American rolls out on-demand entertainment for iPad and Android
Since last August, American has offered passengers on their trans-continental 767-200 flights, wirelessly streamed, on-demand entertainment to their laptops. American uses an onboard server to deliver the video, and travelers are able to “rent” TV programs and movies for $.99 to $3.99 (sort of like Netflix).
Here’s a video demo:
Up till now, iOS and Android devices weren’t compatible with the video format. I’m not sure when that changed, but today I noticed American has expanded their on-demand service and now support iPad and Android tablets.
Stay entertained in the air with entertainment on demand. Purchase wirelessly streamed movies and TV shows from an inflight library to your Wi-Fi-enabled laptop during flight, and now to your iPad, Galaxy Tab, Motorola Xoom or any tablet that runs iOS 4 or 5 or Android OS 3.2.
To promote it, they’re giving you free Gogo wifi when you rent a movie:
To celebrate the launch of entertainment on demand availability on tablets, we’re giving away complimentary Wi-Fi. Simply purchase a movie in flight now through June 3 and you’ll receive a complimentary Inflight Wi-Fi pass for use on your next flight.
The best news is that it won’t just be 767-200 with this technology:
Entertainment on demand is available onboard all American Airlines flights on 767-200 planes…as well as select MD80 planes and coming soon to 737-800 planes.
We are working to install entertainment on demand service across our entire Inflight Wi-Fi equipped domestic fleet by the end of the year.
If want to know if on-demand entertainment is available on your next flight, the AA Wifi Widget now displays availability.
Visit this page at AA.com for complete details.
Speaking of on-demand entertainment….
A month or two ago, I was traveling from JFK to San Francisco and took a video of the menu from the Samsung Galaxy Tab entertainment system that’s offered to First Class and Business Class passengers.
It’s hardly a documentary, but if you’re curious….
Have a great weekend!
This is awesome!!
Very cool but they need to create a seatback case for s tablet to click/ slide into or something along those lines. I don’t want to have to hold my iPad to protect it from falling over during the flight.