Summary
- Joon: one of the first airlines to offer VR headsets
- Joon: Do young people really want to use VR on a plane?
Air France's new airline Joon, aimed at young people, will offer virtual reality headsets to business class passengers. An exclusive helmet has been designed in partnership with SkyLights and AlloMind. The offer is original, but it remains to be seen whether passengers will really be attracted to VR on board a plane.
In order to attract a younger clientele, Air France has just launched a new airline called Joon. Specifically intended for millennials, this new airline has several assets to appeal to Generation Y. Air France today unveiled several elements of its strategy. First of all, partnerships have been forged with companies like Airbnb and Waynabox to allow passengers to book tourist experiences or stays at the same time as they buy their plane tickets.
Joon: one of the first airlines to offer VR headsets
Otherwise, passengers will be able to access streaming content on dedicated devices, and will be able to charge their electronic devices on board using USB chargers. It's not really new. Most high-end airlines offer in-seat USB chargers, and streaming is increasingly used in aircraft to replace IFE systems.
On the other hand, Joon sets itself apart by offering passengers on long-haul flights virtual reality headsets. The AlloSky headset will be available to business class passengers on long-haul flights through a partnership with SkyLights. This “state of the art” helmet will be equipped with a high definition screen and a dioptre correction system so that it can be adapted to all views. It will be connected to each seat individually.
Joon: Do young people really want to use VR on a plane?
Air France did not provide additional details. It is not known what content will be available on these headsets. Anyway, this device designed in collaboration with SkyLights and AlloMind benefits from a successful design. Until now, companies that offer VR headsets to their passengers are very rare. In 2015, Australian company Qantas was offering Samsung Gear VR headsets to first-place passengers on select flights, but that offer didn't last.
Obviously, by offering virtual reality headsets to its passengers, Air France wants to give Joon a young image at the cutting edge of technology. The idea is interesting, but it remains to be seen whether passengers will really be drawn to virtual reality when traveling in business class. Plane tickets are expensive, and the experience on offer is generally pleasant enough that you don't want to escape reality using a VR headset. In addition, many people are at risk of being prone to motion sickness, especially on board an airplane. VR seems more suited to the opposite use, namely the use of VR flight simulators from land.
