The march away from custom IFE units to tablet based solutions continues with AirAsia X to use Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 as their new in-flight entertainment system (IFE) on flights to and from Australia, Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan, replacing its existing portable e-Player device.
AirAsia X has turned to TuneBox (a subsidiary of Tune Group, who Air Asia X itself is a subsidiary) will be supply the devices, which will offer TV shows and movies as well well as music, games and digital magazines, with content drawn from Hollywood to Korea, Japan, China and Malaysia.
AirAsia X will love them too as the tablets weigh less than the e-players they currently operate, reducing the cost to carry them back and forth on a plane – and when it comes to fuel costs, every kilogram counts these days.
The costs aren’t that bad for those of you who want to rent a device on the plane.
- Pre-booking the device: 35 Malaysian Ringgit (or ~ $11)
- “Renting” onboard: 45 Malaysian Ringgit (or about ~$14)
Both prices are one way, fr0m/t0 Kuala Lumpur International Airport to
- Australia (Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney)
- China (Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou)
- Korea (Seoul)
- Japan (Osaka, Tokyo)
- Taiwan (Taipei)
Note this covers AirAsia X routes only, and you won’t get these fancy tablets on normal AirAsia flights.
The move to tablets continues apace, and I expect more and more airlines to adopt them soon when they do the maths behind operating the compared to the cost of fully integrated IFE units…