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Starting today, Jetstar will be offering iPads for use as in-flight entertainment devices.
Considering the cost for installing seat-back screens it may make good financial sense to approach airline-provided multimedia in this manner. Travelers are coming to expect the availability of movies and television shows as options for making their flying time pass by as quickly and painlessly as possible. Particularly when it comes to flying with children, these kinds of extra things can make all of the difference.

The press release details that a new selection of content including movies, children’s e-books, music clips, magazines and games will be made available each month so there should be no shortage of entertainment options for even the most frequent of fliers.
While they mention iPads having premium sound systems, they don’t mention whether they also provide the use of headphones. A few dozen iPads running a few dozen different movies, games or other apps could be enough to drive other passengers out of their minds if they are intended to be played aloud.
The disadvantage of course is the cost to you. Jetstar offers the use of these iPads for a charge of US $10-$15 per flight. Depending on the flight, these additional fees make a discount airline a little less discount.
With the limited storage space on most airplanes these days I am a bit curious how they intend to keep a fleet of tablets properly charged and safely stowed.
The initial roll-out has been set at 3,000 iPads though that number is expected to increase shortly once the devices are added to Jetstar’s Asia network.
The Jetstar Group describes themselves as a “network of value based carriers providing all day every day low fares across Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region.” With over 7000 staff, Jetstar has flown 75 million passengers since the company’s launch in 2004.