British Airways introduces the 'happiness blanket'

British Airways introduces the 'happiness blanket'
By admin


British Airways recently began testing a hi-tech blanket that measures a person’s brainwaves and changes colour based on their mood.

The ‘happiness blanket’, as it’s known, is woven with fibre optics, and uses neuro-sensors to assess a person’s brainwaves. The blanket changes colours from red to blue, to show when they’re at their most relaxed.

The airline hopes monitoring a person’s sleep and relaxation patterns during a flight will inform decisions made to improve aspects of the in-flight service, including meal times, what food is served, and even the types of films shown.

“Using technology like the British Airways ‘happiness blanket’ is another way for us to investigate how our customers’ relaxation and sleep is affected by everything on board,” BA managing director brands and customer experience Frank van der Post said.

Professor of human brain research at University College London Vincent Walsh supported the initiative, saying that sleeping on a plane is a great way to reset your body clock before arriving at your destination.

“Flying presents the body with a unique set of challenges, but getting a proper sleep on a flight isn’t rocket science,” Walsh said.

“You need to ensure your brain has as few distractions as possible so that you can ease it into a different time zone.”

Tips to ensuring your body is well rested coming off a flight include having a light meal before boarding, removing your shoes for improved circulation, and staying as hydrated as possible.

British Airways has also announced the introduction of ‘Slow TV’ programming on board a number of its long-haul flights, which displays ‘wallpaper’ style footage that has a hypnotic quality for viewers.

In-flight podcasts and relaxing music can also improve the mood and sleep levels of passengers during a flight. 

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