Enter the QVerse: How an immersive VR experience is taking air travel to a new dimension
If you’ve taken a flight recently, you’ll no doubt have used tech to help you prepare. Whether that’s just researching and booking your trip online, or checking in and storing your tickets digitally, technology has revolutionised the customer journey for those who like to hop on a plane as often as they can.
Qatar Airways is taking this level of innovation to new heights, by offering a “try before you fly” virtual reality experience for keen travellers to enjoy from the comfort of their home.
QVerse allows users to mirror the journey of a customer – both on the ground and on board – just like they were flying to one of over 170 destinations from Hamad International Airport in Doha, the home of Qatar Airways.
It believes that by providing a digital experience that so closely matches the physical one, that passengers can make more informed decisions in their travel plans, and also better understand the quality of services they can expect.
Explore your surroundings
Starting at the entrance to Hamad International Airport, users can navigate their way through a 360-degree virtual environment of the transit hall and duty free areas, before getting a taste of the luxurious Al Safwa and Al Mourjan lounges.
Clickable hotspots give you more information on all the key features you can expect as you move through the different areas, including useful videos that further help to bring the experience to life.
Next, it’s time to take a virtual seat on board one of Qatar Airways’ flights, with a selection of four different aircraft for you to choose from – you can take your pick from the Boeing 777, the Boeing 787-9, the Airbus A350 and the Airbus A380.
From here, you’re free to explore the cabin, from the spacious economy seats to all the incredible features of QSuite – recently voted as the best business class in the world at the Skytrax Awards 2023.
Order a meal, soak up the attention to detail at every turn, and even browse the most competitive fares to your chosen destination for the next six months. If you’re ready to book, you can click right through from the QVerse to get your dream trip finalised in moments.
Meet your cabin crew, Sama
You won’t be doing all this alone, though. Guiding you through the entire digital customer journey is the industry’s first metahuman cabin crew, Sama.
Soon to be powered by AI to further enhance her responses – a sign of Qatar Airways’ dedication to the QVerse – Sama will walk you through everything, pointing out key features that you won’t want to miss and helping you to make the next step in your QVerse journey.
While Sama is currently English speaking only, all of the QVerse website content is available in 13 different languages, making this a truly global experience with a focus on inclusivity.
Whether you’re flying with Qatar Airways soon, or are simply curious to experience everything the seven-time winner of World’s Best Airline has to offer, QVerse delivers an unique insight into the true meaning of travelling in style. You can check it out from your computer or smartphone now.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.