Last year, Meta made headlines by announcing a collaboration with Germany’s Lufthansa to introduce Quest 3 headsets to passengers. After seeing how well the program fared, Meta now aims to broaden its in-flight XR entertainment options to more airlines worldwide.
The introduction of Travel Mode last year was groundbreaking, especially for those with Quest 2 and newer models. It cleverly addressed the age-old issue VR users faced with motion variability between themselves and moving vehicles, be it on land, in the air, or at sea.
Building on the success of Travel Mode, Meta rolled out a trial last June. This initiative made Quest 3 headsets available to travelers in Lufthansa’s Allegris Business Class Suite on selected flights. With these headsets, passengers could enjoy movies and TV shows on virtual screens, immersive spatial videos, select 360-degree videos, indulge in guided meditation, or play interactive games like Connect Four and chess.
Reports indicate that the Lufthansa initiative was a resounding success, reaching almost 4,000 travelers with Quest 3 entertainment. This has inspired Meta to extend this experience to more airlines soon.
Sarah Malkin, Meta’s Director of Entertainment Content at Reality Labs, remarked, “This project is pivotal in advancing our Travel Mode and immersive services. We’re eager to expand this to more airlines and refine our suite of products.”
While the company has yet to disclose which airlines it’s targeting next, it seems likely that the feature will remain an exclusive perk for Business and First Class flyers. These premium cabins typically offer amenities like lay-flat beds, noise-canceling headphones, gourmet dining, and more.
Airlines have flirted with XR headsets as unique offerings before. Back in 2015, Australia’s Qantas was among the pioneers, offering Samsung Gear VR headsets to first class passengers. Other airlines, including Air France, Iberia, British Airways, and Singapore Airlines, have also tested VR programs in the past, though these have since been discontinued.
