SIA offers personalised IFE with new app

Singapore Airlines has launched a new mobile app that allows passengers to personalise their in-flight entertainment (IFE) experience, before and during their flight.  

The new app, which was developed by MTT, enables customers to review the IFE content that will be available on their flight, create pre-selected favourites lists, and control the seat-back IFE system from their smartphone.

Passengers need to install the app on their device prior to departure, and can select their desired play-lists. Once onboard, they can link their device to the IFE system using the aircraft’s in-flight Wi-Fi network, and SIA’s KrisWorld IFE content will be launched on the seatback monitor according to the pre-selected list of favourites. The passenger’s smartphone can also be used as a remote control, to pause, play, or skip through content.

And with the content index being displayed on the smartphone screen, passengers will be able to search for IFE content and access flight information on their device, without the need to pause the movie they’re watching on the seat-back monitor.

SIA will be the first airline in the world to offer this service on a Panasonic IFE system. The service will initially be available for flights on the airline’s new Airbus A350 aircraft, with plans to roll it out to Boeing 777-300ERs and other aircraft in future.

“With the proliferation of personal mobile devices and the arrival of our new Airbus A350 fleet, this latest innovation will help enhance the in-flight entertainment experience for our customers,” said SIA’s senior vice president of product & services, Tan Pee Teck. “It offers more information and greater control both on the ground and in-flight, and we are excited to be the first airline in the world to offer such an application to our customers.”

The app is now available on iOS and Android tablets, with a mobile phone launch scheduled for second quarter of 2016.