One of the great/horrible things about this job is that I do a lot of traveling. Over the last year, I’ve been to Las Vegas, Austin, Orlando, Barcelona, Helsinki, New York, Bellevue and countless others and while it’s fun to explore new locations, actually getting there can be a pain in the rear end.
You know the usual gripes by now: the seats are cramped, getting through security can be a hassle but what really bothers me is the lack of good entertainment options. Even on something like Virgin America with built-in TVs in every seat, I get spoiled by the plethora of tablets that are at my disposal – the larger screen, more intuitive multitouch interface and advanced computing capabilities make a tablet a perfect accessory for planes.
Luckily, Samsung is on the same page with its Galaxy Tab 10.1. Beginning Nov. 15, first-class and business-class passengers will have the option get a tablet and these will be loaded up with video content like movies and TV shows. You’ll get free WiFi and full access to the browser and all the other things you’d expect.
American Airlines told me that this was actually quite a bit cheaper than the previous entertainment options, which delivered multimedia content from a central server to an in-chair device. If something broke, it would require a lot of specialized merchandise but if the $500 or so Galaxy Tab breaks, the airline can quickly replace it.
I’m still not sure how these are going to be loaded up in a timely fashion but I’m a big fan of using tablets on a plane. Those in first class will also have a neat dock to plug the tablet in to (not a dock but an external power option) but the airline said if you bring in your own Galaxy Tab 10.1, you won’t be able to access the same content from that device but you can still access the WiFi and, of course, play whatever content you loaded on it.
This program will roll out Nov. 15 on flights going between Los Angeles and New York and eventually expand out. What do you think of this idea?