Last year, Meta teamed up with Lufthansa, a major German airline, to introduce Quest 3 headsets to their in-flight entertainment options. The partnership seems to have taken off successfully, and now Meta is setting its sights on expanding this XR (extended reality) entertainment experience to additional airlines.
The initiative began with Meta’s release of the much-anticipated Travel Mode for Quest 2 and newer models, aimed at mitigating the movement discrepancies VR users often encounter on various modes of transportation, including airplanes. This feature had long been a stumbling block for VR enthusiasts on the move.
In June, building on its Travel Mode advancement, Meta kicked off a pilot program with Lufthansa. Passengers in Lufthansa’s Allegris Business Class Suites were given access to Quest 3 devices on select flights. This allowed them to enjoy activities like watching movies and TV on virtual screens, experiencing 360-degree videos, engaging in guided meditation, and playing classic games like Connect Four and chess—all from the comfort of their seats.
Meta has reported that the in-flight Quest 3 experience has been highly successful, with nearly 4,000 travelers enjoying the VR entertainment so far. Buoyed by this success, Meta is eager to extend this offering to more airlines soon.
Sarah Malkin, Meta’s Director of Entertainment Content at Reality Labs, remarked, “This activation marks a pivotal moment in the development of our Travel Mode and immersive services. We’re now focused on expanding this offering to more airlines and optimizing our product suite.”
While Meta hasn’t named specific airlines they’re targeting next, it’s likely such advanced VR entertainment will be reserved for Business or First Class passengers. This aligns with other high-end perks like lay-flat seats, noise-canceling headphones, gourmet meals, and premium wines.
It’s worth noting that Meta’s initiative isn’t an entirely new concept. The idea of using XR headsets for in-flight perks began in 2015 when Qantas Airlines gave first-class passengers a taste of virtual reality with complimentary Samsung Gear VR headsets. Other airlines like Air France, Iberia, British Airways, and Singapore Airlines also experimented with VR headsets, although those programs have since been phased out.
