Qantas To Provide iPads On 763s

boilerla · Sat Jul 21, 2012 7:10 pm

Didn't see this posted elsewhere:
http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airl...eless-inflight-entertainment/au/en

Following successful trials in February, all 767s will be outfitted with Panasonic eXW technology, streaming movie and TV content to iPads wirelessly. The company will purchase more than 5000 iPads, not including spares, to distribute to passengers. At the moment there is no word on whether passengers can use their own iPads.

I personally wouldn't mind this one bit. In Y the screen always seems at an uncomfortable angle on any airline, and small of course. When flying in J and F, the screens are not much bigger than an iPad but still can't be moved. Removing the IFE boxes in each row will give people more legroom, and undoubtedly will save some weight. This is the same streaming technology UA is evaluating for its 744 fleet.

Personally, I'm a fan.

B4REAL · Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:00 am

Also it would save the space required by those horrible boxes under seats for the electrical controls/panels. Albeit mostly on retrofits, sometimes those boxes just take up a ridiculous amount of space.

JAAlbert · Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:18 am

A few questions for expiring minds such as myself:

1. Does the airline have one IPAD per seat? I imagine many passengers would not use the service, so carrying around 220 IPADs doesn't seem practical - plus where would they store so many IPADs on a plane?

2. How much does a typical IFE or AVOD unit weigh, including the box on the floor? How does that compare to an IPAD? And what other equipment must the IPAD system have on the plane and how much does that weigh?

EK413 · Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:40 am

Quoting JAAlbert (Reply 2):

Not sure how QF will handle the use of the iPads but I'm only guessing the iPads would be handed out during boarding as an option?

EK413

zkokq · Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:45 am

If you have to pay extra for IFE thats a PITA. Should be part of the service.

BNEFlyer · Sun Jul 22, 2012 4:24 am

Quoting EK413 (Reply 3):
Not sure how QF will handle the use of the iPads but I'm only guessing the iPads would be handed out during boarding as an option?

The iPad's will be kept in the seat back pocket along with the safety card and inflight magazine of every seat on the plane. There will also be spares onboard.

Quoting zkokq (Reply 4):
If you have to pay extra for IFE thats a PITA. Should be part of the service.

There's no indication that the IFE will be for purchase, as it's QF you'd expect that it wouldn't cost extra.

Credit to: http://www.ausbt.com.au/video-photos...-in-flight-across-boeing-767-fleet

EK413 · Sun Jul 22, 2012 5:00 am

Quoting BNEFlyer (Reply 5):

Cheers thanks for clarifying...

I guess the iPads will be renamed Qpads with a kangaroo

EK413

JAAlbert · Sun Jul 22, 2012 5:28 am

Very interesting - an IPOD in every seat back?! So how does Qantas keep the IPADs from deplaning with the passengers??

EK413 · Sun Jul 22, 2012 7:58 am

Quoting JAAlbert (Reply 7):
Very interesting - an IPOD in every seat back?!

More than likely the iPads will have Qantas labeling & probably some form of an alarm? Only guessing as I really do not know how they will control passenger's from taking the devise home...

EK413

ben175 · Sun Jul 22, 2012 8:47 am

Quoting JAAlbert (Reply 7):
So how does Qantas keep the IPADs from deplaning with the passengers??

I just flew JQ HNL-SYD tonight and they distributed iPads locked in a black plastic case fitted with a security alarm. Also, the actual iPad itself had a completely different program to the original Apple iPad, with no home button and only a couple of options to choose from. It literally looks nothing like the Apple interface.

ghifty · Sun Jul 22, 2012 9:21 am

A little OCD, but the title should be changed to "iPad."

Quoting Ben175 (Reply 9):
Also, the actual iPad itself had a completely different program to the original Apple iPad, with no home button and only a couple of options to choose from.

Not too big of a surprise in terms of software.. but still interesting. How does the user return to the home screen (if any)? How does it get locked?

Quoting Ben175 (Reply 9):
It literally looks nothing like the Apple interface.

Does it look like the press image on the Qantas site?

Sandgroper · Sun Jul 22, 2012 10:25 am

Congrats to Qantas on this as the tired old 763 were not worth an IFE makeover and Virgin are kickin their butt with what they offer. Lets hope the cabin crew are not spending too much time with the senior computer illiterate passengers which they will no doubt find the easiest solution the are providing for IFE to be a nightmare?

TruemanQLD · Sun Jul 22, 2012 12:32 pm

Quoting Sandgroper (Reply 11):

Congrats to Qantas on this as the tired old 763 were not worth an IFE makeover and Virgin are kickin their butt with what they offer.

I recently flew VA and they had no IFE at all.. A330's might be different. But IFE-wise QF is kicking their butt.

qf002 · Sun Jul 22, 2012 1:41 pm

Quoting EK413 (Reply 3):
iPads would be handed out during boarding as an option?

This is actually not a bad suggestion for down the road once the system is proven and reliable. I imagine it would cause all sorts of issues with connecting to the wireless networks once onboard etc, but it would cut down on the size of the investment/the use of resources on board if they were able to hand them out to those who wanted them at the gate, keeping a few spares on board for passengers who forget etc.

Quoting ghifty (Reply 10):
Not too big of a surprise in terms of software.. but still interesting. How does the user return to the home screen (if any)? How does it get locked?

The cases that QF are using (at least in the trial) give fully access to all the various ports/buttons, though the home button is disabled and the dock connector won't connect to anything. Locking is as simple and clicking the lock button.

The software being used is completely remote of the Apple software, there is no interaction with the Apple designed interface or features. You can't get to the home screen, you can't swipe up to change the volume/brightness, you can't access the setting etc. It's all contained within the app.

So really, these aren't iPads in respects to the experience etc, they are just screens with WIFI and a headphone port...

Quoting ghifty (Reply 10):
Does it look like the press image on the Qantas site?

The AusBT story is the best one to look at if you're interested in the interface (linked in Reply 5).

Quoting TruemanQLD (Reply 12):
A330's might be different

Even the A330's are miserable (at least the ex-EK ones, I'm sure the new ones are great). The system felt horribly outdated and old when I used it on an EK flight 6 years ago, and a lot has changed since then.

krisyyz · Sun Jul 22, 2012 2:54 pm

Interesting, I think WS is playing around with the same concept on their newly delivered 738s as they don't have the liveTV IFE installed. WS said they are exploring the possibility of going with Ipad/tablets or installing a brand new on-demand IFE system fleet wide.

Regarding QF, so will there be place to mount these ipads on the back of the seat? Or will the passengers have to hold them in their hand or place them on the tray table? I would imagine they would have to be mounted, otherwise where would passengers put them while eating?

KrisYYZ