See Everything You're Flying Over With This App
In-flight entertainment just got a little more interesting with the Inflighto app — the app that allows passengers to get information on the landmarks, weather and other points of interest as they're flying over them.
You no longer have to snag a window seat to see what's going on 35,000 feet below. Inflighto consists of an interactive flyover map that identifies just what lies below you, miles down. Of course, most modern aircraft come equipped with a seat-back TV that has live maps, but those can only tell passengers their location, cruising altitude and speed.
In addition to doing everything the seat-back TV can do, Inflighto can also track weather, which will alert users to upcoming turbulence. There's also a chat feature where passengers who are using the app on the same flight can chat, including crew members and pilots as well.
The creators of the app, two Australian pilots, hope that the crew members and pilots will use the app to interact with passengers when something interesting is happening outside the windows. The creators have said that the current in-flight maps are not adequate for true aviation enthusiasts.
The app will also be equipped to live marine tracking. When flying over a body of water, users can identify the names and occupations of the boats below. This feature, however, is only equipped with the premium version of the app. Inflighto users must connect to the aircraft's Wi-Fi, which can be a costly option on some airlines.
The app is free to download in the Apple App Store and Google Play, but this gives users access to only the basic version. To access the premium features including the weather radar and in-flight chat, users must purchase the "Premium Economy" version of the app for $6.99 per year. For all features, users must purchase "Business Class" which costs $28.49 per year.
