British Airways makes huge change to onboard entertainment – and it’s good news for long-haul flights

BRITISH Airways has announced a new partnership that means all passengers now have access to exclusive content when travelling on any long-haul flight.

The UK's flagship airline has joined up with Paramount+ and is now showing television series from the streaming platform across all cabins on long-haul flights.

The programmes on board include various series from the Star Trek franchise, which the airline celebrated with a Star Trek takeover at the airline’s Heathrow Terminal 5 home.

Colleagues transformed into authentic Star Trek costumes and were styled by the franchise’s experts.

Unsuspecting customers and colleagues were taken by surprise as the Starfleet cadre made its way through the airport to board U.S.S. Enterprise flight 1701 to Starbase 1.

Stunned customers about to board flights were seen taking photos and assisting lieutenants in seeking directions to their boarding gate.

Calum Laming, British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, said: “We wanted to kick off this announcement with Paramount+ in true blockbuster-style by bringing some of their exclusive content to life, directly to our home at Heathrow Terminal 5.

"It was great to see so many Star Trek fans from across the business come together to help us celebrate this launch, with many colleagues excited to swap their wings for the Starfleet Insignia for a day.

“We know that customers are really going to enjoy the hours of content that this partnership with Paramount+ brings."

Anna Priest, Chief Marketing Officer, UK, at Paramount, said: “This partnership is a fantastic platform for our continued growth in the UK, allowing us to introduce millions of customers a year to some of the best shows anywhere, available on Paramount+.

"We’re confident that British Airways customers will love what they see and be encouraged to continue exploring the mountain of entertainment on offer.”

Paramount+ made its debut in the UK in June this year, with a load of old and new exclusive content to stream.

It contains content from Showtime, BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, as well as Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel.

Paramount+ costs £6.99 per month or £69.90 for the year but anyone with a Sky Cinema subscription can access Paramount+ at no extra cost.

We've revealed a clever hack if you fancy watching your own films on your phone or tablet during a flight.

Meanwhile, another passenger took drastic action when the person in front was blocking their TV screen.