Lufthansa debuts prototype in-flight VR experience | Innovation & Feature
Lufthansa passengers flying from Frankfurt to Dubai on flight LH630 were the first to experience the airline’s new prototype “VR Moving Map”, while on board the Airbus A330.
Passengers wearing special VR glasses were able to view the moving landscape below them as a 3D map and even take part in a selection of 360-degree virtual excursions. The VR experience lasted for around 30 minutes, and the airline hopes that this trial will be useful to understand passenger interest and gain feedback on potential implementation.
As the aircraft flew over Vienna, some passengers virtually rode the Prater Ferris Wheel or even had the chance to virtually attend one of the city’s famous classical concerts.
The prototype was developed by Lufthansa in cooperation with 3spin, Lufthansa’s lead agency for virtual and augmented reality.
Paul Schön, Passenger Experience Designer for Lufthansa said: “VR is a growing trend for destination experiences and we wanted to help inspire our passengers while they were in the sky. The Frankfurt to Dubai flight was a first-time test for our new VR prototype, which was designed to further enhance the passenger experience. I’m pleased to say this virtual exploration trip was very positively received by the participating passengers.”
Previously, this VR technology was offered to customers on the ground, but aims to be offered as an addition to the existing in-flight entertainment program. Lufthansa continued to test various possible applications of VR and AR for its customers, in order to determine which prototypes could be developed further.
- YouTube VR finally lands on Samsung Gear VR
- These are the best VR games of 2018