United is promoting the capabilities of its new Bluetooth-enabled aircraft which forms part of the airline’s plan to modernise and grow its fleet.
The carrier currently has Bluetooth connectivity on more than 100 planes and expects it to be on about 800 aircraft by 2032.
The new AirPods Pro features make it easier for passengers and flight crews to connect and communicate, for example.
In addition to connecting to United’s new seatback screens, travellers can take advantage of other new features when using AirPods Pro, including Conversation Awareness and Adaptive Audio, which can make it easier to communicate with a flight attendant when ordering food and beverages.
Bluetooth rollout
“United was the first US airline to roll out Bluetooth, and when we saw Apple’s new AirPods features, we knew it could be a game changer for our customers and our employees,” said Jason Birnbaum, United’s chief information officer.
“People want to stay connected while they’re in the air, but there’s also a lot of interactions between our crew and customers – the technological combination of wireless connectivity, Conversation Awareness and Adaptive Audio result in a great experience for everyone.”
For more than a decade, United has integrated Apple products across its operation to enhance the customer experience, including deploying the first paperless flight deck with iPad in 2011, rolling out more than 120,000 Apple devices, including iPhone and iPad, to United employees, and using iPad with Touch ID to get sign-off in a matter of minutes on documents that release an aircraft for departure, helping prevent delays for passengers.
United’s new aircraft will continue to reduce the per-seat carbon emissions compared to the older models they replace, in line with the airline’s expectation to be net zero by 2050.
United expects that 75% of its fleet will be new-generation by 2030.
Subscribe to the FINN weekly newsletter
