Restless, sleepless and tired due to jet lag after a long overnight journey and want to reach your destination at the earliest? Seems to be a common complaint among fliers.
Virgin Atlantic claims to have some answers – in the form of aromatic towels and pillow sprays, which will not only help you relax during the night flight but also help you drift into sleep and wake up more refreshed and acclimatised to the new time zone. The aromatic towels used during the night have a blend of lavender, eucalyptus, fragonia, lemon myrtle and peppermint oil, which helps in getting sound sleep.
If this is not enough, the airline has 13 films - available on the flight entertainment system which provides techniques to help customers sleep effectively on a plane- whether they are sitting up or lying down. The in-flight videos also help customers switch off from work or focus their mind ahead of an important business meeting.
For day flights, the blend of oils include bergamot, sweet orange and yang ylang to help customers feel refreshed and relaxed.
Jill Brady, executive vice president (customer experience), Virgin Atlantic, said:"It (new initiative) will provide a two-step aromatherapy kit on board for all upper class flights to help customers overcome jetlag and enjoy a deep, relaxing sleep."
Encouraging readings during flight is another thing which the airlines is experimenting, with no-frill airline AirAsia (India) recently tying up with Amazon for Kindle E-reader, which features a 6 inch glare-free touch screen for comfortable reading experience.
The passengers can pre-book it for free till August 25. "Some of the available e-books are A Tale Of Two Cities, The Da Vinci Code, Gone With The Wind, Norwegian Wood, The Sialkot Saga, Daily Inspiration, Anthony Bourdain," reads the airline website.
Similarly, in order to target vacationing passengers, Qantas' Singapore-based low-cost carrier (LCC) Jetstar Asia has launched a book swap initiative. Jetstar's Big Book Swap will be available on all Jetstar Asia flights till 31 August 2016.
According to airline industry observers, the initiatives are nothing but marketing gimmicks. "These gimmicks are adopted world over by airlines" said Iqbal Mulla, chairman of consultancy group Global Tourism Council (GTC).
For example, in the past, Virgin Atlantic offered all its passengers in India during the general election to show his/her inked finger and enter into a draw for prizes like cabin upgrades, lounge access and hampers. Some other airlines have held photo exhibitions and auctions, wine tasting competition etc.
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