While air travel allows us to breeze past continents and to the other side of the world in the matter of a few hours, it is the idle time we are obligated to spend in-flight that makes the whole journey taxing.

During long flights, the most we can do is catch up on our beauty sleep, listen to the same old songs on our devices or sift through the glossy pages of in-flight magazines. Once all this is done and the watch mockingly informs us that we still have a good few hours to kill, what do we do then?

To retain the envious position it enjoys in air travel and pamper its valuable travellers with an entertaining experience, Jet Airways has come up with an initiative called #JetScreen. I had the chance to review this recently.

JetScreen is a new wireless streaming in-flight entertainment (IFE) service that allows you to be entertained in-flight with a vast range of Movies, Music, TV shows and Games which have been meticulously selected to cater to a wide range of travellers.

The best part is that you can use your own Wi-fi compatible device like a smartphone, tablet or laptop. No separate devices or charges are required.

All you need to do is download the free Airtime Player on your device which is available in the App Store and Play Store before boarding the aircraft. There is no internet connection for the download in the flight.

The rest is simple enough. Once onboard, switch your phone to ‘Flight Mode’, enable the wi-fi on your device, select ‘JetScreen’ and connect to it, launch your AirTime Player, and you’re on!

Once you’re connected, you will be impressed with the seamless wireless connection you’re offered without tapping in any passwords. This wi-fi is only for using the AirTime player and you won’t be allowed to browse through internet or any kind of social media. Don’t forget to keep your device fully charged and a portable charger handy if need be. Also, carry your personal headphones with you to avoid disturbing your co-travellers.

MY EXPERIENCE

There are a wide range of Bollywood, Hollywood, International, Festival etc. movies available. On one side you have the likes of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Aloha, while on the other side you have Sarabjit, Airlift and Ki & Ka.

From Bollywood to Ghazals, Rock, International & Indian Pop, Western & Indian Classical etc there is an eclectic mix of music.

TV shows include an episode or two from a few seasons of The Big Bang Theory, Mad Men, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, Comedy Nights with Kapil, etc.

Games fans can keep themselves occupied with games like Letter Mix, Eye2Eye, Hue Drops, etc.

MY SUGGESTIONS

The entire fleet is still being upgraded with JetScreen, but I would suggest making clear announcements and informing the travellers on the enabled ones so they can know about it and enjoy the experience.

I had trouble opening a few files in AirTime player and couldn’t play them even after I downloaded them on my device as directed. It would help if all videos/ tracks are tested and verified before they are added.

Adding short films, a few more popular sitcoms and a mix of tracks instead of full albums of a particular singer would be a good idea.

Having said that, admittedly, I had a wonderful experience and will definitely look forward to more of it in future.

Have a fun #JetScreen experience people! 🙂

© This site A Vibrant Palette is the property of Varsha Bagadia. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Varsha Bagadia and A Vibrant Palette with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.