Caught up in the latest season of “Orange is the New Black” or “House of Cards” but have to jump on a plane to go to a convention or trade show? If you’re flying on Virgin America, you can get right back to your addiction at 35,000 feet.
Wi-Fi on airplanes is becoming the norm, but the connections haven’t been fast enough to reliably stream quality video until Virgin America recently partnered with ViaSat earlier this summer to provide fast, reliable Wi-Fi while in the air on select planes.
To help spread the word and position the airline as the top high-altitude internet provider, Virgin America just announced a new partnership with Netflix to provide the ViaSat connection—which can reach download speeds as fast as 140 gigabits-per-second—free of charge for subscribers of the online video-streaming service/TV studio through March 2, 2016, a service they’re branding #NetflixOnboard. (Internet fees will apply starting March 3).
“As Wi-Fi becomes more ubiquitous, it’s going to be increasingly possible for members to enjoy Netflix wherever they want,” said Bill Holmes, Netflix’s global head of business development. “We’re delighted to partner with Virgin America to extend the joy of Netflix to our members at 35,000 feet.”
“Netflix and Virgin America are both known for their focus on innovation and for shaking up their respective industries—so we’re thrilled to team up to bring the best in technology and entertainment to the skies. These latest-generation investments in our Wi-Fi and entertainment platforms allow us to provide the largest breadth of streamed content ever available at 35,000 feet—along with entire seasons of some Netflix favorites via the Red platform,” added Abby Lunardini, Virgin America’s vice president of brand marketing and communications.
To commemorate the partnership, Virgin America rolled out a #NetflixOnboard branded airplane, complete with “House of Cards” logo on the side. As an added bonus, Emmy-nominated actor Michael Kelly, who plays Douglas Stamper in the D.C.-based political drama, joined the inaugural #NetflixOnboard flight—which, fittingly, went from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.—in character and handed out whiskey whistleblower cocktails to other passengers.
Netflix also partnered with Marriott Hotels earlier this year to help ensure travelers are never without their favorite movies and TV shows.
