This post takes a quick (light-hearted) look at the tech-friendly bounty to be offered by Virgin America Airlines.
According to news reports and the airline's website, Virgin America plans to offer a host of nifty features for the tech-savvy, iPod/iPhone/Zune/Blackberry/Laptop-toting traveler on its new coast-to-coast service.
Virgin America promises a treasure trove of techie goodies, including (gulp!) seat-to-seat chat
Consistent with Richard Branson's experience-focused approach, you can browse a nice wine list, order food from your seat, play MP3s and watch 578 cable channels all while basking in scientifically-engineered mood lighting.
For the blissfully device-ridden like me, the Virgin America passenger seat will come equipped with an AC plug, USB port and Ethernet jack to power, recharge, connect and sync to my heart's content provided of course the pilot doesn't need the extra juice to help land the plane.
Oh and there's this in-flight entertainment system simply called "Red" which includes something called "Seat-to-Seat Chat" (S2S?) Cool, huh?
Well, it could be. I could see the benefits of say an online bidding system for the bulkhead seats or negotiating with my wife for a techno-thingamajig I've found on Engadget. Or maybe even an online Reading Club? It would beat the "You Done with that Wall Street Journal?" game.
At the end of the day, I'm just not sure I want to "chat it up" with people I can actually see, especially the guy in 23B who keeps trying to plug his laptop power supply into the USB port.
Virgin America will launch its DC service this fall and I will attempt to write a firsthand account in-flight unless the peaceful mood lighting takes me out of commission.
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