Experienced travelers are looking for more than just cheap fares, be they cheap airplane tickets or cheap vacation packages from airlines these days. Many passengers want to be entertained while in the air.
The following are the airlines offering the top economy class in flight entertainment:
Virgin America is generally viewed as offering the best entertainment system with easy to navigate touch screens and a seat to seat chat system that empowers passengers to message friends and family seated elsewhere on the plane.
Movies, satellite TV, cable TV, music videos, radio, games, Google Maps and books can be accessed using its system, with passengers even having the ability to run a tab for airplane food and drink. Everything except select first run movies is included in the cost of the airline ticket. In 2012 Virgin will enable passengers to view their entertainment offerings over travelers personal devices as well.
JetBlue offers free in flight seat back TVs with 36 channels of DIRECTV, 100 channels of SiriusXM radio and first run movies for $6 per movie on domestic flights and free on most international flights. JetBlue is currently working on adding Wi-Fi capabilities to all of its planes.
Singapore Airlines offers a KrisWorld entertainment system that includes all the expected movies, audio, TV programs, games, and radio programs, and offers a USB port so that passengers can use the system as a personal media player, photo viewer or PDF reader.
Air Canadas in flight seat back entertainment system is free on all flights and comes with 100 CDs of music audio, satellite radio, flight path information, over 30 movies on domestic flights and over 72 movies on international flights, and 100 hours of TV programs including HBO.
Emirates Airlines offers over 100 movies, dozens of games, 100 hours of music and current flight information. www.cheapfares.com