Airlines upgrade entertainment in economy cabin
Still No Legroom, But Better In-Flight Flicks
For instance, Lufthansa has added more Bollywood movies and other Indian content because it's "the largest carrier to India from the U.S.," spokeswoman Jennifer Urbaniak says.
•Audio. Similar to video, audio options have grown rapidly in recent years. Singapore and Korean Air each have hundreds of music CDs, accompanied by a create-your-own playlist.
With passengers increasingly preferring to bring their own music, Air Canada has installed a USB port that can be used to connect an iPod. Delta is working on a similar initiative.
•Other features. Video games are increasingly in demand as more people have PlayStation and Xbox game consoles at home. What started as an amenity with a few '80s-style arcade games, in-flight gaming in top-end systems includes more graphically rich, interactive games, such as The Sims and Super Mario Bros.. Using external cameras, several carriers, such as Etihad and Cathay Pacific, broadcast a bird's-eye view of the journey en route. Qatar Airways, Emirates and Singapore feature seat-to-seat text messaging for passengers to chat with each other.
•Future developments. Much of the industry's focus is now on in-flight Internet connections and e-mail. Several large carriers, such as Lufthansa, Qantas and American, have already specified their plans to introduce in-flight Internet this year. JetBlue and Air France are testing in-flight e-mail on a limited basis.
