A man can only stomach so many episodes of Big Bang Theory before he snaps. Fortunately for passengers travelling in Australia, Qantas has announced a new launch on domestic flights that makes limited in-flight entertainment options a thing of the past.
The airline has partnered with Netflix, Spotify, and Foxtel to bring streaming content to the flying masses. Though all three are normally paid subscription services, passengers will be able to sign up for free trial subscriptions while onboard to enjoy movies, television shows, and more than 30 million songs.
The suite of entertainment options is made possible by Qantas’ new wi-fi, which the airline promises is “up to 10 times faster than conventional inflight wi-fi” so video and audio streaming will function smoothly.
“We know that email, online shopping and general web browsing will be popular uses when we switch on Wi-Fi,” Olivia Worth, Qantas group executive of marketing, said. “But what a lot of people relish about flying is being able to catch up on their favourite TV shows or watch movies they didn’t get to see at the cinema.”
Foxtel will offer three days free access to its app each time a customer flies, with no sign-up to a subscription required. Netflix will offer new customers access to the entire Netflix service as part of a 30-day free trial, while existing Netflix members only need to log in to continue watching at no extra charge. Spotify will offer a 30-day free trial of its Premium music service, which has shuffle play, unlimited skips, and no advertisements.
For now these entertainment partnerships are limited to Qantas’ domestic routes, but the airline is “currently in talks” to extend wi-fi services onto its international and regional (QantasLink) fleets.