Air India is known for having its Inflight Entertainment System broken on its long-haul aircraft. There have been many instances of this. However, the airline has now introduced wireless inflight entertainment to overcome this issue, at least until long-haul aircraft are retrofitted.
Vista – Air India’s Streaming Inflight Entertainment
Air India has announced the launch of “Vista” (perhaps a tribute to the Vistara brand?), its wireless inflight entertainment (IFE) service. Vista is currently available on select wide-body aircraft.
Vista is powered by Bluebox’s Blueview digital services platform and delivered through the Bluebox Wow wireless network system. It allows passengers to stream a wide range of content directly on their personal electronic devices. This includes Bollywood blockbusters, Hollywood premieres, global music hits, and engaging documentaries. The service also features a live map display for real-time flight tracking.
At Air India, we are continuously striving to anticipate and meet the evolving needs of our modern travelers. Vista is designed to seamlessly integrate with personal devices, enhancing the overall travel experience.
Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Air India said.
Vistara’s streaming inflight entertainment, Vistara World, is also powered by Bluebox.
We are thrilled to partner with Air India. Together, we aim to set new standards for customer experience and uninterrupted enjoyment, reflecting Air India’s commitment to excellence and our dedication to engaging customers onboard.
Kevin Birchmore, Vice President of Global Sales, Bluebox said.
Vista is available on iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS devices and features “over 950 hours of entertainment, encompassing classic melodies, BAFTA and Oscar-nominated titles, short films, acclaimed series, and curated content for children”.
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How to access Vista?
Passengers wanting to access Vista need to follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Step 1: Enable Airplane Mode.
- Step 2: Turn on the Wi-Fi and connect to the Vista network.
- Step 3: Visit “vista.airindia.com” from your browser or scan the QR code present in the seat back pocket.
What is Bluebox?
Bluebox WOW creates a captive wireless network. For every aircraft, there needs to be two to six boxes for best coverage. It provides the capability of storing up to 1.6 TeraBytes of content. The advantage of providing streaming entertainment is that these boxes are lightweight, with the airline not needing to invest in heavier screens and the accompanying IFE boxes.
While Vista is currently available on select wide-body aircraft (excluding newly inducted ex-Delta B777s and ex-Etihad B777 and A350s), Air India will make it available on narrow-body aircraft as well. IndiGo too is trialing this same kind of technology on some of its flights. With Vistara merging into Air India in the near future, the game is on between Air India and IndiGo to offer a better passenger experience on domestic flights.
Meanwhile, Air India recently announced that it will deploy Airbus A350-900s on long-haul flights to New York and Newark.
Featured image by Air India
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