American inks Apple deal to let there be rock

Apple Music subscribers can let the good times roll from February 1 thanks to deal that gives them complimentary inflight Wi-Fi access on suitably equipped American Airlines aircraft. Passengers will be able to stream Apple’s millions of songs, playlists and videos on any domestic flight equipped with Viasat satellite Wi-Fi. American says it is the first commercial airline to strike such a deal with the technology giant. The US carrier has been progressively fitting out its fleet with high-speed wi-fi and currently has it on 570 aircraft. It expects to complete the project by the middle of this year. Customers on Viasat-equipped aircraft can enjoy Apple Music during a flight by connecting to the inflight Wi-Fi at no cost and logging in with their Apple Music subscription. Customers who don’t already have an Apple Music subscription will be able to connect to Wi-Fi at no cost, sign up onboard and receive free access for three months. The service is available on both Apple and Android devices. READ first American biometric boarding trial starts in LA American has also added free live TV to more than 400 domestic and 155 international aircraft, with more to come, and is streaming free entertainment to customers’ devices. To help them keep their devices running, it is installing power at every seat in mainline aircraft and two-class regional jets. “Our customers want to make the most of their time when flying with us. That’s why we’re investing in high-speed Wi-Fi, the newest movies, live TV and now Apple Music,” said  American president of global marketing Janelle Anderson. United Airlines also this week announced it was offering 100 channels of live television for free on 211 Boeing 737 United aircraft equipped with seatback TV, In addition to the free live DIRECTV service at more than 30,000 seats, United has also expanded its personal device entertainment product to allow passengers to use their phones, tablets or laptops to access a library of more than 280 complimentary movies and TV shows. "This year, we will be introducing a series of innovations and improvements designed to help build a great experience for all our customers," said United chief customer officer Toby Enqvist. "Offering free entertainment, whether it's on seat back TV or on personal devices, is one example of how we are placing our customers at the heart of what we do and helping them to relax and enjoy their flights."