Last year, Meta took a noteworthy step by teaming up with Lufthansa, one of Germany’s leading airlines, to introduce the Quest 3 headsets to their passengers. This initiative, having shown considerable promise, is prompting Meta to consider rolling out similar in-flight XR (Extended Reality) entertainment programs with other airlines.
Meta’s Travel Mode, unveiled last year, marked a pivotal advancement. Designed for Quest 2 and newer devices, it counteracts the motion discrepancies that previously made virtual reality experiences on airplanes challenging. This feature is a game-changer for VR enthusiasts traveling by land, air, or sea.
Building on the success of Travel Mode, Meta launched a pilot program in June for Lufthansa’s Allegris Business Class Suite. Passengers on select flights were treated to the Quest 3, allowing them to immerse themselves in movies, TV shows on virtual screens, spatial videos, and select 360-degree content. The headsets also offered guided meditation sessions and interactive games like Connect Four and chess.
Encouraged by the positive feedback from this initiative, in which nearly 4,000 travelers enjoyed in-flight Quest 3 entertainment, Meta has announced plans to broaden its reach to additional airlines. Sarah Malkin, Meta’s Director of Entertainment Content at Reality Labs, emphasized the importance of this innovation, stating, “This activation marks a pivotal moment in the development of our Travel Mode and immersive services. We’re now focused on expanding this offering to more airlines and optimizing our product suite.”
Although Meta has not yet disclosed which airlines they plan to partner with next, it’s safe to predict that such offerings would likely be exclusive to Business or First Class passengers. After all, these premium cabins typically feature lay-flat seats, noise-cancelling headphones, gourmet meals, and other high-end amenities.
This venture isn’t entirely uncharted territory. Back in 2015, Qantas, the Australian airline, was at the forefront, offering Samsung Gear VR headsets as in-flight entertainment for first-class travelers. Other airlines, such as Air France, Iberia, British Airways, and Singapore Airlines, followed with their own VR headset trials, although these have since been phased out. Meta’s recent success, however, could very well inspire a renewed interest in XR-driven in-flight entertainment across the industry.
