Meta Expands Quest 3 In-flight Entertainment to Additional Airlines Following Lufthansa Success

Last year, Meta teamed up with the German airline Lufthansa to introduce Quest 3 headsets on their flights. The program seems to have been a hit, and now Meta is keen to roll out this in-flight XR entertainment experience to even more airlines.

The journey started when Meta launched the much-anticipated Travel Mode for Quest 2 users and beyond. This feature was specifically designed to deal with the motion discrepancies in VR experienced by users on planes, a challenge that has puzzled VR enthusiasts on land, air, and sea for quite some time.

As part of this venture, last June Meta initiated a trial run in the Lufthansa Allegris Business Class Suite. The Quest 3 headsets were made available on select flights, allowing passengers to immerse themselves in a range of activities. This included watching movies and TV shows on virtual screens, enjoying spatial and 360-degree videos, participating in guided meditation, and engaging in games like Connect Four and chess.

Meta has reported that the program with Lufthansa has really taken off, with nearly 4,000 travelers having enjoyed the Quest 3 entertainment. The company is now looking to extend this service to more airlines.

Sarah Malkin, Meta’s Director of Entertainment Content at Reality Labs, described this initiative as a critical milestone for the development of Travel Mode and immersive services. She mentioned that the focus now is on expanding this experience to other airlines and fine-tuning their product offerings.

While Meta hasn’t disclosed exactly which airlines they’re eyeing next, it’s likely that this will remain a perk for Business and First Class passengers. These classes are known for offering perks like lie-flat seats, noise-cancelling headphones, gourmet cuisine, and premium drinks.

Using XR headsets as a special in-flight perk isn’t entirely new. Back in 2015, Qantas made waves as one of the pioneers by offering Samsung Gear VR headsets to their first-class passengers. Other airlines like Air France, Iberia, British Airways, and Singapore Airlines also experimented with VR headset trials, although none of these initiatives are still in operation today.