[News] Air New Zealand Begins Trailling Inflight WiFi
WiFi will soon be available on an international Air New Zealand flight near you. Starting with the long-haul Boeing 777-300 aircraft, further WiFi enabled aircraft will become available progressively over the next couple of months. Air New Zealand have partnered up with Panasonic Avionics as the in-cabin technology supplier, and is utilizing satellite company Inmarsat’s global GX satellite constellation to provide the aircraft its internet.
Air New Zealand says that it has been working closely with its partners to prepare for the launch of Inflight WiFi. Customers will be able to access email, social media, browse the web and even go shopping while in mid-air. Air NZ will be gathering customer feedback over the next few weeks to ensure the service will be of a high standard and meet customer satisfaction, before it starts to roll out to the rest of its international aircraft fleet.
The Inflight WiFi installation will hopefully be completed by June 2018 on its Boeing 777-300 aircraft, with its Boeing 777-200 WiFi rollout beginning April next year.
Air New Zealand Chief Digital Officer Avi Golan hopes to gather feedback from customers during this trial in order to better understand how to price for its WiFi, as well as testing out the technical aspects of the system and how well it can perform.
“The trial will not only test the technical aspects of the service, it will also gather feedback on pricing options. Going forward, customers will be able to choose to sign up for different timeframes and have the ability to pay in a variety of ways, including with Airpoints Dollars, as we look to offer a best in class connected inflight experience.
“Looking ahead, we’re keen to actively explore new content opportunities and will also make Air New Zealand’s friendly chatbot, Oscar, available to help assist passengers to resolve any travel related questions during their journey,” says Mr Golan.
Pricing for the Inflight WiFi has not yet been confirmed.
