Virgin Australia Plans to Offer Media Streaming and Online Access
Bent on chipping away at Qantas' dominance in Australian business travel, Virgin Australia said Tuesday it will provide media streaming as well as wireless Internet access.
Company spokeswoman Emma Copeman told the Australian Business Traveller, "We understand the importance of (inflight Internet) for our guests and we are working hard to ensure we provide a quality product."
"We are currently evaluating a number of inflight entertainment options ... and we're investigating Wi-Fi for both inflight Internet access and media streaming," Virgin Australia told the publication.
Once the premium inflight services have begun, the airline said business travellers will be able to enjoy airline-supplied content such as movies, TV shows and music, all of which can be accessed wirelessly on passengers' notebooks, smartphones and tablets.
The services will be offered first on domestic routes and gradually introduced on international flights in Virgin's efforts to raise the bar of entertainment services in the airline industry.
"We have recently brought in new Boeing 737 aircraft with satellite communication capability which will provide us with aircraft connectivity options down the track," Copeman said.
Virgin Australia's aims to capture at least 20 percent of business travel market from Qantas, which also offers at least four hours of online access while travelling.
The most-targeted travellers are those taking cross-country routes from Sydney and Melbourne to Perth. Copeman said the launch date and cost are yet to be determined.
Not to be left behind, Qantas recently has undertaken a comprehensive review of its existing fleet but has yet to provide details on its counter-plan.
It has, however, surveyed passengers on the demand for similar services.