need to pay a rental free.
Up next: inflight entertainment over wifi
Although they'll initially come preloaded with a range of movies, TV shows and music, Virgin will later this year move to a wireless streaming system to beam the content over wifi to these tablets along with passengers' own devices.
"The second phase of Virgin Australia's inflight entertainment plans is the launch of the leading Lufthansa Systems Wi-Fi streaming technology, which will allow guests to stream video and audio directly to their own personal electronic devices and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tabs" Virgin says. "This will begin rolling-out before the end of this year."
The full roster of BYO devices is expected to include iPads, iPhones, Android tablets and smartphones, all of which will use a free app to play the content, along with Windows and Mac notebooks.
This second stage will see Virgin adopting the same Lufthansa BoardConnect technology as used by Qantas in its initial Q Streaming trial, although Qantas subsequently chose Panasonic's eXW system for its wider rollout.
Want more on the Q Streaming? We've got a full video and review of the system plus a deeper dive into the technology itself.
Borghetti: tablets for A330s as well as Boeing 737s
Speaking with Australian Business Traveller earlier this year, Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti said he expected the wifi roll-out to happen "very quickly", as the process for installing Lufthansa BoardConnect in each aircraft isn't especially time-consuming.
"To fit an aircraft, you can do it overnight and it only takes two to three nights" Borghetti explained. "So when the aircraft's parked at night you do the work, and within two or three nights you've done an aeroplane. So effectively you can move very quickly and do the whole fleet."
"And when I say the whole fleet," Borghetti emphasises, "I don't just mean the 737-800s, I mean the whole fleet, and I include the A330s on that, very quickly, within 12 to 18 months."
Borghetti is also bullish on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 versus Apple's iPad 2, telling Australian Business Traveller that "the Samsung tablet is being recognised as a better product than Apple."
"The [Android-based] system is a plus," he adds, along with the larger 10.1 inch display. "It's (also) much thinner... overall it's a better product."
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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.
23 May 2012
Total posts 35
I had a Galaxy tablet supplied yesterday in J class from Darwin.
First tablet had 48% charge, they found one that was fully charged.
There are 8 movies and 8 TV shows, plus music videos.
The supplied cheapo 'ipod' style earphones were impossible - at max tablet audio gain, I could not hear the soundtrack. Using my more expensive personal ear monitors was OK, but still at max gain. Brightness also no where near iPad, so I predict trouble ahead.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
23 May 2012
Total posts 268
I'm sure they were tested for longer than a week in April. Kyle Sandilands said on the flagship Kyle and Jackie O Show that Virgin Australia was handing them out a few weeks ago. Only one of my flights have got the tablets and that was an E190 aircraft, so you might want to get that aircraft if you want to try it. They are good for a short flight but it does need improvements for coast-to-coast flights.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2563
I wasn;t sure how long the test ran but Virgin PR told us one week so that's what we went with - will be good to give this a real-world trial, especially as you say on coast-to-coast, that's where they'd be most useful!
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
23 May 2012
Total posts 268
I was told that they won't be introduced on Coast-to-Coast flights because the A330s (which will be taking over the flagship route) already have seatback entertainment installed. They will only be placed on Brisbane to Perth Coast-to-Coast flights.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2563
There are still 737s doing coast-to-coast at this stage, so until Virgin switches to all A330s on those routes I'd expect to see the Samsung tablets on coast-to-coast 737s.
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