We all know travel has been more than a little light this year, however, Finnair want to take you to Santa in Lapland.
Virtually of course.
Your virtual A350 awaits – Image, Economy Class and Beyond
From 25 December, Finnair will offer eight ‘flights’ using virtual reality to transport lucky families and children to visit Santa in his hometown of Rovaniemi. The flights are created by Finnish VR studio Zoan using Unreal Engine. Virtual customers can enjoy a flight on their mobile phones or laptops, where you’ll be virtually sitting in Business Classes.
You can also use a VR headset that can access a web browser and open a video.
During the virtual flight you’ll be served virtual refreshments served by cabin crew, be admire the starry skies and gaze upon the dramatic northern lights from your ‘seat’. The VR experience will also offer familiar flight soundscapes, festive decorations and perhaps even the glimpse of a familiar festive figure sitting in one of the other seats!
After landing in the wintry city of Rovaniemi, you will be able to cross the Arctic Circle and enter Santa’s cabin to meet Santa Claus himself.
There are VR flights to Lapland planned – each lasting about thirty minutes and costs €10 per person. Seats can be reserved from the Finnair Shop. All proceeds will go to supporting UNICEF’s work to slow the spread of Covid-19 and minimise the pandemic’s impact on children worldwide.
You can book the “flights” at https://www.finnairshop.com/en/virtualflights
In Quotes
Mikko Turtiainen, Finnair VP of Global Sales, said:
“Thanks to the magic of Virtual Reality, Finnair can ‘fly’ families to Rovaniemi in Lapland – despite the travel restrictions – to enjoy a winter wonderland and meet Santa. I hope this brings a big smile to those participating.”
“As Santa’s official airline, we’re excited to harness modern technology to create a truly memorable holiday experience. Our customers around the world will be able to enjoy the timeless wonder and holiday cheer of Finnish Lapland from the comfort of their own homes, while enjoying the thrill of sitting in Finnair Business Class. We hope it will inspire them to travel again once the time is right.”
Sanna Kärkkäinen, CEO of Visit Rovaniemi, said:
“The time could not be better for a holiday VR experience on the wings of Santa’s official airline. We’ve been developing our VR experience in Rovaniemi for over a year now and joining forces with Finnair is a fantastic way to reach a global audience with a seasonal message – and a heart full of hope.”
Can you earn Finnair Plus points on this?
Amazingly, as you’re buying this via the Finnair shop, you can earn Finnair Plus points on this.
Sharing the experience
With a lot of people firmly grounded this year due to obvious reasons, this could be a chance for some to capture a little Christmas Travel Magic. Especially if you can get hold of their Blueberry Juice.
It’s also a chance to show off the passenger experience aboard the airline, which for when things improve may improve.
Plus, for those who missed a trip to see Santa this year, this could be the perfect chance to catch him at home.
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I booked a virtual flight on December, 25, 19:00.
It was disappointing. No worth to pay 10€. Why?
18:45 Boarding. Well.
18:50 The screen of my Laptop changed to black. Nothing
happened. No message or something else.
19:00 The same.
19:05 The same.
19:09 The Same. The screen is continiously black.
19:10 The screen changed to a picture showing the insight of the plane. A voice welcomed the passengers.
19:15 Continiously the same insight. Nothing else happened. No view through the windows.
19:20 Same. A standing picture. Just the insight. Boring.
19:25 Same. Boring. Is Finnlines screwing me up?
19:30 Same. A voice saying: We are approaching to Rovaniemi. The insight does not change. No view through the windows possible.
19:35 A voice saying: Now we are at the village of Santa Clause. The screen shows continiously the insight of the cabin.
19:36 The screen changes to a painted picture of the room of Santa Clause. A figure looking like Santa Clause standing in the room. No movement. A voice saying welcome to Santa Clause.
19:40 End of The Performance. No bye bye. A voice saying thank you for flying Finnlines.
No Northern Lights to be seen as announced before the flight. No surprises as announced before the flight. Sorry, that was nothing to recommend.
g happened.
Your side does not tell me if my comment was already sent.