If you’ve been intrigued by the Apple Vision Pro, but haven’t yet committed to buying the headset, one airline will soon give you the chance to test-drive—er, pilot?—the new technology.
Beond, which bills itself as the “world’s first premium leisure airline,” will have Vision Pros onboard beginning in July, according to a statement shared on 15 February. It will be the first airline to offer the amenity, which will come loaded with movies, games, and more in-flight content.
“The Apple Vision Pro will transform the inflight entertainment experience,” Tero Taskila, Beond’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “Offering the Apple Vision Pro is another step in our vision of delivering a premium travel experience to our customers, from the start to finish of their journey. We’re proud to be the first airline to deploy the technology.”
Currently, Beond flies from Munich, Zurich, and Riyadh to the Maldives. Later this year, the airline will launch Maldives service from Milan, Dubai, and Bangkok. It’s been working to upgrade the flight experience in several ways, including an all lay-flat seating configuration. The Vision Pros are just the latest enhancement: Along with being able to play games and watch movies or TV shows, the airline is working with its partners to feature resort destinations and activities in the South Asian country.
While Beond is hoping to attract more high fliers with the Vision Pro, the headset may pose some challenges. For the best experience, users should have a custom fit and prescription lens inserts, Digital Trends reported, and it’s not clear how the airline will address those specifications. Some users have already flagged issues with the headsets, too, complaining about a lack of comfort and subpar features. That annoyance is likely the last thing passengers would want on a long-haul flight to a tropical destination.
Still, Beond is offering an interesting real-world use case for Apple’s latest product, which enters a virtual-reality market that hasn’t quite taken off over the years. The ability to test out the Vision Pro on a flight might bring the technology to people who wouldn’t otherwise have been interested, or convince those who wanted to see how it might fit into their life. Beond is hoping that it’s more enjoyable than your everyday seat-back entertainment, at least.
