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Alaska Airlines Trials Virtual Reality On Some Flights (pcmag.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the new-perks dept.

Alaska Airlines is trailing virtual reality onboard 10 flights between Boston and Seattle and Boston and San Diego. The headsets are provided by French in-flight entertainment company SkyLights and will only be offered to first-class passengers. PCMag.com reports: The trial kicked off on Sunday, Sept. 23 and runs through Thursday, Sept. 27. Forget trying to pay attention to that small seatback monitor as jet engines and crying babies blare in the background. "Wearing the headset is comparable to having a personal movie screen in front of you," the airline said. "When paired with noise-cancelling headphones, it's easy to feel like you're at the movie theater instead of flying." Passengers participating in the trial can choose from a selection of 2D and 3D movies. [...] There's also several "360-degree immersive experiences that let guests explore different worlds by just slowly moving their head around," Alaska Airlines said.

94 comments

  1. First class passengers... by Tomahawk · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Forget trying to pay attention to that small seatback monitor as jet engines and crying babies blare in the background."
    First class passengers don't get to partake in those particular experiences.

    Hmmm -- maybe that could be one of the simulations: VR Economy Class.

    1. Re:First class passengers... by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2

      Hmmm -- maybe that could be one of the simulations: VR Economy Class.

      To complete the effect, they could also install "SensorRound" and "Feel Around" . . . the seats could compressed and squeeze you, and blubber from the virtual fat person next to you could spill over the arm rest!

      It would serve to remind First Class passengers why they are paying for First Class.

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    2. Re:First class passengers... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      I've noticed that economy class seats have got a lot better in the last few years. Used to be that sleeping was next to impossible, there was just no support for your head and lower back. They are still not great but a hell of a lot better than they used to be.

      For noise foam earplugs can't be beaten for comfort. The only down side is that there is nowhere to store them when you need to take them out temporarily. The pointless magazine/safety leaflet pouch could be a lot more useful.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    3. Re:First class passengers... by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      For the authentic experience of economy, we provide the complementary fat ass who didn't shower since Dubja was in office sitting next to you for FREE. For your inconvenience.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    4. Re:First class passengers... by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      I'm seriously considering traveling as freight next time. I'd have way more room and pay less.

      I mean, if I get stacked like a sardine in a can with no room for my legs or my arms, I can as well call a spade a spade.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    5. Re:First class passengers... by DarkOx · · Score: 1

      I agree the there have been some ergonomic improvements in terms of lumbar support; better padding etc. They have also gotten a lot narrower and reduced the leg room considerably. I think paying to make slightly better quality seats was a minimal concession for creating a situation where an averaged sized man 5'8" 120lbs can't do anything other than sit bolt up right without invading his neighbors space.

      --
      Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
    6. Re:First class passengers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I can as well call a spade a spade.

      Can we watch while you do that?

    7. Re:First class passengers... by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      I've noticed that economy class seats have got a lot better in the last few years. Used to be that sleeping was next to impossible, there was just no support for your head and lower back. They are still not great but a hell of a lot better than they used to be.

      For noise foam earplugs can't be beaten for comfort. The only down side is that there is nowhere to store them when you need to take them out temporarily. The pointless magazine/safety leaflet pouch could be a lot more useful.

      How often do you travel? Could it just be you got lucky recently?

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    8. Re:First class passengers... by Nidi62 · · Score: 4, Informative

      I'm seriously considering traveling as freight next time. I'd have way more room and pay less.

      Some of those cans they use for cargo are actually roomier and more comfortable than you would think. If you go as bulk freight just make sure you are put in the pressurized bin and those are prime napping spots. The floor panel right by the door in the front bin of a 737 is even heated, very nice to have once you reach altitude. You learn some good tricks when you work on a ramp.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    9. Re:First class passengers... by Nidi62 · · Score: 4, Funny

      I can as well call a spade a spade.

      Can we watch while you do that?

      I called a spade a spade once. It hit me in the face and told me it identified as a trowel.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    10. Re:First class passengers... by ytene · · Score: 3, Informative

      A couple of weeks ago I read an article about an airline that was considering replacing some of the cargo space on passenger flights with actual bunk beds. The idea was that there would be a spiral staircase down from the seating deck to a bay with a small number of full-sized beds for people who wanted to use them. The frame containing these "bedrooms" would itself be modular, such that the airline could remove them and replace them with regular freight containers when they needed to do so.

      The article I saw didn't go in to details of the way that pressurisation would be handled - I may be wrong but I always thought that cargo spaces, even on commercial airlines, were not pressurised.

      But there are definitely plans out there to be able to send you as air freight!!!

    11. Re:First class passengers... by Nidi62 · · Score: 4, Informative

      A couple of weeks ago I read an article about an airline that was considering replacing some of the cargo space on passenger flights with actual bunk beds. The idea was that there would be a spiral staircase down from the seating deck to a bay with a small number of full-sized beds for people who wanted to use them. The frame containing these "bedrooms" would itself be modular, such that the airline could remove them and replace them with regular freight containers when they needed to do so. The article I saw didn't go in to details of the way that pressurisation would be handled - I may be wrong but I always thought that cargo spaces, even on commercial airlines, were not pressurised. But there are definitely plans out there to be able to send you as air freight!!!

      Some cargo bins are pressurized, some aren't. Also, while most widebody aircraft have crew rest areas above the cabin, some have been retrofitted to have crew rest modules below the cabin in the cargo area. I could see some airlines putting bunks down there for passengers, but the ability to access those bunks would definitely be a significant additional charge as airlines get some good revenue from freight and it would cut into that.

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    12. Re:First class passengers... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Maybe it's only the long distance routes I travel, but there seems to be some competition driving the improvements. Most offer you a decent amount of leg room now, bigger screens and the like.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    13. Re:First class passengers... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      A few times a year. Lucky perhaps, I tend to book the cheapest that isn't at a ridiculous time.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    14. Re:First class passengers... by mjwx · · Score: 2

      I've noticed that economy class seats have got a lot better in the last few years. Used to be that sleeping was next to impossible, there was just no support for your head and lower back. They are still not great but a hell of a lot better than they used to be.

      For noise foam earplugs can't be beaten for comfort. The only down side is that there is nowhere to store them when you need to take them out temporarily. The pointless magazine/safety leaflet pouch could be a lot more useful.

      Not sure who you've been flying (seriously, I'm interested) but economy seats have gotten worse for me. Singapore Airlines still holds the gold standard for me with 19" wide seats, almost no other airline comes close. However with the ever growing desire to shove more and more people into shrinking cabins, comfort hasn't been one of the things I've seen increase. The 787 Squeezeliner is by far the worst. Not only are they shoving as many seats as 777 into less space, they've also gotten rid of the window recess and window blinds. As a gentleman with 19" shoulders (blade to blade, not including the fleshy bits) I rely on the window recess to sit remotely comfortably.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    15. Re: First class passengers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All air cargo is pressurized. It isn't all heated, but almost the entire fuselage of the aircraft is pressurized for strength.

    16. Re: First class passengers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would the cabins be shrinking? Aircraft don't shrink and they last a long time. New models tend ti be longer.

    17. Re:First class passengers... by AlwinBarni · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I'm seriously considering traveling as freight next time. I'd have way more room and pay less.

      I mean, if I get stacked like a sardine in a can with no room for my legs or my arms, I can as well call a spade a spade.

      You know things can get even worse, you might be told that the seat you paid for was assigned to a higher priority customer, and better don't argue about your rights, they will not bother knocking teeth out to prove you're wrong, and the CEO will say "what's the fuss about, we asked politely 3 times first".

    18. Re: First class passengers... by mjwx · · Score: 3, Informative

      Why would the cabins be shrinking? Aircraft don't shrink and they last a long time. New models tend ti be longer.

      Intergenerationally,

      Cabin width of a 777 - 587 cm
      Cabin width of a 787 - 549 cm

      That's almost an 8% drop in cabin space... but airlines are still shoving in seats 9 abreast (Boeing has even advertised a 10 abrest version of the Squeezeliner). Something has to be smaller, and give the aisles have to be so many CM wide by law, it's the seats.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    19. Re:First class passengers... by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Never happened to me yet. I'm pretty sure you'll read about it if it does.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    20. Re: First class passengers... by Type44Q · · Score: 1

      I may be wrong but I always thought that cargo spaces, even on commercial airlines, were not pressurised.

      Perhaps that would be why you always see fligh tattendants in the movies put on pressurized gear before entering the airlock that leads downstairs (it also might be why all those dogs and cats down below in their pet crates never seem to make it to the destination alive...). ;)

    21. Re:First class passengers... by Ksevio · · Score: 3, Informative

      Some A346s have lavatories in the cargo level with a staircase running down to it. Wouldn't be a huge extra effort to put some sleeping pods there the same way.

    22. Re:First class passengers... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      The best I have found are ANA and JAL. Not tried Singapore. I flew with Asiana, they were okay. Nothing beats the Japanese airlines for pretty much anything, except perhaps the selection of English language stuff on the entertainment system.

      Second tier are European carriers. Virgin used to be crap, but stopped doing my routes. BA are okay but the food is really bad, and they are prone to cock-ups. Wet blankets (not properly dried after laundering I guess), delays, that sort of thing.

      Finnair are okay. Cheap, food is edible at least, and Helsinki Airport is one of the better ones. Their seats are actually quite reasonable. Only issue I had was one time when flying to China the aircraft had some woman who wouldn't stop singing religious hymns, and her husband smelt really bad with BO, and the staff said they had tried before and couldn't do much about any of it. Hmm. I got the impression it was a regular problem on that route.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    23. Re: First class passengers... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      All the Dreamliners that I have been on are 8 seats abreast. I guess it depends on the airline.

      Let me see... Dreamliners I've been on have been JAL, ANA and BA I think. I think Finnair flew something else.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    24. Re:First class passengers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On what aircraft are cargo bins not pressurized? Unless you're storing them in the wings somehow, or trailing behind the aircraft on a rope, they must be in a pressurized cargo hold! All the cargo holds on modern airliners are within the fuselage under the cabin floor (or above it for Combis or freight aircraft). The WHOLE fuselage is pressurized, above and below the cabin floor, or you get a catastrophic accident when the cabin floor collapses and the controls are destroyed.

      So it's not pressurization you need to worry about: It's temperature. That cargo compartment gets COLD if the pilot doesn't turn on the "dead dog switch" to keep the cargo hold warm when pets are in cages in the cargo hold. That's why they CALL it the "dead dog switch".

    25. Re:First class passengers... by jrumney · · Score: 1

      I'm seriously considering piling my seat up with all the bags that other passengers inconsiderately leave on the top bunk, and claiming my economy class flatbed next time I fly longhaul.

    26. Re: First class passengers... by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      787 is a 767 replacement, not a 777 replacement -- 767s are 472 cm inside width.

    27. Re:First class passengers... by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      The best I have found are ANA and JAL. Not tried Singapore. I flew with Asiana, they were okay. Nothing beats the Japanese airlines for pretty much anything, except perhaps the selection of English language stuff on the entertainment system.

      Second tier are European carriers. Virgin used to be crap, but stopped doing my routes. BA are okay but the food is really bad, and they are prone to cock-ups. Wet blankets (not properly dried after laundering I guess), delays, that sort of thing.

      Finnair are okay. Cheap, food is edible at least, and Helsinki Airport is one of the better ones. Their seats are actually quite reasonable. Only issue I had was one time when flying to China the aircraft had some woman who wouldn't stop singing religious hymns, and her husband smelt really bad with BO, and the staff said they had tried before and couldn't do much about any of it. Hmm. I got the impression it was a regular problem on that route.

      Generally speaking, Singapore Airlines routinely gets voted the best airline around. It's also why they're one of the most expensive. Cathay Pacific used to be #1, but they usually end up as #2, and are just as great, but a lot cheaper. I think the Japanese airlines bring up the next round. But in general, Asian airlines are the top.

      The worst airlines are universally North American - even the top North American airline (Air Canada, typically) is considered to be quite terrible by Canadians (who would go for a European or Asian airline instead). Of course, then you find out the flight is a code share and get stuck with Air Canada ...

  2. Some cost saving? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why not provide a VR lounge in the airport that simulates you visiting Alaska without leaving the building? Not sure how they are going to recreate the experience of airline gastronomy though...

    Captcha tedious

    1. Re:Some cost saving? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      It would take personnel, at least 'til they have perfected robots that can flood your lap with coffee at random intervals and drip some sauce that contrasts perfectly with your shirt on you from above while pretending to hand the food to the guy next to you.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  3. If you didn’t get motion sickness you will n by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I myself rarely get motion sickness but the thought of having a VR unit while the plain is bumping, changing altitudes, speeding up or slowing down just makes me sick thinking of it.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  4. Windowless planes next by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And if the VR-sets are well accepted, it will be rolled out to the unwashed masses in Economy quickly.

    This prepares the way for a future generation of planes without windows for passengers. That would simplify the design and production of the planes.

    1. Re:Windowless planes next by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Yeah, that's great. Instead of just getting the guy's ellbows into my gut every time he moves, I now get whacked by his VR headset in the temple when he turns his head.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    2. Re:Windowless planes next by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep: as a claustrophobe who gets nauseated/motion-sick when using VR stuff, whoever came up with this idea needs their teeth punched down their throat.

    3. Re:Windowless planes next by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

      This prepares the way for a future generation of planes without windows for passengers.

      Ugh....no windows would make me a bit claustrophobic!!!

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    4. Re:Windowless planes next by GuB-42 · · Score: 1

      You can already get an Oculus Go for much less than the premium of going first-class. And you get to keep the headset.

      As for windowless planes, I'm sure that a lot of people are thinking about it right now. Windows create weak points, add mass and complexity. Planes would fly better without windows. Simulating windows with displays, VR or whatever is tempting. Furthermore, flying (as a passenger in an airliner) is not awesome anymore so it may be easier to have passengers let go of their windows. There may be security issues but I'm sure they can be dealt with.
      I suppose we'll still have some windows, on the emergency exits for instance. There already is a hole for the door, so I suppose it is less of a problem.

    5. Re:Windowless planes next by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 2

      Flying and looking down are pretty awesome (assuming flight over land) if you're not a jaded little prick. I always get the window seat even if I have to pay a bit more.

  5. Free barf bag included? by sjbe · · Score: 1

    "Wearing the headset is comparable to having a personal movie screen in front of you," the airline said. "When paired with noise-cancelling headphones, it's easy to feel like you're at the movie theater instead of flying."

    While I'm sure some people would deal with it fine, this sounds like an amazingly efficient way to induce motion sickness in a sizeable percent of people using it.

  6. Just go 5th Element, knock us out by turp182 · · Score: 1

    Seriously, knock us out while flying. I want to board and then get off.

    Solves the terrorism issues during flight.

    That said, they should only offer roller coaster VR experiences. Over and over.

    --
    BlameBillCosby.com
    1. Re:Just go 5th Element, knock us out by omnichad · · Score: 1

      Great and as the oxygen masks drop down with the altitude warning blaring, you can blissfully nap away.

    2. Re:Just go 5th Element, knock us out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      99.9% of the time, if you need the oxygen bags, you're dead anyway.

    3. Re:Just go 5th Element, knock us out by turp182 · · Score: 1

      Works for me. I've experienced a cabin depressurization.
        It wasn't a serious one, it was a shattered outer layer of the windshield. Masks didn't drop but ears suffered badly until the emergency landing. So many fire trucks, police cars, and military vehicles lined up and then following us (civilian/military airport, Albuquerque).

      Odds of survival are very low if the masks drop. Let me sleep...

      --
      BlameBillCosby.com
    4. Re: Just go 5th Element, knock us out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Masks only drop for cabin depressurization. These events are almost always completely survivable.

    5. Re:Just go 5th Element, knock us out by QuadEddie · · Score: 1

      Sure, and the anesthesiologist will cost more per hour than the pilot making the costs go way up

  7. Comfort by sjbe · · Score: 1

    I've noticed that economy class seats have got a lot better in the last few years.

    Maybe on certain planes for your specific anatomy. I haven't noticed any widespread improvement though I have noticed decreasing leg room.

    Used to be that sleeping was next to impossible, there was just no support for your head and lower back.

    I've always been puzzled by "lumbar support" because I find such features in chairs to be terribly uncomfortable at least for my particular anatomy. They usually are just a big lump pushing my lower back forward which makes my lower back simultaneously painful and numb. I feel like they are trying to put me in a twerking position at full twerk which doesn't seem ideal.

    For noise foam earplugs can't be beaten for comfort. The only down side is that there is nowhere to store them when you need to take them out temporarily.

    For modest duration flights of a few hours I would tend to agree. Longer than 3-5 hours though and I start to find them somewhat irritating just like any other thing you stick in your ear canal. (I never understood how people can keep ear buds in their ears for endless hours either - I have to use over ear headphones for long duration listening and even those become a bother after a while even with good ones) They do sell foam earplugs with strings attached so you can take them out without losing them. I've used them and they work fairly well.

    1. Re:Comfort by dcw3 · · Score: 1

      My gel type earphones (Bose noise cancelling) fit snuggly and you can hardly feel them once in place. They also reduce the noise level to a point that I can actually snooze in economy as long as I'm not being bumped by some clown or rugrat.

      --
      Just another day in Paradise
    2. Re:Comfort by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      I'm mostly doing long haul in the 9-12 hour range. I've tried noise cancelling and on-ear headphones. On-ear is good for actually listening to stuff but not for sleeping, which is where you need the earbuds. They are so cheap I tend to buy a few pairs and just discard them when used once.

      Food is the other thing that varies a lot. The best I've ever had was on ANA, followed by JAL. I flew with a couple of Korean airlines recently and they weren't at all bad actually. For some reason the European airlines are pretty much universally terrible. Maybe it's European food just not suiting high altitude dining, I don't know.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    3. Re:Comfort by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      I've always been puzzled by "lumbar support" because I find such features in chairs to be terribly uncomfortable at least for my particular anatomy.

      The problem with most lumbar support is that it doesn't move up and down, which means it's only suitable for those people within a narrow range. What is that range? It has to do with both your spine and your ass.

      My Audi A8's stock Recaros have a lumbar support that moves up and down and which inflates to get bigger, so that's actually useful. And we recently bought a bus with seats with dual lumbar support, which also works well. The bus has air suspension and air brakes, and also an air seat. Most air-inflated lumbar supports take so long to blow up that you wonder if they're actually working, but not this one. It blows up so fast that you have to just barely touch the button for adjustments or you'll get too much. My Aeron chair also has adjustable lumbar support, but you can only get a little bit or a lot by flipping it around, and you can get it kind of low or way too low because they didn't run the lumbar support rails up far enough. And yes, I have the large one. Actually, it works okay for me at the very top, but at that position it will creep up and jump off the rails so every day or two I have to reach behind me and make sure that won't happen.

      Most seating is lame for most people.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  8. Urp.... Siiiiickkk by sjbe · · Score: 1

    That said, they should only offer roller coaster VR experiences. Over and over.

    I think the combination of screaming and barfing might be a little disruptive...

    1. Re:Urp.... Siiiiickkk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think watching people look to the stewardesses for tech support and usage instructions will be nauseating enough in its own right.

  9. Re:If you didn’t get motion sickness you wil by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I myself rarely get motion sickness but the thought of having a VR unit while the plain is bumping, changing altitudes, speeding up or slowing down just makes me sick thinking of it.

    This was my immediate thought and came here to make a similar comment. Some people get travel sickness; many people feel nauseous from VR. Combining the two seem like an absolutely ridiculous idea. The barf bag industry must have petitioned the airline to give VR a try.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  10. Slashdot, get a competent editor by e0b521bb9d0246d0b619 · · Score: 0

    No, airlines are not "trailing" VR. I believe you meant "trialling".

  11. Can they put cameras on the outside... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    of the plane and give us a live VR view of that? I'd pay for that.

    1. Re:Can they put cameras on the outside... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I had that. On one flight I was on (this was a long intercontinental flight, over 10 years ago), the in-flight entertainment system had a live camera feed. The camera was mounted on the tail of the plane, looking forward.

      Not VR of course, but cool just the same. However at night the view quickly got boring; all you could see were the plane's own nav lights.

  12. VR Simulations by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm sure the VR airplane crash simulator is a smashing success on airliners.

  13. Life in first class by sjbe · · Score: 1

    First class passengers don't get to partake in those particular experiences.

    You would think but really in most flights first class gets you a bigger more comfy seat with no fight for elbow space and depending on the flight maybe some better food. The "free" booze isn't a bad deal either if you like a bit of that. The amenities don't really pile on until you start flying long haul where you might get a plane with fold flat seats so you can actually sleep a bit but you are going to pay a huge price tag for that bit of extra comfort.

    I've flown Detroit to Tokyo in coach (twice) and about 3/4 of the way through that 13-14 hour flight you start thinking "maybe $10,000 for a first class seat isn't such a terrible idea after all". I've flown first class domestically on occasion (free upgrades) and for shorter flights with no meal service it's not so special. Nicer seat but that's about it. I got to fly to hawaii once first class and that was a nice upgrade for a trip that long though I'm not sure it would be worth the several thousand extra dollars. On longer flights if you can swallow the huge price tag though I kind of get the appeal of first class if you don't want to be a complete zombie after a 10+ hour flight.

    1. Re: Life in first class by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You obviously aren't six feet tall. First class is a huge improvement over economy. I can't ride for hours with my knees smashed into the seat in front of me.

  14. what about just useing recall to implant a fake by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    what about just useing recall to implant a fake visit

  15. Potential! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I wonder if they will offer some sort of "plain crash" experience... Or being able to virtually experience being forcibly dragged off the plain by plain staff...

    I think its a fantastic idea!

    1. Re: Potential! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The plane crashed on the plain injuring the plane's passengers as they ate plain vanilla ice cream. It's simple English. Figure it the fuck out.

  16. Proofreading 101 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How do you trail virtual reality?

  17. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  18. Re:If you didn’t get motion sickness you wil by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    But could it be used to display a scence that corresponds to the movements of the plane, lessening motion sickness?

  19. Sigh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is this really what we've come to? It's being billed less as something fun and more as a way to cope with the fact that you hate other people. Humanity is fucking done.

  20. "Trailing"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Trailing virtual reality, huh? #oops

  21. trials? trailing? by Quirkz · · Score: 1

    They "trials" it? That can't be a verb. "Trialing" would be worse, but it's typoed as "trailing" instead.

    --
    The Quirkz Handbook of Self-Improvement for People Who Are Already Pretty Okay
  22. Spread the ill-th by Immerman · · Score: 1

    Apparently it's no longer good enough that riding an airplane is the best way to catch a respiratory disease. Now they help you share eye infections as well!

    --
    --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    1. Re:Spread the ill-th by Ksevio · · Score: 1

      You can usually swap out the foam part that sits against your face. I'd expect they'd do that and wash it between customers

    2. Re: Spread the ill-th by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure because that's literally cheap.

  23. Your English hurts my brain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Using trial as a verb in an article is offensive. Doing so in a headline is unforgivable.

  24. They're not for the passengers by tgibson · · Score: 1

    They're for the pilots

  25. Face herpes transfer device by goombah99 · · Score: 1

    They might give you one of those disposable paper masks that work as well as those toilet seat protectors

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  26. Sync the VR content with the flight by Nkwe · · Score: 1

    Some theme parks are outfitting roller coaster riders with VR headsets. The VR content is designed to go with motions of the roller coaster. In VR world when you are riding a dragon (or in a space ship, or whatever) and the dragon does a barrel roll, the coaster is going through its corkscrew. When well done, it's a cool effect.

    So... this means that on a plane, the pilot could synchronize the flight path and maneuvers with the VR content...

    1. Re:Sync the VR content with the flight by Ksevio · · Score: 2

      That'd be pretty cool if they put a 180 cam on the nose of the plane that you could view the flight from

  27. "Alaska Airlines is trailing virtual reality" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You misspelled "trolling".

  28. Re:If you didn’t get motion sickness you wil by cheetah_spottycat · · Score: 1

    The opposite is the case. I've used my Oculus Go on a plane, and it's actually LESS nausea inducing, since the VR headset tracks your movement relative to the ground, and not to the plane. So if the plane banks and turns, the horizon in VR stays parallel to the REAL horizon, actually eliminating one of the causes of motion sickness on planes.

  29. VR the plane by Bobrick · · Score: 1

    Just put a damn 360 camera at the end of a pole on the tail of the plane, let us look around where we're at, in real-time, up 30,000 feet.

  30. Gross! by Tighe_L · · Score: 1

    It's hard enough not getting sick on a flight, let's stick this communal VR headset on your face for the flight! YUCK!

  31. PC Mag article from 2025 by Tokolosh · · Score: 1

    Following passenger resistance to mandatory VR headsets, the US Airlines Association and the Pilots and Flight Attendants Union have succeeded in their petition to the TSA, NTSA and Federal Air Marshals that all passengers additionally be gagged and duct-taped to their seats.

    As a safety, weight, power and cost-saving measure, the switch that turns off the fasten seatbelt sign, is being removed from all aircraft. Diapers can be ordered at the time of reservation for a $30 charge, or purchased at check-in for $100, or $300 at the gate. If a ticket does not allow changes, fasting is recommended before flying.

    In unrelated news, due to the short duration of trans-continental and trans-oceanic flights, there will be no food or beverage services, according to airline spokesrobots.

    --
    Prove anything by multiplying Huge Number times Tiny Number
  32. Noise or comfort? by sjbe · · Score: 1

    My gel type earphones (Bose noise cancelling) fit snuggly and you can hardly feel them once in place.

    I've tried a lot of different ear phones and haven't found one yet that I don't notice. Some are certainly better fitting than others but even just foam plugs which are about as soft as it gets bother me after a while though they can help at times. Guess I have sensitive ears.

    They also reduce the noise level to a point that I can actually snooze in economy as long as I'm not being bumped by some clown or rugrat.

    Headphones actually don't help me sleep - actually the discomfort of them tends to keep me awake more than the noise abatement helps. It's not typically noise that bothers me in most cases unless it is really loud and intermittent. People talking at modest volumes near me won't keep me awake if I'm tired and I am capable of sleeping on a plane if I can find a reasonably comfy position. Head pillows help a lot for me. I don't really see the point of noise cancelling headphones over just plain foam plugs if comfort is equivalent for sleeping purpose.

    1. Re:Noise or comfort? by dcw3 · · Score: 0

      Just for clarification, I'm speaking not of full on headphones, but these
      https://www.bose.com/en_us/pro...

      I've had to put up with dogs barking and 20 something girls gabbing all night on a redeye when I'd forgotten to bring these along...wouldn't have been an issue for me with them.

      --
      Just another day in Paradise
  33. Sleep and food by sjbe · · Score: 1

    I've tried noise cancelling and on-ear headphones. On-ear is good for actually listening to stuff but not for sleeping, which is where you need the earbuds.

    I can't sleep with in-ear buds plus I don't really see the point of any sort of speakers for sleeping. Plain foam plugs are more comfy (for me) and don't require any power if I need noise abatement. Usually I can sleep without them anyway if I'm tired enough and have some sort of neck support.

    Food is the other thing that varies a lot. The best I've ever had was on ANA, followed by JAL.

    I've had food in some first class trips on Delta which was pretty solid for the most part. Coach? Meh... It was fine - nothing special but fine. Had some pretty good meals in coach on Singapore Airlines once. Had some decent fair going to/from Mexico a few times. Haven't flown to Europe yet so can't speak to those airlines.

  34. Lumbar "support" by sjbe · · Score: 1

    My Audi A8's stock Recaros have a lumbar support that moves up and down and which inflates to get bigger, so that's actually useful.

    Every car I've driven with adjustable lumbar support I just reduce to the smallest possible setting which is what my back is happy with. I have a Bolt EV right now which in most ways is a great little car but the seats are seriously uncomfortable for me due to the (not adjustable) lumbar "support". I actually stuff a cushion below where the lumbar "support" is to make it bearable for more than a 30 minute drive. Obviously this is just what works for my particular shape/structure and isn't what will necessarily work for anyone else. I literally cannot sit bolt upright for long periods without substantial discomfort and/or numbness. My back is strong but something like paddling a canoe will render me deeply uncomfortable in short order. I have my car seat angled back further than most people would - not for style but just for comfort.

    1. Re:Lumbar "support" by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      I actually stuff a cushion below where the lumbar "support" is to make it bearable for more than a 30 minute drive

      I had a similar problem in my 240SX. What I did in there was recline the seat a bit, actually open up the upholstery at the bottom of the seat back and stuff in a wedge cushion, then bend the seat frame at the top so that the whiplash arrestor would be in the right place. Problem solved. Then I sold the car, which is one of my great regrets :p

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  35. This is kinda disturbing by Liket · · Score: 1

    Anyone else thinks this is reminiscent of STVOY: Equinox? :)

  36. Vomit Bags by QuadEddie · · Score: 1

    You know those unused vomit bags next to the SkyMall magazine? They're about to see if they can handle airport food at high velocity.

  37. sounds awkward! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't know about you, but I think it is pretty awkward when people masturbate in public.

    That is the primary use of virtual reality, after all.

  38. And Then I Chundered Everywhere by Baby+Duck · · Score: 1
    • Some people get air sickness
    • Some people get motion sickness from VR
    • Let's combine the two!
    --

    "Love heals scars love left." -- Henry Rollins

  39. Use VR to make the plane vanish by sl3xd · · Score: 1

    Seriously. Just put cameras on the outside of the plane, and make it so passengers can look in any direction and see the world around the plane.

    Bonus points if Superman can visit.

    --
    -- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
  40. Fun until by The+Snazster · · Score: 1

    Fun until you take off the goggles from that roller coaster simulation and discover the motion part wasn't part of the illusion.

  41. no way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I just got a Vive Pro, which is awesome. But there's no way I'm sitting in that upright seat with a front-heavy VR unit strapped to my noggin', and looking left and right is going to be hard in those cramped conditions. My 12x12' area is barely big enough.

  42. Glass plane by nospam007 · · Score: 1

    Just make the plane transparent and remove the other passengers and seats.
    Would be hell for people with fear of heights but anything better than watching or hearing people or kids.