United x Spotify: In-Flight Entertainment Upgrade
United Airlines and Spotify have launched a unique collaboration to enhance passengers’ travel experiences. Travellers can now access over 450 hours of entertainment content for free on the airline’s more than 130,000 seatback screens. Many of these screens feature 4K quality and support Bluetooth audio connectivity.
This is the first time Spotify has made audiobooks and video podcasts available on an airline. United Airlines passengers can now enjoy over 65 pieces of content, including popular titles like “Good Hang” with Amy Poehler, “The Dave Chang Show,” and “The Comment Section” with Drew Afualo.
Next year, United passengers will have the option to log into the Spotify app on the in-flight entertainment screen using their personal devices. This feature will allow them to enjoy their favourite personalized content directly from the seatback, enabling them to pick up their preferred podcasts, music, and audiobooks right where they left off.
“Spotify has a huge audience and people love their content. And now our customers can enjoy it all in a simple and easy way, at 35,000 feet,” said Richard Nunn, CEO of MileagePlus.
“Together, we’re giving millions of customers an entirely new way to experience and explore premium content from the world’s most popular artists, authors and podcasters –all while flying with the latest technology in the sky.”
“As a frequent United flyer myself, it’s incredibly exciting to see Spotify now available on the world’s largest airline,” said Ian Geller, VP of Business Development at Spotify.
“At Spotify, we’re dedicated to being everywhere our users are, giving creators opportunities to reach new platforms and engage different audiences. I’m especially looking forward to bringing an even more personalized app streaming experience to seatbacks next year.”
Onboard Experience
Spotify content is set to enhance the in-flight experience for travellers on over 680 United aircraft. This exciting update introduces a dedicated category labelled “Spotify,” which will replace the existing “Audio” option in the home menu. Under this new category, passengers will find various channels, including ‘Podcasts,’ ‘Video Podcasts,’ ‘Audiobooks,’ and ‘Playlists,’ providing a diverse range of content to enjoy during their journey.
In addition to these offerings, most aircraft will feature a specially curated ‘Spotify’ channel in the coming months, bringing together all Spotify content in one convenient location for quick and easy access. This will allow travellers to effortlessly select and enjoy their favourite shows and music.
For those flying on Starlink-equipped aircraft, the experience becomes even more seamless. Passengers can stream Spotify content directly on their personal devices from gate to gate, ensuring a continuous listening experience without any interruptions. To get started, they simply log in to their MileagePlus account and accept the terms and conditions for using Starlink. Once that’s done, they can launch their Spotify app and stream their favourite content just as they do at home, transforming their flight into a more enjoyable and personalised experience.
Collaboration Beyond the Skies
To celebrate the exciting launch of Spotify Premium, MileagePlus members who are new subscribers to the Premium Individual plan have an exclusive opportunity to earn up to 1,000 bonus miles. In a groundbreaking collaboration, Spotify is teaming up with Kinective Media, a pioneering traveller media network created by United Airlines, to extend this enticing offer to United customers throughout their entire travel journey.
Travellers will encounter engaging prompts encouraging them to sign up for Spotify Premium, allowing them to enhance their musical experience while earning miles based on their MileagePlus status. These tailored messages will be strategically displayed across a variety of United’s owned and operated media channels, ensuring maximum visibility. Passengers can expect to see these prompts on inflight entertainment screens, through the United app, on United Club screens, in email communications, and more. This partnership not only enhances the travel experience but also rewards customers for their loyalty.
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