Qantas recently shook up the onboard Wi-Fi game by announcing plans to incorporate inflight Wi-Fi services 10 times faster than their competitors. With the first 737 fitted with the new service set to take off from mid-February, the airline has made another game-changing announcement that they will also incorporate Foxtel, Netflix and Spotify to aircraft featuring the new Wi-Fi services.
Qantas' new streaming service will be accessed via your own personal devices
The airline plans to roll out their new WiFi service across their entire domestic Boeing 737 and Airbus A330 fleet from mid-2017, which allows passengers internet speeds fast enough to stream video. It utilises the nbn Sky Muster satellite service, which uses idle data capacity with a signal reaching the aircraft while it flies through the satellite's 101 spot beams.
"We know that email, online shopping and general web browsing will be popular uses when we switch on Wi-Fi, 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," says Olivia Wirth, Wantas Group Executive of Brand, Marketing and Corporate Affairs.
"Foxtel and Netflix both have huge catalogues that are expanding all the time, so there will be no shortage of entertainment on board.
"The usage data from the collection of albums we already have on our aircraft shows that music is a great way for passengers to relax as they watch the world fly by. Spotify will open this up so you can listen to virtually any song you like."
Foxtel, Netflix and Spotify will offer access to their service free of charge both on and off the plane
If the new entertainment line-up weren't enough to convince you to hop aboard a Qantas flight, the paid subscription services will offer free access to their TV, movies and music for free to Qantas customers on and off the aircraft:
- Foxtel has agreed to offer three days free access to its Foxtel app every time a customer flies. No subscription sign-up is required.
- Netflix will offer new customers access to the entire Netflix service on a free 30-day trial. Existing customers only need to login on their accounts to get watching at no extra charge.
- Spotify will also offer a free 30-day trial of its Premium music service.
In order to access the services while flying, passengers will be required to log on to the Qantas inflight Wi-Fi service via their personal devices. A landing page will pop up offering access to a range of options, including Foxtel, Netflix and Spotify streaming.
