Kevin Costner’s Autio Travel App Joins JetBlue’s In-Flight Lineup
Autio, the travel companion mobile app co-founded by Kevin Costner, this week announced a new partnership with low-cost airline JetBlue that will see Autio content added to the carrier’s in-flight entertainment library.
Through the arrangement, JetBlue’s passengers on select flights will be able to access Autio’s unique audio content, filled with stories and insights about 29 of the carrier’s U.S. destinations, on their AVANT seatback screens.
“We’re excited to partner with JetBlue and take Autio to new heights with our first in-flight integration. JetBlue is one of the most respected airlines and their customers are going to love hearing 250+ entertaining stories about their destinations,” said Woody Sears, CEO and Co-Founder at Autio.
Launched in 2020, Autio was originally created to accompany road-trippers as they drove to discover areas of the U.S., deepening their experiences by providing location-based infotainment narratives about the history and culture of their surroundings.
The app’s co-founder, Academy Award-winning actor, director and filmmaker Kevin Costner lent his own highly recognizable voice to some of the 10,000-plus stories that now comprise Autio’s content library. Other celebrity Autio narrators include multi-award-winning actor John Lithgow and former NBA player Phil Jackson, among others.
“In joining Autio, my primary goal was to shine a light on the history and stories of our nation, starting with the creation of the United States and indigenous people. Our passion for creating artful narratives about the personal history of our country will continue to be one of our company’s pillars,” said Kevin Costner, Co-Founder of Autio. “Autio signifies our continued focus to spark interesting conversation through short anecdotes for listeners on any type of journey.”
While many users continue tapping into its vast library to uncover the hidden histories and legacies of places along their road routes, many are also tuning into the app for informative entertainment while they’re flying, visiting parks, going on walks or even as part of their virtual travel experiences taken from home.
Autio frequently ranks among the Apple App Store’s top five highest-grossing apps and even won the 2022 Webby Award for Best Travel App, thanks to its innovative travel-tech platform, which uses GPS-based geolocation capabilities to automatically prompt U.S. users to play compelling tales about nearby towns, landmarks, points of interest and more.
Autio is currently available only for iPhones and Apple devices running iOS 13.0 or later, and can be downloaded via the App Store. With a free account, users can access five free selections, while paid subscription accounts ($36 per year) get unlimited access to the curated audio story collection.