Qantas Is Trying to Make IFE a Little More Zen
As indulgent as the phrase "me time" may sound to some, it is important to take care of yourself— especially when traveling. Between the inconsistent sleep patterns and unavoidable jetlag, recharging your batteries and relaxing isn't such a bad idea. Thursday, Qantas announced a new in-flight meditation feature specially designed to help customers unwind in the air.
Starting in June, the Australian airline will add a series of meditation videos to its inflight entertainment. The videos are 10 minutes long and will feature aerial footage of the most beautiful landscapes around Australia. Passengers can choose from five different scenes including Australian deserts, bushlands, coasts, forests and locations at twilight as they listen to the meditation.
"Customers tell us they value being able to take time for themselves inflight and watch a movie or read a book, and now we can help them find a little extra relaxation with guided meditation," Qantas Chief Customer Officer Vanessa Hudson said.
Qantas customers watched 22 million hours of inflight entertainment last year, according to Hudson.
TPG Editor JT Genter flew Qantas non-stop flight from Perth (PER) to Heathrow (LHR) and noted that because the airline doesn't offer Wi-Fi on its Dreamliners, there is a heavy reliance on the entertainment system. So it comes as great news that the airline is also expanded its in-flight entertainment offerings.
Qantas has signed up with Apple Music and Audible and extended its existing partnership with Stan to offer free access to music, TV programs, movies and audiobooks both in-flight and on the ground. Under the new partnerships, Qantas passengers have a free four- month Apple Music subscription and one free audiobook per month for the first three months from the full Audible.com.au library. Also, Stan, which is currently available on Qantas Wi-Fi enabled aircraft, will now offer three months of unlimited access to TV shows and movies to new Stan customers on all Qantas flights
Offering wellness-related experiences has been a recent addition for airlines. Last year Air France launched guided meditation sessions, and Cathay Pacific added videos for in-seat yoga. Qantas meditation video series is available on YouTube and can be downloaded on the Qantas VR App.
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