qantas

Qantas: Forget the Kindle, read a book we just wrote for you

The past is a cockroach.

It never truly goes away. It simply makes more copies of itself, each a little different from the last.

How quaint, though, of Qantas to think that its fliers should read a book.

No, not a book on some fancy machine. A paper book, with a cover and a booky smell, given to you if you're one of its fancy passengers.

These are, allegedly, no ordinary books. As Ad Age reports, Qantas claims they are "bespoke." Yes, like a hunting jacket.

The company has teamed with publishing house Hachette to offer high-fliers … Read more

iPad 2 makes Qantas test flight for air travelers

Australian airline Qantas will run a pilot program to test response to the inclusion of iPad 2 units on one of its Boeing 767-300 jets. Qantas has installed a personal iPad 2 for each of the 254 seats on the plane, according to a report from Australian Business Traveler.

The iPad will be able to stream media content over Wi-Fi from a server located on the plane itself.

Qantas has a customized iPad app that will drive the on-demand user experience. Toward the end of the trial run, Qantas plans to allow customers with their own iPads to download the … Read more

Bluetooth mouse may have caused plane to fall out of the sky

If this doesn't scare you, your nerves are granite.

The other day over the Indian Ocean, the pilots of a Qantas Airbus totally lost control of the plane. It made a rapid ascent and then plunged 8,000 feet.

Now, investigators are saying that among the possible causes are a laptop with its wireless switched on, a Bluetooth mouse, or a video game.

Frankly, I wish someone would explain in very simple terms whether it really is possible to affect a plane's controls with your laptop, video game, or cell phone.

I know people who, during a flight, … Read more

Qantas to offer Wi-Fi in flight

Note to U.S. airlines: Watch what Qantas is doing. The Australian airliner will offer Wi-Fi and electrical outlets on its new A380 and renovated 747-400s next year, according to Engadget. The cost of these perks hasn't been made public, but the carrier will reportedly install power sockets even in some economy cabins.

To which we can't help but respond: Where's the rest of the airline industry on this? For all the hassles and wasted time passenger must endure in the fiasco that passes for air travel these days, the least carriers can do is provide basic … Read more

Qantas to allow inflight texting

Inflight cell phone use may still be a no-no in the United States, but flyers Down Under will soon get the chance to use their phones while in the air. The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Australia's largest airline is launching a test program that will allow passengers to text from 35,000 feet. Qantas is one of the first airlines to have such a program, although Ryanair and Emirates plan similar tests later this year. The three-month trial will determine if cell phone use aboard an aircraft is a "good idea." (Here's a hint: … Read more