Meta Expands Quest 3 In-flight Entertainment to Additional Airlines Following Lufthansa Success

Last year, Meta made waves by announcing a collaboration with the German airline Lufthansa to introduce Quest 3 headsets to passengers during flights. The initiative seems to have hit a home run, leading Meta to set its sights on spreading this in-flight XR entertainment experience to numerous other airlines.

A significant leap in virtual reality travel was achieved when Meta unveiled its much-anticipated Travel Mode last year. This feature, compatible with Quest 2 and newer devices, helps balance the motion difference between the headset wearer and the aircraft, resolving a long-standing challenge for VR users in transit by land, air, or sea.

Taking this innovation further, in June, Meta launched an exciting pilot program for Lufthansa’s Allegris Business Class Suite passengers. On select flights, travelers were handed Quest 3 headsets, offering them the chance to immerse themselves in a new way to enjoy films and TV shows via virtual screens, explore spatial and 360-degree videos, indulge in guided meditation, and even challenge themselves with games like Connect Four and chess.

In a recent update, Meta shared that thanks to the program’s impressive success—bringing Quest 3 entertainment to around 4,000 flyers—they’re eager to broaden their horizons and engage with more airline partners.

Sarah Malkin, Meta’s Director of Entertainment Content at Reality Labs, emphasized, “This initiative marks a significant milestone in advancing our Travel Mode and providing immersive services. We’re now geared up to expand our offerings to other airlines and refine our product suite further.”

While Meta hasn’t released the names of potential future airline partners just yet, it seems likely that this would remain a luxury experience reserved for Business and First Class passengers. These travelers often enjoy additional perks, including comfy lay-flat seats, noise-cancelling headphones, gourmet cuisine, and top-notch beverages.

This isn’t the first time the airline industry has flirted with XR technology as a premium benefit. Back in 2015, Qantas, the Australian airline, was among the pioneers to experiment with Samsung Gear VR headsets as a complimentary entertainment option for its first-class flyers. Other airlines, such as Air France, Iberia, British Airways, and Singapore Airlines, also gave VR a try, although those early programs have since wrapped up.