Southwest Airlines is enabling passengers to find out more about their destination through a partnership with mapping specialist FlightPath3D.
Using augmented reality as well as videos as part of the inflight moving map, passengers can view a virtual version of the flight deck, window and aircraft.
Meanwhile, a series of mobile-friendly video travel guides called Destination Reels allow passengers to build up a picture of their destination based on their interests.
Tony Roach, vice president of customer experience and engagement for Southwest, says: “More than one-third of all time spent in the Inflight Portal is through interacting with the flight tracker and destination guide, and we know our customers enjoy this feature while onboard."
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The carrier is the launch customer for the interactive flight tracker and Destination Reels.
Duncan Jackson, president of FlightPath3D, says: "There is a gap between the onboard experience and what consumers are used to with the latest internet apps such as Instagram, TikTok, etc. We’ve created a virtual 3D world to track the flight packed with a feed of thousands of destination videos to bridge this gap. We’re using data science to rank attractions and help match user interests to destination experiences to promote more travel.”
The company recently also signed deals to provide its technology to China Airlines and Lufthansa.