Air Canada is giving travel agents and potential travelers the chance to experience its Boeing 787 Dreamliner through a new VR simulation.
After donning the headset and hand controls, viewers can interact with a small model of the new aircraft before the experience moves the viewer inside to show off its economy, premium economy and business sections, including the “executive pod” seating.
The environment is fully interactive, allowing users to move the tray tables, look through an issue of enRoute magazine, pick items from the airline’s menu and browse the in-flight entertainment. As an element of fun, the experience also includes being served a meal selection.
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The VR experience was created with Neutral Digital and is being brought to business-focused events in Toronto later this month, such as the WX Top 100 Leadership Summit and EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year National Gala. It’s already been part of a “poutinerie” activation Air Canada did in London, U.K. to attract international travelers.
Besides engaging the traveling public, the experience also has B2B applications. Duncan Bureau, VP of global sales at Air Canada, added in a press release that VR experiences like this one are an effective way to engage the travel agent community.
“Virtual reality enables us to familiarize thousands of travel agents and potential customers with Air Canada’s offerings through the magic of an interactive, virtual tour,” Bureau said. “We have already seen an increase in bookings since we began using this technology.”
The brand has also created 360-degree videos that do not offer the opportunity to interact with the aircraft, but still give a first-person view of its interior.
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