VA Switches to iPads

[kevrosmith]

I noticed on some recent E190 flights that VA seemed to have switched out the Samsung Galaxy tablets for iPads as on-board entertainment in Business Class. There was a *very* limited range of content on offer though.

Does anyone know when or why this happened?

Apparently the wifi IFE is installed on the Embraer aircraft, but just not turned on yet. I wish they'd turn it on.

 

[toowongman]

iPads... Hope they can generate a stronger audio signal to drive headphones a bit better/louder. Or give out better headphones.

 

[Ausbt]

It's crazy to rely to airline-distributed headphones (unless they give you over-ear noise cancellers in PE or J). Grab yourself a pair of Logitech UE noise-reducing buds, they can be found for around $20 if you look hard enough. I use the UE600's myself and they are as good as the $200 Etymotics I shelled out for years ago. Of course I realise not everyone can wear the buds, so find something comfy and ditch the rubbish they hand out.

 

[Warks]

I've used proper headphones and I can never get the volume high enough on them. I'm sure they've set the max volume to about 50% to avoid someone suing them for damaging their hearing because they didn't know full volume blasting into your ears can cause deafness!

 

[Limewood]

Have a set of Bose Comfort 15's really brilliant audio, also have a set of the AFF headphones for Mrs Lime, dam good value @ $110 if you ask me.

 

[toowongman]

It's crazy to rely to airline-distributed headphones (unless they give you over-ear noise cancellers in PE or J). Grab yourself a pair of Logitech UE noise-reducing buds, they can be found for around $20 if you look hard enough. I use the UE600's myself and they are as good as the $200 Etymotics I shelled out for years ago. Of course I realise not everyone can wear the buds, so find something comfy and ditch the rubbish they hand out.

True, but I've lost two sets this year... so for the money I put into VA they can offer better headphones.

 

[Noob]

I noticed on some recent E190 flights that VA seemed to have switched out the Samsung Galaxy tablets for iPads as on-board entertainment in Business Class. There was a *very* limited range of content on offer though.

Does anyone know when or why this happened?

Apparently the wifi IFE is installed on the Embraer aircraft, but just not turned on yet. I wish they'd turn it on.

Most likely VA is just doing their due diligence to compare crew & customer feedback to the current Samsung tablets. It's good to hear, and may be a sign that an update is due in which case they would be doing their homework.


Re. Headphones, VA appear to be offering higher quality headphones for a fee (As a trial?). Handy, if they're good, when I forget my own:

"Premium Headphones: Purchase earbud headphones on selected domestic services and experience superior sound quality. Headphone provision is subject to availability - $3"

From the current onboard menu on their website: http://www.virginaustralia.com/cs/g...tent/~edisp/menu_voyeur_domestic_20131204.pdf

 

[Jurahn]

Most likely VA is just doing their due diligence to compare crew & customer feedback to the current Samsung tablets. It's good to hear, and may be a sign that an update is due in which case they would be doing their homework.

It is indeed good to hear, as those Samsung tablets were well past the stage when they should have been replaced. The two we were given during a recent MEL-PER flight in J as the IFE wasn't working (yep, Awful or Broken yet again) were worse than useless - the sound didn't work at all on one and the other one froze so many times that we gave up trying to watch it.

 

[Frostydog007]

It's always great when changes are made and status holders are advised in advance of what is happening - Ummm hello? what advice? Anyway that's me off my high horse, but I do get fed up with changes being made without any heads up to those who support VA - anyhoot, I have always knocked back the Galaxy, used my IPAD with great sound (TDK earphones) and alot more options to choose from (wifi entertainment app) than the Galaxy has loaded on it - happy to keep and use my ipad onboard and not use the preloaded stuff they provide

 

[Bundy Bear]

I was on an E-190 last weekend, not much on the Ipad edition, although I didn't think the information on the Galaxy was much better, if you can find at least one movie then I guess it isn't too bad.

 

[Intra]

Re. Headphones, VA appear to be offering higher quality headphones for a fee (As a trial?). Handy, if they're good, when I forget my own:

"Premium Headphones: Purchase earbud headphones on selected domestic services and experience superior sound quality. Headphone provision is subject to availability - $3"

From the current onboard menu on their website: http://www.virginaustralia.com/cs/g...tent/~edisp/menu_voyeur_domestic_20131204.pdf

Wait, what? They charge those in Y $3 for those headphones.... Wow.... <_<
I got given a set for free BNE-PER last week on Awful/Broken in J with a Galaxy (Could already see the IFE system struggling to play the movie in front of me); Reminded me of the ones the used to give out (Still do?) in those round black cases in 737/E190 J.... Slightly better quality than the el-cheap-o ones they give to those in Y (Back in the day anyway), but still, not all that great, particularly when the sound is restricted on the Galaxy itself.

iPads would be a nice change - Are they using the same software as they do with the Galaxy's? It does the job, but content content content... I recognised the Galaxy I had HAD NOT had a content update in MONTHS (Which just added another downer Trans-Con)

I'll look out for them when I treat myself next time to J Particularly ex OOL

 

[maninblack]

Have had spanking new Galaxy's on 2 recent flights on 737's. Much faster and smoother and with a far better stand than the old ones but still a clunky IFE solution. Not a Samsung user so don't know what model they are.

 

[arbo]

Apparently the wifi IFE is installed on the Embraer aircraft, but just not turned on yet. I wish they'd turn it on.

I was on an Embraer a month or so ago that had wifi and I was on an Embraer MEL - SYD last week that didn't. The crew mentioned that only two planes had been activated so far. They did say it had been installed on all but not switched on yet. No idea what the delay is.