Best In Flight Entertainment

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Ever wondered which airline has the best in flight entertainment?

Travelling by air is undoubtedly one of the fastest ways to commute from one point to another irrespective of geographical boundaries and it is rendered even more convenient by the provision of entertainment facilities along the route. Termed as in-flight entertainment, it refers to amenities offered to passengers so that they could amuse themselves during their time on board. While in-flight entertainment was limited to food and beverage service a decade back, over the years it has expanded to include several audio-visual forms not to mention gaming.

Following is an overview of in-flight entertainment that you can expect while traveling with some of the leading global airlines:

Emirates
Emirates, the official airline of UAE, offers a wonderful experience for its passengers via provision of ice Digital Widescreens on the back of seats. You may find yourself settling down snuggly in preparation for watching a variety of latest and greatest movies of your choice. If you are not a movie buff then there are other channels like news or sports that you can explore. With over 2,000 premium entertainment channels from around the world, you may also view business news or keep track of your flight progress. Listening to music is yet another option as also is playing games. Most interesting amongst these is the ability to sneak a peek at the aircraft external cameras for those that do not have a fear of flying.

Other flight entertainment options include being able to communicate with work, family and friends from the comfort of your seat or other areas of the aircraft through SMS, Phone and Email capabilities.

As a passenger of Emirates you will enjoy the convenience of planning your entertainment ahead of time, meaning before your board your flight. Simply by going to Emirates website you can locate information about your flight, premier entertainment that will be viewable during your flight and select the movies that you will like to view during your traveling time. Isn’t that luxury personified?

Qatar Airways
Oryx is the name that Qatar Airways has christened its entertainment system as and it includes provision of television screens on the back of every seat in every aircraft of their fleet. Some aircrafts have been provided with main-screen entertainment while some are being upgraded to include AVOD that is supposed to grace the back of the passenger’s seat.

Suppose you have chosen Qatar Airways for your next journey, one of the first things that you can do after having settled in your seat entails checking everything that the television screen has to offer. You might be pleasantly surprised to find as many as 2000 choices at your disposal ranging from movies and sitcoms to video games, business and news.

If it is business as usual in spite of being thousands of miles in the air, there is a power outlet wherein you can connect your laptop and a plug to accommodate your USB. There is a personal telephone that can help you get in touch with your dear ones and a mobile service which you can utilise to send messages and stay connected.

An important aspect of in-flight entertainment entails keeping children engrossed and Qatar Airways ensures this through the provision of SpongeBob giveaways. Hardly any child would be able to resist smiles when handed over a SpongeBob kit brimming with myriad activities or refuse to eat when presented with a SpongeBob lunchbox filled with yummy but healthy treats. In case your child is too grown-up to enjoy SpongeBob, there is the option of switching over to games and movies that would ensure entertainment till the flight lands.

Singapore Airlines
Known for its unique blend of sophistication and homely comfort, Singapore Airlines has earned for itself the repute of constantly striving to improve its in-flight entertainment. To this effect, it is the first in the world to introduce KrisWorld, an eX2 entertainment system which is credited with being not just the most advanced but also the most powerful. Courtesy of this entertainment system, passengers of Singapore Airlines are in a position to listen to music of their choice, watch their favourite TV programs or play interactive games.

To cater for the ever-evolving entertainment preferences of travellers around the world, KrisWorld offers a range of 140 movies, 170 television programs and as many as 740 music CDs’. There are 22 audio programs as well which are made available through well-know audio channels. All of these can be viewed on a wide-screen LCD screen, the size of which varies according to the class of travel. Provision of AVOD ensures that viewers will be in a position to interact with the system in terms of navigating, playing, pausing and resuming.

Gaming has emerged as a favourite pastime over the last few years and in a bid to keep abreast with times, Singapore Airlines offers 80 3D games, the list being inclusive of Think Tanks and Space Tripper. Some of the popular categories include puzzle, sports, multi-player, arcade and casino games.

While on board, travellers can enrich themselves through learning applications wherein there are programs under the field of linguistics, business and summaries of books. So if you always wanted to learn a different language, utilize your time on board Singapore Airlines for this purpose. Particularly advantageous is a learning program named Culture Quest – it is designed to offer specific information pertaining to the culture of a country and comes in handy for first-time visitors.

Qantas
Hailing from Australia, Qantas operates on the domestic as also the international sector and in addition to determining the type of aircraft which you will be traveling in, it also determines the in-flight entertainment that you will be entitled to. Termed as ‘short-haul’ and ‘long-haul’ respectively, a common point shared between the two systems is that they offer entertainment the Australian way.

Short-haul in-flight entertainment on Qantas comprises of a single screen that is placed overhead which could be a little uncomfortable for passengers, especially if a movie runs for more than an hour. However, this is justified by the airlines as being an outcome of low budget that is accorded owing to the short time-frame of traveling involved. Another unique feature is the arrangement of picking up headsets at the departure gate rather than being provided on board the aircraft. That said, there is a wide variety of movies which are played and local radio channels that can be listened to. For flights that extend beyond three hours, the number of movies shown range between 2 and 6 and are inclusive of a short comedy as also a main-screen movie.

For long-haul flights, Qantas has upgraded to an AVOD system and although this is yet to be provided on all aircrafts, efforts are on to ensure that the conversion is completed as swiftly as possible. Travelers have the option of selecting between 12 channels wherein movies follow a 2-and-half hour cycle and hence can be caught on to accordingly. While first-class travelers enjoy a widescreen display, smaller screens are provided to display moving maps and controls are provided in the handset or armrest, the latter being preferable.

Provision of power outlets for laptops depends on the type of aircraft and the sockets are best used for recharging rather than actual functioning.

Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways belongs to United Arab Emirates and is ranked second to the nation’s flagship carrier, Emirates Airlines. That does not take away from the luxury that it has to offer, one of its aspects being the in-flight entertainment system. ‘E-Box’ as it is referred to for both short-haul and long-haul flights, is provided on every aircraft belonging to the Etihad fleet and comprises of AVOD as also a television screen located on the seat’s back. Another entertainment provision which is common to all aircrafts of this brand is Panasonic eX2 which comes as an in-built feature.

Up in the sky flying by Etihad Airways, you will be able to watch movies, enjoy TV shows, play games, listen to music and connect with your dear ones. In keeping with international standards, Etihad offers its travelers options like European, Hollywood, Arabic, and even Indian and Asian films. No matter which movie you select, the movie can be played on multiple tracks and come with subtitles to cater for diverse ethnicities. Rest is up to you whether you wish to settle for a timeless classic, a recent release or an all-time favourite blockbuster hit.

If it is a short flight, watching television programs is also an option wherein you can choose between comedy, drama, lifestyle, sport or even live updates on news channels. For avid music lovers, there is a CD library to contend with and several radio channels to complement it. Likewise, gaming enthusiasts can take a pick amongst the latest Android games although there is also a range of interactive games that is also just a click away.

For children, there is a kid’s club comprising of movies, cartoons and games all of which come with a parental lock feature that can be activated with the cabin crew’s help.
Overall, flight entertainment forms an important part of flying experience and hence is an aspect that every flight management pays close attention to not to mention making every effort to improve upon it.

Bliss in the sky
Since the first commercial flights of last century to the modern economy, business and first classes, in flight entertainment has been a crucial factor in consumer choice of airlines. A good movie or ability to interact with the world below us makes even the longest flight more enjoyable.

How did we come up with the table above?
To find the airlines with the best in flight entertainment and our Top 5 list, we allowed our users to rate and review airlines in a range of categories. Based on those reviews and worldwide awards, the narrowed list was generated.

When we ask our Compare it Versus users to think about inflight entertainment, the following categories come to mind:
– Audio entertainment, including the latest songs and an extensive collection of classic albums from all over the globe, accessible at any time
– Video entertainment including in-flight movies, shows, sport and latest news
– Personal televisions for every passenger, no matter which class or cabin
– In-flight games. Whether they be one or two player, games provide an alternative source in flight entertainment
– Moving-map systems to let you know how far you are along your trip and what area you are above at the time
– Satellite and internal telephony
– Data communication including messaging and email
– Wi-Fi for internet access
– Phone coverage availability to stay in touch

Do you agree with the best in flight entertainment choices above? Anything to add? Let us know in the comments section below.