Continental Airlines has announced that it has completed the installation of Audio/Video on Demand (AVOD) in the BusinessFirst cabins of its entire fleet of 41 Boeing 757 aircraft used primarily on transatlantic flights to/from its New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport. Continental operates Boeing 757s from New York to Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow and Manchester. AVOD systems will also be installed in the economy cabins of these aircraft beginning summer 2007.
Once the system is activated by the crew, customers may watch whatever they choose, controlling the programmes with easy-to-use touch-screens.
Continental also plans to install AVOD in both the BusinessFirst and economy cabins of its Boeing 777 fleet. The first 777 with the new system is scheduled to enter service in March 2007. The entertainment systems on these aircraft allow customers to choose from more than 250 movies, 300 short-subject programmes and 150 compact discs with a jukebox feature to make individual playlists. In addition, this new entertainment system has 25 video games and the Berlitz foreign language tutorial.
"We continue to invest in our product when it makes good business sense," said Mark Bergsrud, senior vice president marketing programs and distribution. "Our customers value inflight entertainment and want to be able to choose what they want to watch whenever they want."
With airline passengers carrying on more portable electronic devices like laptop computers, personal DVD players and digital music players, the airline is also increasing the number of in-seat AC power ports on the Boeing 757. Power ports are available in each of the 16 BusinessFirst seats on these aircraft and at economy class seats located forward of the overwing emergency exit. Each set of three seats has two receptacles providing electricity. Continental's Boeing 777 and 767 fleets already have the EmPower 15V DC system which uses special adapter cables for the in-seat power.