Lufthansa Upgrades In-Flight Entertainment in 2013

Cruising a lot also means flying a lot. In the past year, I’ve flown to Europe six times, an astonishing amount for someone like myself who has always dreamed of – and cherished – the ability to fly to Europe. But that also represents a lot of time spent sitting on airplanes as they zip back and forth across the North Atlantic Tracks at 37,000 feet – and that’s made me far more aware of the kinds of aircraft and airlines I fly with.

Lufthansa is continually upgrading their fleet - and their onboard product. Image courtesy of Lufthansa

My “go-to” airline for my European adventures is Germany’s Lufthansa. They operate a modern fleet comprised mainly of Airbus aircraft, including the mammoth Airbus A380, along with the venerable Boeing 747-400. They’re also the launch customer for the brand-new Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, the latest re-imagining of the iconic 747 product line.

And although their Business Class product is stellar, I always believe you should judge an airline not by its best seats, but by its most numerous. Economy class aboard Lufthansa is unusually comfortable, and I don’t get squirmy and restless in their seats like I do on long flights aboard other airlines.

Lufthansa's existing Business Class seat is about to get an upgrade when the airline takes delivery of their new Boeing 747-8's. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Now, their inflight entertainment system is getting a major overhaul, starting with three recently-delivered Airbus A330 aircraft.

Sports fans will be able to get live sports action from Sports 24, which will stream directly to the aircraft’s onboard satellite via Lufthansa’s onboard FlyNet broadband internet service, which I actually put to good use mid-Atlantic back in March. Guests will even be able to watch coverage of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England this summer.

Back in March, this image was posted live from onboard LH 492 using Lufthansa's FlyNet internet service. Now, their in-flight entertainment is about to get a major overhaul. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

But the airline is also changing the way guests interact with their onboard entertainment; beginning next spring, passengers onboard the airline’s Boeing 747-400’s and Airbus A340 and A330 long-haul aircraft will be able to use a new tablet system developed by California-based IMS Company. Rather than trying to push a digital “button”, causing the seatback in front of you to move forward, these new touchscreens will work more like an iPad in economy class, with remote-control features in Business and First class.

Best of all, program content is stored within each tablet unit, hopefully eliminating the need for those pesky underseat entertainment boxes that frequently eat up valuable leg room.

For someone who remembers a time when two terrible movies run on overhead monitors was considered impressive, these new in-flight entertainment options are poised to make flying with Lufthansa more enjoyable than ever.

Now if only they could work on developing a cure for jet lag!

More information on Lufthansa’s fleet and entertainment options can be found by paying a visit to their website.