UK. Monarch Airlines is partnering with Media inMotion, a UK-based provider of modular, wireless inflight entertainment (IFE) solutions, to develop an Apple Watch app that will allow passengers to order food, drinks and duty free products from their seats during a flight.
When deployed in the coming months, the MPlayer Apple Watch app will work seamlessly with Monarch’s existing Mplayer IFE app, which enables passengers to stream movies, TV shows, magazines and destination information. The Watch App displays on a second screen and therefore will not interrupt the inflight entertainment passengers may already be streaming to their personal electronic devices from Monarch’s wireless onboard entertainment system, also provided by Media inMotion.
Media inMotion CEO Martin Cunnison said: “We are constantly looking for new ways to excite passengers and simplify their journeys. Our new Watch App builds on the growing trend of people “˜multi-screening’, so Monarch passengers will be able to watch their movie and at the same time order their drinks and snacks from their Apple Watch without interruption.”
Monarch Airlines Head of Digital and Online Ian Chambers said: “This development to the MPlayer App is just another example of how Monarch are looking to lead the field in superior customer service and simplifying processes for customers and our cabin crew colleagues. At Monarch we’ve been providing customers with allocated seating and inflight dining for over 30 years, and our continued development work with Media inMotion in 2015 is demonstrating what inflight retail could look like in the near future.”
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Monarch passengers will now be able to watch their movie and at the same time order their drinks and snacks from their Apple Watch without interruption, says Media inMotion |
To order food and drinks, passengers can set up their seat number on their MPlayer Phone App and once the first inflight service is completed, Apple Watch App users can order from the Food & Drink range for the remainder of the flight. Conveniently, users can recall their previous orders and re-order with one touch.
Although still in development, in practice flight crew will be notified of the passenger’s Watch App request via their connected terminal. The order can then be prepared for prompt at-seat delivery and payment.
The Apple Watch App shows flight time and distance remaining, altitude and ground speed, as well as the latest weather information for the arrival airport.
Further add-on functionalities in development include push notifications alerting passengers to special offers or “˜flash sales’; smart wallet compatibility allowing passengers to use Apple pay or other smart wallet technology to complete payment; seat chat enabling passengers to connect with fellow travellers during the flight; home delivery; and device handoff, which lets users start an order on one device and continue on the other.
To suggest new features for the Apple Watch App, e-mail the Media inMotion team at monarch@mediainmotion.aero.
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The Monarch MPlayer Apple Watch App v1.0 enables passengers to order food and drinks, as well as displays flight time, distance remaining and the weather at their destinations | |
