KEY POINTS:
It's always been one of the perils of flying - the guy in the next seat who wants to talk your ears off.
But from now on you don't have to dread being seated next to that lonely life insurance salesman from Wellington on his way to a conference in Sydney.
You can block him out right from the word go.
Customers flying on Air New Zealand 777 and 747 aircraft can now enjoy their personal seat-back entertainment system from the moment they sit down till the moment the aircraft lands.
Previously the system could only be turned on once the aircraft was airborne and was turned off again early in descent to prepare the cabin for landing.
Air New Zealand Group General Manager International Airline Ed Sims says the enhancement provides on average an extra hour of viewing time per flight to enjoy more than 250 movies and TV programmes and extensive CD library.
"Customers can spend a significant amount of time in their seat prior to departure, especially with the time it takes to board a wide-body aircraft seating more than 300 people. There's also up to half an hour prior to touch-down without access to the entertainment system.
"On short-haul flights across the Tasman or to the Pacific Islands where we sometimes use these aircraft, the impact of additional access time to enjoy the entertainment options is especially noticeable."
"We have had the process in place for just a few days and the initial feedback from customers has been amazing."
Departure and arrival procedures have been reworked to accommodate safety briefings and in-flight announcements which pause the entertainment system, as well as other pertinent operational requirements including the few seats with in-arm video screens being stowed during takeoff for safety reasons.
From August, Air New Zealand's short haul fleet of Boeing 767 and A320 aircraft will be progressively fitted with new on-demand touch-screen entertainment providing the same boarding to landing entertainment facilities.
As a result, by December all of Air New Zealand's international short haul and long haul aircraft will have personal seat-back entertainment.
So you no longer have to resort to a desperate search to find something readable in the in-flight magazine, in those moments after you first take your seat.
Or find out Everything you Never Wanted to Know about Life Insurance.
- NZHERALD STAFF
