Mega hands-on: Virgin America's Airbus A320 with Red in-flight entertainment

Not-yet-airborne Virgin America invited us to check out the way-decked Airbus A320 with Red prototype in-flight entertainment system that's parked at SFO right now. (Naw, we didn't get to take it up, the US Dept. of Transportation hasn't yet cleared VA for commercial flights yet, boo.) They definitely weren't kidding when they said it's got it all: movies on demand, pervasive music playlists, in-seat messaging with a QWERTY controller, touchscreen Linux consoles with games, the works. We've got a massive, massive gallery for you to check out (it's really not to be missed); we toured the aft cargo area where the each plane's servers live, the Red in-seat consoles (of course), the cockpit, even WiFi-enabled flight attendant handhelds. We've also got a full rundown of everything you need to know about Virgin America, Red, and the kitted-out Airbus, so check out the gallery below, and click on for more details about the only airline we officially sanction as being geeked enough to transport Engadget.

Gallery: Mega hands-on: Virgin America's Airbus A320 with Red in-flight entertainment

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Seatback consoles

• Linux-based with Tiny X
• VA developed Red in-flight interface
• 9-inch integrated touchscreen
• 1024 x 600 resolution (oh, so close to HD! but not quite)
• Dual internal flash drives for redundant storage of embedded OS

Niceties that melt our hearts

• One USB port and one ethernet port per seat
• USB can be used with a portable keyboard on seatback console (or to charge your device)
• Ethernet hooks you into a LAN with the rest of the passengers
• Two 110v outlets per 3-seat row (and one per seat in first class)
  
• Dual 802.11b WiFi access points in cabin (fore and aft)
• Sprint EV-DO uplink (for ground communications)
• Yet-unannounced in-air broadband uplink
• LED mood lighting throughout the craft

Communications

• Send email and SMS messages from your seat console
• In-cabin chats, either private (one on one), group (by invite), or common (whole plane)
• Dedicated chat rooms for each channel to discuss what's on TV
• Send food and beverage orders (and pay) directly from your console
• Galley inventory lists are transmitted wirelessly when the plane is stocked; customers are prompted when their order cannot be fulfilled due to no remaining inventory

Entertainment

• Streaming pay-per-view movies from on-board media server
• Over 3,000 MP3 tunes stored in on-board media server; persistent play lists (i.e. the playlist you make online or in your seat will follow you to future flights)
• Dish live TV with in-flight program guide
• Games! Open source titles (including Doom); VA will host an open source game dev competition, the best games will be added to the playable titles list.

Gear and servers

• One system controller
• Three Dish receiver / tuner boxes
• Three redundant storage arrays for streaming audio and video -- during flight data (including CC transactions) is written only to encrypted flash

Etc.

• Flight attendants can monitor traffic spikes from bandwidth-greedy users
• Seats 149 passengers (eight in first class)
• Lavatories have their own soundtrack, kind of like those chic hotels
• Prices should be "competitive" with some budget airlines
• Expected to take flight this summer (US Dept. of Transportation approval pending)

For a better look at the Red interface than what we've got in our gallery, check our Charles Ogilvie's demo on YouTube:

[Ray Vestal @ Mar 26th 2008 5:22PM]

Happy Birthday.

[g3n3tiX @ Feb 10th 2007 9:30AM]

Just wow. That is cool. I love it !!!!
Why didn't I get this when I needed it ?

[54ND3R @ Feb 10th 2007 11:24AM]

OMG. I wonder what it sounds like when 200 keyboards are being typed on in a small space like that. You'll definitely need a good headset and some loud music to sleep during your flight.

[kizildere @ Feb 10th 2007 9:42AM]

Cool, but VA is not the first airline to have a similar system. I recently took a flight from Istabul to New York via Turkish airlines and they had 27 movies, over 50 episodes of TV shows, online browser, tons of games, documentaries, SMS, e-mail service, power outlets at each seat, soon to be installed ethernet ports at each seat, etc. so I don't know what advantage VA has over that? Remember, even though games and movies may be free, they charge you for SMS, email, and internet browsing, so unless VA provides all these goodies for free, gets a big "MEH" from me :) And I am pretty sure VA is going to be way more expensive than any other airline...

[anonymous @ Feb 13th 2007 11:48AM]

the advantage is that turkish airlines doesn't serve much of america and VA will.

[ohcyt @ Feb 11th 2007 6:28AM]

@RohitK: your comment did show up this time ;)

Very nice photo gallery, Engadget, it made me want to fly non stop around the world (twice) in that airplane ;)

[Arturo @ Feb 10th 2007 9:47AM]

Is it just me, or does that aisle look narrower than the average American rear-end?

[Iain @ Feb 10th 2007 10:06AM]

You know you fly to much when you see $5 for a chocolate bar and think "ooh, thats good value"!

[astutefool @ Feb 10th 2007 10:16AM]

To Kizildere,

I think the point here is that this will an airline flying domestic routes with a service (certainly in economy) comparable to and better than international services, and certainly much better than any other product offerings from competitors in the domestic segment. The airline is going to price its seats competitively and so is unlikely to be "... way more expensive than any other airline."

So the fact that your Turkish Airlines flight had a similar (but actually inferior) service is not the point here.

[kizildere @ Feb 10th 2007 11:13AM]

@ Astutefool:

Good point, but my biggest problem with VA's service is that some of its functions (such as movies) are pay-per-use (view).

[Speed @ Feb 10th 2007 10:21AM]

"Over 3,000 MP3 tunes stored in on-board media server; persistent play lists (i.e. the playlist you make online or in your seat will follow you to future flights)"

A 170,000 pound iPod.

[Jons @ Aug 8th 2007 6:14PM]

Can your ipod play 300 mp3s at the same time? hum!

[Andir3.0 @ Feb 10th 2007 10:31AM]

"Expected to take flight this summer (US Dept. of Transportation approval pending)"

It's not approved yet, but they built an airplane around it?

[Me2.0 @ Feb 11th 2007 8:09AM]

Approval - there are procedures which need to be followed for cruise certification of any serious modification of an airliner.

This system is obviously a serious modification (especially with 802.11b and other RF emitting devices onboard), which calls for FAA approval. Whether it's overall good or it just cripples the industry, GOK.

And engadget, you could fly it without the cert, it's just way more costly and under different (so called test flight) arrangements with the airlines, manufacturer and FAA.

[Ellianth @ Feb 10th 2007 5:31PM]

probably because the united states isn't the only country in the world. Well that's what I heard anyway, dunno though.

[anonymous @ Feb 13th 2007 11:50AM]

it's not the Red service that is getting approved but VAs business plan and airline certification. The red service is just being developed and demoed in preparation of the FAA giving them the OK to fly in the US air space.

[Adam @ Feb 10th 2007 10:59AM]

With all those toys i don't think i could ever get bored on the plane, my credit card won't like it though.

[NovaLand @ Feb 10th 2007 11:29AM]

Nice rumors on the on-plane chat.. "I've heard there's a bomb on board.."

[everrette powell @ Feb 10th 2007 2:53PM]

God forbid you make a joke in an airplane or an airport and use the word bomb! Your family wont hear from you in like a week and instead of you getting poked by fat Tony with tattoos this time Tony will be wearing a uniform

[astutefool @ Feb 10th 2007 11:18AM]

That is bad. In that case you might as well just bring a laptop with all your multimedia and plug it into the socket, which makes all of the expensive server systems pointless.

[Mitesh Gowani @ Feb 10th 2007 11:41AM]

It's all good for the U.S. domestic routes since honestly, the American flying sector is completely shit compared to whats outs there in the rest of the world.
Lack of service, extremely cramped eats, outdated planes and crappy terminals are just the first words that come to mind when thinking of the American travel companies.

[GSP @ Feb 10th 2007 11:36AM]

All that tech is certainly cool but its gonna take more than that to make me wanna fly VA

[Matt M. @ Feb 10th 2007 11:49AM]

Hmm, this is kinda like the old delta song, except for the live TV part. It's still cool though.

[Andrew @ Feb 10th 2007 11:56AM]

Wait, you mean you guys actually have to pay for food and movies on flights? Dude, that sucks.

[Chris @ Feb 10th 2007 12:28PM]

depends on the flight, they all include a drink, but flights less and hour usualy only half the people actually get one. Longer ones include a meal, but it's usually not very good and you get a "beef chicken or fish" option at best. defiantly no turkey sandwiches even if you wanted to buy one. more and more are playing some TV, and flights more than 4 hours usually have a movie, but the screens are on 14" sets on the ceiling in the isles, from some seats you can't see it at all.

[ben Murray @ Feb 10th 2007 12:15PM]

its a singles bar at 20,000 ft

'hey this is ben in seat 34b. can i get the stewardess to get you a drink?'

[T-Bone @ Feb 10th 2007 12:19PM]

Free drinks? Sweet! $5 candy bars? Not so sweet.

[BP @ Feb 10th 2007 12:28PM]

Virgin America is getting screwed over by the DOT right now. The other airlines are colluding to keep them from getting their approval to fly. Go to:

www.letvafly.com and sign the petition to support them.

No I don't work for them at all. I just fly a lot and would love to be able to have this in flight set up on my flights. I've flown Virgin in other parts of the world and like it alot. Having them in the US would be sweet!

[ScooperJay @ Feb 10th 2007 1:27PM]

No person educated in the avaition business would sign this petition. Purely on the basis of national security.

Virgin America will fly in the US as soon as IranAir is allowed to fly as well.

Yes it exists
http://www.iranair.nl/

[artifex @ Feb 14th 2007 10:55AM]

Vegetarian or low sodium meals are the best when flying less than first class. You can be assured the food is pretty fresh, because they put lots of vegetables in those specialty orders and they don't store for a week like the meat ones do. Don't expect vegan, though; my vegetarian meals have always had milk or butter or cheese, and sometimes egg.

[eric f. @ Feb 10th 2007 12:42PM]

Does the cabin always have the nightclub lighting? and do the "Dual 802.11b WiFi access points" =free wifi?

[Derek @ Feb 10th 2007 12:36PM]

Virgin has been offering this kind of stuff for a looooong time. I remember a flight I took in 1993 (YES 14 YEARS AGO) from London to New York. It had multiple video programs and films to choose from, it had a Nintendo built in, multiple music channels. They're been slowly improving it over time. It's not all suddenly new.

[Brian @ Feb 10th 2007 1:05PM]

I can see it now. The 6 year-old behind me banging away on the touch screen in my headrest during the entire trans-Atlantic flight.

[Ignacio Garcia @ Feb 10th 2007 1:22PM]

PILOTS! DID YOU LOCK YOUR AIRCRAFT?

Damn, I think I left the keys inside!

http://www.engadget.com/photos/mega-hands-on-virgin-americas-airbus-a320-with-red-in-flight-entertainment/156820/

[ScooperJay @ Feb 10th 2007 1:19PM]

It will not happen. If it does, it will open a Pandora’s box with regard to foreign carriers providing domestic travel. The FAA may certify the aircraft, but the US DOT has denied the request twice.

"Cabotage"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabotage

[srw @ Feb 10th 2007 4:07PM]

uh.. how does allowing a British company to fly domestic compromise security?
If anything wouldn't international flights be riskier?
What does this have to do with "IranAir"?

..seems like ANYTHING nowdays can be justified on the basis of "national security" :-(

[Zeke @ Feb 10th 2007 2:01PM]

This will be awesome if they really want to make all of this available in a "budget" airline... Hey Engadget, which features were in which part of the plane?
I mean, were the ethernet and USB jacks first-class only?
And what the heck is up with those gooseneck things in first class? Are they microphones? What in the world would I use one of those for? Looks like it'd get in the way.

[Aaron @ Feb 12th 2007 11:05AM]

I think the "gooseneck" thing is a reading light. I've seen them before. Weird looking, but slightly more convenient than reaching up to the ceiling for the light up there.

[Andy @ Feb 10th 2007 2:21PM]

If you want to help VA get airborne sign their online petition to the FAA @ www.virginamerica.com Personally I don't want another glitsy airline with lots of perks (some of which going to the lucky few in 1st class). As long as the flight attendants are friendly and the seat is comfortable, I'm happy.

[Rusty @ Feb 10th 2007 2:48PM]

One of the reasons I prefer to driver, rather than fly is the CRAMPED seats. Unless you pay a LOT of $$$ for business or first class, you are nothing more than cattle in a cattle car. No elbow room, no leg room. If a plane had to evacuate QUICKLY, more people would probably be killed just trying to get out of their seats.
And I'm not talking about the wide butt problem of Americans. I remember flying quite comfortably back in the 80's, but now, with all the mergers, takeovers etc, they have squeezed the seating to maximize the amount of people in one flight.
Instead of catering to convenience, why not comfort?
I know in our city, they have FIVE flights to Dallas Texas
and 6 to Chicago! That's nuts! Half the time, the flights are
only half full. Why not just have one in the morning, one at noon and one in the evening and if that isn't good enough, rearrange your "busy" schedule, or take a damn charter flight.
With the stupid restrictions on being at the airport two days before the flight, strip searches, not taking liquids on board, how about we just go the extra step and handcuff everyone and lock them in their seats, and to keep them quiet so you don't have to feed them, add a tranquilizer. Heck, by the time you get done with the grilling at the airport, the precheck in, then getting your belongings back on the other side (if they don't get lost), I can DRIVE to Dallas or Chicago and not be so stressed or as tired.

[anonymous @ Feb 13th 2007 11:59AM]

Rusty:

Dude take a tranq and settle down!

one good reason for flying instead of driving is time! 15 hours to drive to Tucson from Denver eats a whole day and then to return eats another day so you have to add two days to whatever time you want to spend in your vacation destination. I myself would prefer to fly in 3 hours, be fresh and ready to do something when I arrive then totally worn out from an all day drive.

[FrequentFlyer @ Aug 1st 2007 2:54PM]

Rusty - unless you are 6'10" tall or have a 50" waist, you should be able to sit comfortably, even in Economy Class. Other suggestion, fly planes that have more than 5 seats total!

[everrette powell @ Feb 10th 2007 2:57PM]

could someone explain to me why i still can't use my phone during the flight? because if this plain has all of that i should be able to use my free cingular phone

[frommer @ Feb 10th 2007 3:39PM]

Love the cockpit photos! Looks a little better than the C-130E (Circa 1963) I used to crew....

[Dima @ Feb 10th 2007 4:18PM]

omg, how much does 1 flight cost? it's cool

[Andir3.0 @ Feb 10th 2007 6:14PM]

Virgin AMERICA. So they built the plane planning on it hopefully flying in the US, but they didnt have approval to fly it in the US. Don't get all huffy with me about your insecurity. Oh, sorry. The plane might fly from Canada to Brazil, around the US. Yeah, that's smart. Get off your US bashing pedistal for a second and look at what they are trying to do. Drum up support for the airplane to get the people to try to speak to their congressmen. I want to know whay VA isn't allowed to fly in the US in the first place...what did they do or what aren't they doing?

[Juaquin @ Feb 11th 2007 12:48AM]

I'll take two tickets to anywhere, right now. Thank you very much. I flew with them cross-Atlantic a few years ago, it was better than even the best airlines today. In-seat consoles with gamepad, all kind of media, actual bar in first class (could see it from where I was sitting). Top-notch stuff. Hopefully their prices will be pretty competitive; I'm willing to pay an extra 15-20% for that kind of stuff.

[Ellianth @ Feb 10th 2007 10:29PM]

How exactly was I America bashing? I was simply pointing out that since they (virgin group) operates airlines in other countries they could just service other countries with their shiny new plane.

[nothing now @ Feb 10th 2007 11:56PM]

now, when you fall out of the sky because of a broken tail you can write yor own obituary!

[The Infamous @ Feb 10th 2007 7:05PM]

I like those tri-monitor setups in the command center...i want one