PLAY Partners with Bluebox for Onboard Retail Trial Implementation

Icelandic carrier PLAY Airlines has chosen Bluebox Aviation Systems to run a passenger-facing retail solution trial on board PLAY’s Airbus aircraft.

The trial will see the airline deploying Bluebox’s Blueview onboard retail service via a Bluebox Wow portable streaming system in its battery-operated format. According to Bluebox, the solution will enhance passengers’ in-flight experience and provide PLAY a platform to add new channels of revenue generation in support of its low-cost carrier strategy.

PLAY’s Birgir Jónsson, CEO commented: “At PLAY we are committed to providing safe effortless travel and great value to our passengers, but in line with our ethos – and our name – we also want to provide passengers a happy and pleasant journey, and so chose Bluebox to help introduce the potential to ‘play’ through a digital services platform.

“Though we’re trialling retail initially, Blueview’s impressive flexibility as a broader digital platform would give us plenty of scope to expand the portfolio of digital services we offer on board in future. Bluebox’s credibility in this sector and their willingness to deploy a solution that will evolve with us demonstrate they are the right partner to have on our side in this exciting and very challenging environment in which we’re growing PLAY.”

Bluebox says it will integrate Blueview with MOST’s retailing and payment platforms to present PLAY’s retail offering wirelessly to passengers on their own devices as part of the trial. Following that, a full deployment would add additional services to the Blueview platform such as paid access to in-flight entertainment.

Kevin Clark, CEO, Bluebox said: “Our Blueview solution – with its capacity to increase retail sales on board and the flexibility of adding additional ancillary revenue generating services including paid access to IFE content – epitomises the value of a digital passenger experience to airlines, especially low-cost carriers such as PLAY.

“We’re working closely with PLAY’s team to trial onboard retail to start, and following a successful trial, we will introduce new elements in future phases – from retail initially to retail plus other digital services; and from a battery-powered deployment on Bluebox Wow to an aircraft-powered solution. This kind of flexibility – both as partners and in the technology options we can offer – is crucial for airlines seeking new channels of revenue and additional value for their customers in the digital world in which we operate.”