Test: The iPad as in-flight entertainment
The arrival of iPads, smartphones and notebooks is unstoppable. Passengers are increasingly bringing their own entertainment program onto the plane. Lufthansa Systems (LHS) and the German leisure airline Condor have now installed the BoardConnect system, which is wireless but not Internet, in a Boeing 767-300 for the time being. From mid-September there will be a mass test for all passengers, which will continue until the end of the year. The routes on which the jet will be used can be followed at www.Condor.comunder "Stars in the sky". Up to 1000 films of various kinds would be no problem in terms of storage capacity, which could be consumed on laptops, Ipads etc. 200 gigabytes of storage capacity are currently available in the Boeing 767. Five access points in the cabin ensure 100% connectivity for all 260 passengers. For the time being, 19 movies will be offered, the standard in-flight program.
"It's clear to us that WiFi will come to the aircraft. In the first half of 2013, we will decide how to proceed with this," explains Rainer Kröpke, Head of Marketing and Product at Condor. But there are also savings for the airline. For example, the weight of a Boeing 767-300 can be reduced by up to 500 kg by not carrying the classic IFE system. This is because BoardConnect is a kind of intranet in the aircraft, which eliminates the need for cabling through the wireless network.
The fly-Fi app for an iPhone or iPad can be downloaded free of charge from the AppStore before the journey. The system is activated on board from an altitude of 10,000 feet. The sound experience and playback are impressive in the usual iPad quality. Incidentally, the system stops when the crew makes announcements. Standard solutions are used for the software, such as media playback via Microsoft silverlight. In addition, 18 iPads are available on board for Comfort Class guests. But questions remain unanswered. For example, whether the guest has to pay for the service, e.g. by credit card.
The installation of BoardConnect also takes just a few hours, and BoardConnect costs only a fraction of the price of a classic IFE. And there are many expansion options such as on-board sales, special meals orders, advertising and much more.
Kurt Hofmann
(September 2012)
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