Virgin America's In-Flight Entertainment Extravaganza
Richard Branson is a damned genius. That's why I consciously bypassed conveniently located Reagan-National Airport to fly to Los Angeles on Tuesday evening via Virgin America from Dulles International Airport, which is quite a haul from downtown D.C. I was tired of crisscrossing the country on the big, boring airlines and needed something fresh and new -- and boy, did Branson deliver.
From the time I boarded the plane, I knew I was in for a treat. The "mood lighting" blanketed the cabin in a pinkish-purplish hue and I made my way to my surprisingly comfortable coach seat (It's worth noting that the first class recliners are equipped with a massage feature). The safety video was kitschy and the on-board announcements were casual and friendly.
Now, comes the good part (and the part that makes this blog post a bit relevant for Tech Daily Dose) -- the in-flight technology smorgasbord. Everything a passenger needs for a 5+ hour flight from Washington to California is contained in a nifty little seatback touch-screen monitor/remote control. The system is known as Red, it's still in beta version and it totally rocked my world.
Watch: There are new release movies, music videos, live television, on-demand premium TV and multi-lingual TV offerings. Plus, as an extra special treat for techies: videos from popular blog BoingBoing. I watched "Across the Universe" for $7 because I missed it in theaters. Oh and there's a program guide that lets you set reminders for upcoming TV shows and Google Maps to let you know where you are in the sky.
Listen: The music player boasts an impressive track listing from a variety of genres and artists -- and passengers can create their own playlists that can be revived on future flights. Radio stations include rock, alternative, hip-hop, jazz and many others. If you're a fan of Cantonese or Mandarin pop music, they've got that too.
Play: Games, games and more games. I'm not a gamer but those who enjoy the pastime can flip over the TV/music remote control to reveal a fully functional game controller. There's "Doom," "Tower Toppler," "Penguin Command" and other odd and presumably amusing diversions.
Talk: There's seat-to-seat chat, a chat room, e-mail, text messaging. The code of conduct says: "Conversations in this area are with real people, so please be courteous and use good judgment." I'm not sure if begging first class passengers for a glass of champagne and some time in their massage chair would be considered poor judgment so I refrained.
Eat: Order drinks, snacks, meals from the comfort of your seat. Simply select, swipe a credit card and enjoy.
Read: I'm not sure what this function will offer but it's not yet available.
Shop: This function also wasn’t up and running.
Finally, about halfway through this post my laptop battery started to die -- and miraculously I located the power source under my chair, plugged in and was back in business. If/when they start offering high-speed Internet, I will be officially hooked on this airline.
That, my friends, is why Richard Branson is a damned genius.
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