A new survey, commissioned by All Nippon Airways (ANA) for the US market, has found that 72% of U.S. airline passengers have felt anxious about flying before. The most anxious flyers find takeoff to be the most stress-inducing part of the journey (68%), which is why Japan’s largest airline, ANA, developed ‘ANA Takeoff Mode’, specifically designed to relax and take people’s minds off the takeoff.
The ‘ANA Takeoff Mode’ app takes the form of a simple but absorbing puzzle where users have to maneuver a ball on screen to collect points, with relaxing music playing in the background. What really makes the app truly unique; however, is that it measures the amplitude and frequency response of the ambient noise inside the aircraft cabin. When the aircraft’s engines are at full throttle during takeoff, the audio profile triggers a special animation and message for the user. (The surrounding environment may affect how the app detects takeoff.)
The puzzle aspect of the game should prove particularly appealing. In the ANA survey, puzzle games ranked second only to listening to music when it came to ways that passengers relaxed while flying (61% of people relax by listening to music; 56% by playing puzzle games). Reading, watching TV and falling asleep came in not far behind (54%, 48% and 46% respectively).
The ‘ANA Takeoff Mode’ is one of the first smartphones apps to take advantage of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s announcement on October 31, 2013 that airlines can safely expand passenger use of Portable Electronic Devices during all phases of flight.
“ANA offers a unique flight experience with staff paying attention to even the smallest detail to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable flight for all our customers. Consideration has gone into every stage of the passenger journey, from our flagship lounges in Tokyo to our award winning ‘Connoisseurs’ inflight dining experience. Now we hope that the ‘ANA Takeoff Mode’ will ease and relax flyers, allowing them to enjoy their flight with ANA from the very beginning.” said Masaki Yokai, VP Marketing & Sales The Americas.
