Well-Being and fitness in the air is a subject that has come up and again at trade shows and in IFE implementations recently, and it seems some airlines are making strides in this area.
Air New Zealand has a different take on what has come out so far – with the airline teaming up with Les Mills Fitness to create a series of in-flight wellness exercises specifically designed to enhance the well-being of its customers.
Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER arriving into London Heathrow – Image, Economy Class and Beyond
The airline rolled this out on the 1st December onto their international routes. The programming will have a series of stretches, exercises and meditation techniques.
This will be hosted on the airline’s in-flight entertainment system, with the aim of the programming to help ease the tensions of travelling. The content will be free to all passengers and adapted for those in Economy, and Business Premier seats.
The airline is also offering a 10-day free trial of the Les Mills On-Demand system to enjoy after the flight.
In Quotes
Air New Zealand Senior Manager Customer Experience Niki Chave says
“We understand the challenges of flying – some customers want to relax and unwind, while others need to stretch and move their bodies while at altitude. The team at Les Mills has crafted these movements specifically for Air New Zealand customers so they feel refreshed and ready to enjoy their destination.”
“This is two iconic Kiwi brands who continuously punch above their weight on the world stage, coming together to redefine the inflight experience and offer more wellness options for travellers,”
Les Mills Creative Director Diana Mills says her team jumped at the challenge of designing simple and effective movements specifically for aircraft travel.
“It’s not about doing burpees and tuck jumps in the aisle. This all about demonstrating low-impact, carefully designed stretching and relaxation techniques that anyone can do discreetly in their seat to effectively alleviate any symptoms associated with travelling.
“Our trainers travel frequently and understand the importance of staying active in the air, so you feel as fresh and relaxed as you can to take on whatever adventure awaits you.”
Wellness continues to be a driving force
With airlines pushing the ultra long haul segments, wellness is taking a much more front and centre stage than it has done in the past – be it through the new aircraft (with the lower cabin pressurisation levels, or with IFE content to support wellness.
And there are some good examples out there already. Asiana Airlines in the past had a wellness “wake-up” exercised that screened on their IFE systems. Meanwhile in modern times, Cathay Pacific partnered to launch a wellness product at their hub, whilst Panasonic Aerospace launched its NEXT Wellness product with Etihad.
Even Qantas is looking into this as part of its “Project Sunrise”.
As airlines seek to make wellness in the air “more than a passing concern” to help relax the passenger in-flight, content like this can be seen as a welcome offering.
And anything for a bit calm and relaxation in the air is a welcome thing.
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