Would You Take a Course from the In-Flight Entertainment System?

by Enoch

In-flight entertainment has come a long way. I remember the days when there were just radio channels, and I could tune into Channel 9 on a United flight to hear communications with Air Traffic Control. Audio-only entertainment evolved into main screen programming, with content played in a loop that pairs with audio tracks of different languages (United still has these on their 747 aircraft!)

A (terrible) photo of United Airlines' in-flight entertainment onboard the 747, featuring mainscreen programming.

A (terrible) photo of United Airlines’ in-flight entertainment onboard the 747, featuring mainscreen programming.

Nowadays, most major airlines have outfitted their planes with personal screens, with on-demand content that will keep you entertained. You can choose anything from movies to TV shows, from cartoons to documentaries, and from curated radio channels to personalized music playlists. Some aircraft now also have Wi-Fi, or even Live TV through which you can stay connected. But one airline is expanding the types of content available onboard, and it’s none other than Emirates.

Emirates is partnering with LinkedIn to offer video Learning Courses through ICE, their in-flight entertainment system. These courses run anywhere between 20 minutes to 2 hours long, and cover everything from Leadership to Marketing to Photography. For example, perhaps you want to learn about how to manage stress from TEDx speaker Todd Dewett (Help! I’m stuck in a metal tube for 16 hours!). Or maybe you’d like to “create great workplace habits” with Yale lecturer Gretchen Rubin. These courses will be available starting this month.

Emirates isn’t the first airline to offer courses in the sky. You can stream lectures from top universities on JetBlue flights, and Virgin America has offered content from “Great Courses” since 2015. I think this is a nice addition for Emirates; they operate many long-haul flights, and diversifying content is always great. I’m sure some people will definitely enjoy learning something while in the air. Personally, I know I’d at least check out the Photography lessons, some of which are even catered to specific destinations (goodness knows I need them).

You can now take a course on an Emirates flight, through the airline's new partnership with LinkedIn. Source: Emirates

You can now take a course on an Emirates flight, through the airline’s new partnership with LinkedIn. Source: Emirates

Would you take a course through the in-flight entertainment system?

The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Related Articles

Leave a Comment