BA tests ‘happiness blanket’ to track passengers’ emotions during flights

British Airways has begun testing a hi-tech blanket that changes colour using brainwaves to measure and track exactly how passengers feel throughout the entire flight.

The “happiness blanket” will help BA pinpoint exactly what makes people happy and what makes them anxious when they fly to help the airline improve customer experiences.

Each blanket has fibre optics woven into the material and measures electrical fluctuations in the brain. These are recorded through a headpiece worn by the passenger and are sent via Bluetooth to the fibre optics in the blanket.

When a flier feels anxious or uneasy, the blanket turns red, and when the flier is relaxed and happy, the blanket turns blue.

BA started testing its new device on flights from London to New York. Not surprisingly, the study found that passengers were most anxious during take-off and landing and were happy when they were eating and drinking.

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