United Airlines offers up 'Zune inflight audio,' no actual Zunes
By Donald Melanson 
posted June 3rd 2010 3:38PM
posted June 3rd 2010 3:38PM
Microsoft's already shown with the Xbox 360 and Kin that it's looking to take its Zune platform beyond Zune-branded hardware, but we can't say we expected it to go quite this far -- Microsoft has now teamed up with United Airlines to offer "Zune inflight audio" to passengers. That apparently won't involve any new hardware in the planes -- Microsoft or otherwise -- but it will give passengers 21 new playlists "programmed by Zune" to choose from, including options like Classic Rock, Contemporary Pop, Opera and Piano Jazz. Not many more details than that, unfortunately, with United only saying that it looks forward to "working with Zune and Microsoft to create new onboard experiences." Sure, it might not sound like much, but it should at least go some ways towards improving the Zune's name recognition. Full press release is after the break. United Airlines Offers Customers Zune Inflight Audio
CHICAGO, Jun 03, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- United Airlines today announced that customers have more choices of free music with the introduction of Zune inflight audio on all United aircraft. United now offers customers a broader selection of music to enjoy during their onboard experience, with up to 21 separate playlists programmed by Zune, Microsoft's premium digital entertainment service.
In addition to familiar channels such as Classic Rock, Contemporary Pop, and Classical, United now features distinctive options such as Soundtracks, Electronic Dance, Opera and Piano Jazz. Customers may continue to enjoy live communication between the flight deck and air traffic control through United's popular "From the Flight Deck" audio on Channel 9, a feature that's unique to United.
"United is committed to providing our customers with innovative onboard entertainment options, and we look forward to working with Zune and Microsoft to create new onboard experiences," said Tom O'Toole, United's senior vice president and chief marketing officer.
"We are excited about this collaboration, which will allow millions of United customers to experience Zune and discover new music through select Zune custom playlists from top artists," says Dave McLauchlan, senior business development manager at Microsoft.
Full channel line-ups can be found in United's in-flight magazine, Hemispheres.
About United
United Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UAL Corporation /quotes/comstock/15*!uaua/quotes/nls/uaua (UAUA 22.25, +0.47, +2.16%) , operates approximately 3,300** flights a day on United and United Express to more than 230 U.S. domestic and international destinations from its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C. With key global air rights in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and Latin America, United is one of the largest international carriers based in the United States. United also is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides connections for our customers to 1,077 destinations in 175 countries worldwide. United's 46,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. United ranked No. 1 in on-time performance for domestic scheduled flights for 2009 among America's five largest global carriers, as measured by the Department of Transportation and published in the Air Travel Consumer Report for 2009. News releases and other information about United can be found at the company's Web site at united.com, and follow United on Twitter @UnitedAirlines.
** Based on United's forward-looking flight schedule for January 2010 to December 2010
SOURCE: United Airlines
CHICAGO, Jun 03, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- United Airlines today announced that customers have more choices of free music with the introduction of Zune inflight audio on all United aircraft. United now offers customers a broader selection of music to enjoy during their onboard experience, with up to 21 separate playlists programmed by Zune, Microsoft's premium digital entertainment service.
In addition to familiar channels such as Classic Rock, Contemporary Pop, and Classical, United now features distinctive options such as Soundtracks, Electronic Dance, Opera and Piano Jazz. Customers may continue to enjoy live communication between the flight deck and air traffic control through United's popular "From the Flight Deck" audio on Channel 9, a feature that's unique to United.
"United is committed to providing our customers with innovative onboard entertainment options, and we look forward to working with Zune and Microsoft to create new onboard experiences," said Tom O'Toole, United's senior vice president and chief marketing officer.
"We are excited about this collaboration, which will allow millions of United customers to experience Zune and discover new music through select Zune custom playlists from top artists," says Dave McLauchlan, senior business development manager at Microsoft.
Full channel line-ups can be found in United's in-flight magazine, Hemispheres.
About United
United Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UAL Corporation /quotes/comstock/15*!uaua/quotes/nls/uaua (UAUA 22.25, +0.47, +2.16%) , operates approximately 3,300** flights a day on United and United Express to more than 230 U.S. domestic and international destinations from its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C. With key global air rights in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and Latin America, United is one of the largest international carriers based in the United States. United also is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides connections for our customers to 1,077 destinations in 175 countries worldwide. United's 46,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. United ranked No. 1 in on-time performance for domestic scheduled flights for 2009 among America's five largest global carriers, as measured by the Department of Transportation and published in the Air Travel Consumer Report for 2009. News releases and other information about United can be found at the company's Web site at united.com, and follow United on Twitter @UnitedAirlines.
** Based on United's forward-looking flight schedule for January 2010 to December 2010
SOURCE: United Airlines
Not a bad way to introduce people to Zune. My son and I both have Zunes and love them.
@matthewdlyons - and how in the world does this introduce people to the Zune when a Zune isn't even involved - MSFT vaporware is now a vapordevice.
Good news, everybody; The contest is giving prizes. First place; an iPod. Second place a Zune. Third place; two Zunes.
@BuzzMega Ok enjoy your iTunes.
I am not the one suffering here :D
@BuzzMega
Fourth prize is a set of steak knives. Fifth prize is you're fired.
@badasscat Oh I'm sure the TSA would love that. Cabin crews giving out steak knives to the passengers. I guess they would have to be special approved plastic steak knives or something.
I think I'd be happier if United just got rid of their stupid projectors that never work from 1990 on their international 767s and went to any form of AVOD at all. Pleassse.
...the important point here being they're not getting rid of channel 9. That's good.
Beware elevator music industry - Microsoft is coming!
Yay, they used my tip.
From my understanding, the system will work similarly to Zune Channels where it generates playlists based on marketplace data for each genre and refreshes new stuff on a weekly or so basis. It's not an on-demand system, and from the passenger perspective probably won't seem that much different from the XM system they used up to this point, but it should in theory allow for a greater variety and higher quality selection.
Personally I'm hoping that this will lay the groundwork for a more substantial partnership. The new Windows CE they just launched could be a good base for a next-gen IFE platform. They already have experience with SYNC and this could be a logical expansion of the concept. Throw in the ability to play content off a zune/WP7/iDevice/etc. from the seatback TV along with maybe special perks for Zune Pass subscribers and they could have a real winner on their hands. Plus, they could subsidize it for the airlines so it wouldn't be expensive for them to install (Microsoft's entertainment division is already losing money, why not a little more if it can pay off over time with much better brand recognition)
Go Zune!
Is there a real story here?
This is basically just an advertising promotion on the aircraft. Music is by Zune, seen as there is no actual Zunes involved at all.
3 cheers to me for sending this in?
I fly UA every week... trust me... they're not going to do anything more than get rid of the XM logo in the back of their in-flight magazine, replace it with a Zune logo, and swap up the music selection....
I travel a lot, and honest-to-God I have never seen a Zune in use.
What happened to XM radio on United? Sounds like they only changed the name on a frankly generic music service...
I'd definitely use my Zune if OSX had some sort of support for the Zune software. Of course, that would be to convenient.