Virgin America's inflight entertainment system Red was already something of a technical marvel, at least compared to offerings from other airlines. Sporting 9-inch, 1024x600 pixel resolution touch screens, USB ports, power outlets, Ethernet sockets, and a custom Linux-based OS, Red gave the airline industry a serious kick when it launched in 2007. But the competition is heating up, and with Emirates and Singapore Airlines taking the top spots for inflight entertainment last year, Virgin America has decided that it's time for a upgrade.
Enter the latest version of Red, this time built on a new Android-based based platform, which the airline is planning to beta test on 18 aircraft by the end of the year. The Red beta makes use of Panasonic's latest Eco V2 inflight system (the current version of Red also runs on Panasonic hardware), which pairs a 9-inch (or 11-inch) 720p capacitive touch screen with the company's latest Android-based software. The screens will also sport integrated audio jacks, USB sockets, and a credit card reader, and decode HD video at 720p.
Panasonic says it's offering out software development kits to airlines, including a rack simulator, example code, developer tools, and a custom API. Virgin America claims that using Android will make the system easier to maintain and upgrade. With many developers already intimately familiar with Google's OS, the airline should have an easier time adding new services to the platform. The first of those new services to hit the beta are new games, including retro classics like Atari’s
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It appears that Panasonic’s got quite the skill for up-selling too, with Virgin touting that its planes will sport a new solid-state storage system, a system that sounds suspiciously like Panasonic’s SSD server offering. Naturally, using SSDs should decrease load times for passengers, while Virgin says that it'll also be able to store up to three times as much content, allowing passengers to watch full seasons of popular shows. The airline is also working with California-based company Dysonics to offer virtual surround sound for selected content, starting with
While better inflight entertainment is great for those trapped on long-haul flights, the increase in the sophistication and user-accessibility of that entertainment is raising security concerns, and switching to Android is unlikely to help matters. Just recently, researcher Chris Roberts admitted to hacking a United plane mid-flight, going as far to suggest that he was able to issue commands to the plane's engines. Despite being questioned by the FBI, Roberts was not been arrested, nor charged with a crime.
Mark Walton Mark is Consumer Editor at Ars Technica UK by day, and keen musician by night. He hails from the UK, the home of ARM, heavy metal, and superior chocolate.I flew on Virgin America for the first time and I wish I had started flying it years before it disappears from the skies
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It was my first time flying the airline and I'm majorly bummed I didn't start flying the red and white sooner. Friends and coworkers have been raving about Virgin for years. When I was able to find a reasonably-priced round-trip flight, I figured I'd finally see what all of the fuss was about. Man, was I missing out.
Video games, outlets at every seat, and the ability to order from my seat? Truly I had been living under a rock because I was unaware of all the benefits and features of flying on Virgin America.
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If I could fly them cross-country all the time I would. Unfortunately, my first time waspossibly one of the few times I'll ever fly Virgin America. The airline was acquired by Alaska December 2016and it will slowly be phasing out the Virgin brand by 2019. If you've never flown Virgin America and are considering whether or not you should take the plunge and spend a few extra dollars, it's definitely worth it, especially if you're flying 5+ hours in an extremely crowded space.
I had an early 7 a.m.flight in mid-July so I made sure to get to the airport extra early.I saw the changes in airlines immediately when I headed to check a bag.Unlike other carriers where it's usually a drop and go sort of deal, Virgin wasplaying music— at 5:30 a.m. in the morning! And it wasn't just jazz or elevator music. We're talking Top 40 radio. They wanted to get you prepped for a party.
Airport experiences can be stressful, but this helped make the start of the day. It definitely put me in a better mood before I went to stand in a slow-moving security line that wrapped around terminal four.
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This sounds like a silly thing to get tickled by, but I nerded out a bit when I was handed my boarding pass. It was red! It had some weight to it. There was a little note that reminded me not to miss my mood-lit ride.
Typical boarding passes feel like a standard-issue ticket — plain and lame.I felt like I was a carrying around agolden ticket to the cool airline carrier.
It found its way to the gate before boarding. One moment in particular that stood outwas when a giant dance team was invited to board all together at the start of the flight.Music was played for the group of 20 or so girlsas they giggled and gathered together. They were reminded to go to their assigned seats while boarding before playing musical chairs later during the flight to visit other friends.
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They were treated more like friends and family rather than passengers.In my time flying, I hadn't seen anything like that and I'd be lying if I said it didn't bring a small smile to my face.
When you board a Virgin plane, you're immediately struck by the soft purple hue that envelops the cabin.It's a brilliant color choice for more reasons than one.
Purples that are on the chalky, dusty side, or more muted shades of violets and lavenders and purples on the greyer side can be calmer, said Jackie Jordan, Sherwin Williams director of color marketing in 2013according to The Huffington Post.
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I'll usually bring a water bottle, iced coffee, or maybe both aboard but usually have to keep one in a backpack and nestle the other between my legs during take off. The pouches made it easierto move more freely early during the flight.
They were also handy holdersfor everything from headphones and snacks to my sunglasses which normally rest idle atop my head (but don't make for a great wear when I'm trying to sleep on long flights). I'll usually tuck these items into the chair pocket. The problem with that is the worry they'll get squished or lost in the large space. It's much tougher to miss anything in a small drink pouch.
Nothing's worse than going on a flight with your phone charged only to have the battery drain by the time you land and being unable tolet your loved ones know you've landed safely — whichhappened to merecently. SoI was especially surprised to findplugs underneathseats. And it wasn't just regular outlets either. There were also ports just for USB cables.
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I didn'tneed to charge any of my stuff while onboard — I always bring a few external chargers with me while traveling for events— but the fact that they were there in case I needed themwas comforting.
It feels like a luxury just to have a TV screen on a plane to me, so I was overwhelmed by just how much was available. Let's take a deeper dive at each of them.
(Note: I didn't find this handy sheet until my return flight home. It would have aided in my discovery of a few items faster.)
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I was probably about 30minutes into my flight when I discovered there was a remote of the screen hiding under the arm rest.I failedto figure out how to discreetly unlock it. Thankfully, the passenger seated next to me saw my silent struggle and clued me in to flipping it open.
It was a game changer. It made it easier to channel surf and navigate the in-flight entertainment menu and it even had a button with a piece of pie that led you right to the food menu.
But the most exciting part was discovering it was double-sided. Flipping it over revealeda full Qwerty keyboard. The gamer in me was immensely excited, and for good reason.
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A personal pet peeve of flying is that you typically need to get drinks and a snack from attendants as they come down the aisle. If you refuse, you have to get someone's attention later during the flight.
Another game changer is the ability to order refreshments straight to your seat, from your seat. It'sas easy as ordering an in-flight movie.
I'm not sure how often this feature is used, but I imagine it's probably helpful if you're flying with a few friends and are grabbing some beers
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