This airline provides the movies, you provide the iPad

Filling your suitcase isn't the only packing you have to do before going on holiday: you also have to load your tablet, phone or laptop with movies and TV shows to keep you entertained while you're away. But when you fly with British airline Monarch, all you have to do is provide the tablet and they provide the movies.

Monarch has today released MPlayer, an app that gives you access to a selection of movies and TV shows while you're in flight. And instead of watching on the small, fuzzy screen in the back of the seat, you can enjoy your chosen entertainment on your glorious 10-inch iPad or other tablet.

Available for iOS from the Apple App Store, Google Play, and the Amazon Appstore, the app contains both paid and free content. Ideally, you'll download the app before you fly; then, upon boarding you can connect to the plane's onboard Wi-Fi network to start watching. The Wi-Fi comes from a single server under the flight deck linked to wireless access points throughout the plane, furnished by Milton Keynes company Aerofi.

Once connected, the MPlayer media bundle costs just £4 (around $6.70 or AU$7) per person per flight, and gives you access to five blockbuster Hollywood movies, and 50 episodes of BBC television programmes. There's also more than 50 albums in there if you fancy a mid-air musical interlude.

The free stuff includes digital versions of the airline's in-flight magazine and a duty-free magazine, as well as bar and restaurant reviews of your destination provided by BarChick and TripAdvisor.

Monarch installed new seats in May with a handy tablet-sized slot replacing the in-flight entertainment. The seats don't recline, safeguarding the knees of the person behind you. The airline also claims the new lighter design of seat saves fuel on each flight.

Of course, a cynic might suggest that all this is a clever way to disguise the fact that the airline has removed its in-flight entertainment system, leaving those of us without tablets bereft of entertainment. An even more cynical person might go further and point out that the airline has figured out a way to charge you to watch your own tablet. Luckily we're not that cynical.

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Thomson Airways crew given iPads to take customer service 'to next level'

Cabin crew on Thomson Airways are being provided with iPads in a trial this summer to help improve customer service. The mobile devices will give crew flying from Luton airport access to information about the destination passengers are flying to and make recommendations about excursions, restaurants and places to shop. The iPads will also enable Tui UK & Ireland to connect its cabin crew with overseas holiday advisors, passing on relevant information about the customers soon to arrive in resort.

If a family mentions a concern over a food allergy, the crew member can log this on their iPad, which will transmit to the resort advisor as soon as the aircraft lands and the device connects to data or Wi-Fi. The holiday advisor can then speak to the holidaymaker as soon as they arrive in resort, already armed with recommendations on where to eat. Thomson Airways plans to expand the use of iPads across all UK airport bases next year.

The airline's customer service director, Carl Gissing, said: “This programme will really help us take our customer service to the next level as cabin crew will be able to make recommendations to customers about what to see and do in resort, and even suggest a quiet spot to enjoy a sunset.

"It will also allow us to recognise loyal and returning customers, which we know they will appreciate. This programme is just one of many ways in which we as a business are focusing on innovation and we can’t wait for all our customers travelling from Luton this summer to experience the benefits it offers.”

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British Airways unveils new flight simulator

British Airways has powered up its newest flight simulator, taking the number used by the airline to train its pilots to 18 – the highest ever. 

The new addition, a full-motion Airbus A320 simulator, features the latest in flight training technology, allowing pilot instructors to link their iPads to the simulator to control each training session.

British Airways’ head of flight technical and training, Captain David Thomas, said: “We’re proud to continue to provide our pilots with cutting-edge technology to train on.

“We have a long history of training our own pilots using flight simulators, which has seen huge technological advances over the decades.

“With additions like this new A320 simulator, we can continue to set the highest standards in flight safety and training that our customers expect from British Airways.”

The simulator will be used to train some of British Airways’ 3,600 pilots who fly any of the A320 family of aircraft – serving domestic and European destinations on the airline’s network. The investment in the new simulator reflects increased demand following the airline’s introduction of new A320s, A380s, 787s and 777-300s.

British Airways’ pilot numbers have also been increasing following the success of the airline’s pilot cadet scheme, now in its third year. The programme sees newly trained pilots start their British Airways flying career on its A320 fleet. The new A320 simulator is part of the company’s £5bn investment in new products and technology to provide the best possible flying experience for British Airways’ customers.

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