Enhance your flight with entertainment streaming and seat-back controls.
iOS
Android
Industry
Entertainment
Our Role
Software Architecture
iOS Development
Android Development
UX Design
UI Design
QA & Testing
Project Management
Team
4 to 10 People
Duration
Ongoing since 2014
Gallery
Key Considerations
Coast-to-Coast Service
Unlike most of the apps we work on, the final PAC products need to be tested either on the airline or in specialized server environments established on-site at PAC’s Southern California offices. Mercury hired staff in the LA area to better service PAC’s account.
Focus on Quality Assurance
Mercury is one layer removed from most of the actual customer implementations we’re working on for the airlines, many of whom are located overseas and have a significant time zone difference. For this reason, we’re particularly focused on organization and quality assurance with each build.
Optimizing Localization
Because most airlines are international carriers, the apps are available in multiple languages. Each label and text item, both static and server-generated, can be customized for each airline. When adding multiple languages, managing these translations efficiently became a challenge. We created a templated spreadsheet that airlines can use to adjust the translations as needed, which can then be imported into the application project efficiently.
Adaptable Communication
In addition to communicating with both a ground server and an in-flight server, the applications must also interact with the individual seatbacks, which may have interfaces created by different vendors depending on the airline. Developing a flexible communication protocol for data exchange was essential to the project’s success.
Wrangling Features, Styles, and Airlines
From a developer's standpoint, Panasonic apps present unique challenges. With numerous airlines and styles, the core app must be nimble enough to accommodate a variety of styles and unique features while still delivering an engaging, seamless performance. Additionally, they must comply with FAA regulations, meaning they are specifically designed to perform efficiently and elegantly on older technology, meeting customer expectations.
Results
Mercury has created three distinct offerings for PAC, each designed to enhance the passenger experience during flights.
The first offering is the Companion Application, which showcases the entertainment content available during a passenger’s flight. Once on board, passengers can pair the Companion Application with their seatback monitor to control the entertainment experience displayed on the seatback from their personal devices. This allows users to explore other airline content on their devices, such as digital in-flight magazines or flight maps, while the entertainment selection shows on the seatback.
The second offering is a streaming-only version of the Companion Application, intended for use on planes without seatback entertainment options. This ensures that passengers can still enjoy in-flight entertainment, even when traditional systems are unavailable.
Lastly, Mercury has developed a modular version of the app’s functionality, which can be integrated into an airline's existing native application rather than functioning as a standalone app. All three options can be customized and branded for each airline with their specific content.
To date, the PanaSky suite of products has been rolled out to nine airlines, including Air Tahiti, Air Vanuatu, Copa Airlines, Etihad, Hawaiian Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Swoop, and Turkish Airlines, on both iOS and Android platforms. This broad adoption highlights the versatility and appeal of Mercury’s offerings in enhancing the in-flight experience.
