Emirates Airline introduced Aircraft Virtual Tour feature this Tuesday allowing passengers to take a look around the flight and choose appropriate seats. Users get to explore the 3D rendering of the plane’s economy, business and first class along with the shower and the lounge. They can also sit in different seats to get an idea of the view and the legroom.
Customers can even book the seats in the virtual environment itself, provided that they’re using the app (iTunes or Google Play) or viewing the site on mobile devices. The feature works well on most headsets too.
“We are pleased to be the world’s first airline to introduce this cutting edge web VR technology, which offers our customers an immersive opportunity to learn more about the fantastic Emirates experience before they step on board,” says Alex Knigge, Emirates’ senior vice president of corporate communications, marketing and brand. Usability tests revealed that customers appreciated the new feature when booking their seats.
Emirates is the first airline to use this technology, which is currently available for the A380 and the Boeing 777 aircrafts and eventually will be made available for their entire range of flights. The technology is aimed at providing a digital experience at par with the company’s ‘unmatched travel experience’.
This is the second instance of the company adopting VR. It was reported earlier that the flight will provide passengers with VR based interactive amenity kits that would unlock a new range of content and activities for the passenger. Made in partnership with Blippar, the kits would be made available in Augusts in all ultra-long haul and selected long-haul flights.
Virtual Reality has been predicted to have implications in most industries and this is just one example of the use of this technology. Most major companies are experimenting with the tech to provide better solutions to a generation that is almost symbiotic with technology and so far they have received a lot of appreciation from the customer base. This has led to more and more companies investing in VR. It is only a matter of time before VR becomes a massively adopted technology.