Travelling soon? New Dubai-built platform helps Emirates passengers choose movies mid-air
Mood-driven quiz reduces endless scrolling during long-haul flight entertainment decisions
DUBAI – Travellers flying with Emirates may soon find it easier to choose what to watch mid-air, thanks to a new independent platform designed to remove the familiar frustration of endless scrolling through thousands of titles.
Cinema Class, a mood-based recommendation tool built specifically for Emirates ICE, aims to simplify decision-making at 40,000 feet. It is a complimentary, offline-ready system that works without login or subscription.
The platform has been developed as a passenger-focused solution to what many describe as one of the most time-consuming parts of a long-haul flight.
No more scroll
The idea behind Cinema Class comes from a common in-flight experience: passengers spending long stretches of time browsing through film options instead of actually watching them. According to research conducted by Cinema Class across 30 Emirates passengers, half of those who start a film mid-flight do not finish it. The platform identifies this behaviour as a key inefficiency in onboard entertainment.
The frustration typically peaks around 25 minutes into a journey, when passengers are still searching for the “right” film before their meal service or rest period begins. Cinema Class was created to address this exact moment of decision fatigue, offering a faster and more structured way to choose content.
How it works
Cinema Class (cinemaclass.app) is built as a free, offline-compatible recommendation tool designed specifically for Emirates ICE. Passengers are invited to complete a short three-question quiz that considers their mood, destination, and preference for either timeless classics or trending titles. Based on these inputs, the system generates a curated shortlist of five films or TV shows.
Each recommendation includes a synopsis, cast details, and a weighted score designed to guide selection with greater confidence. The aim is to eliminate prolonged browsing and replace it with a focused set of options tailored to the traveller’s context.
Once opened on the ground, the platform loads fully and continues to function without an internet connection during the flight. There is no login requirement, no subscription model, and no advertisements, making it fully accessible to passengers at any stage of their journey.
The timing of the launch aligns with peak Eid Al-Adha travel, when Emirates operates some of its most heavily booked long-haul routes. With millions of passengers travelling on flights exceeding 12 hours, in-flight entertainment becomes a central part of the experience. Cinema Class was developed specifically for Emirates ICE, widely regarded as one of the most extensive in-flight entertainment systems in the world, featuring more than 4,000 titles.
“Emirates has the best in-flight entertainment in the world with 4000+ titles. Cinema Class gives you the right five. It is a human-first way of searching, that bases recommendations on where you're going, who you're with, and how you feel right now,” said Chirag Khushalani, founder of Cinema Class.
Beyond quiz
Beyond its core quiz function, Cinema Class introduces several additional features aimed at enhancing the in-flight experience. Destination cinema curates films based on where a passenger is travelling, offering culturally relevant selections for destinations such as Japan or New York. The idea is to make the journey itself part of the storytelling experience.
Milestone travel selections provide curated lists for significant life events such as graduations, weddings, newborn celebrations or retirements, allowing passengers to match their viewing choices with personal occasions. Seat-share watching helps groups, couples and families coordinate films they can enjoy simultaneously across different screens.
The platform also includes a dedicated award winners library, highlighting globally recognised films and series for those seeking critically acclaimed content. A flight plan feature assists passengers in balancing entertainment and rest, particularly useful for managing jet lag on long-haul journeys.
Another feature, the cinema passport, allows users to track their viewing history and build a personalised log of films watched during different trips, effectively turning each journey into a recorded cinematic experience.
Cinema Class was developed over several weekends by Dubai-based brand strategist Chirag Khushalani using tools such as Claude Code, Supabase, Vercel and enrichment APIs. The concept was shaped through direct conversations with Emirates passengers, who highlighted patterns of browsing behaviour, abandoned films, and decision fatigue during flights.
The platform remains independent and non-commercial, with ongoing refinements planned for its recommendation and scoring system based on user feedback. Future expansion is also being explored, with plans to extend the experience to additional airlines and long-haul carriers beyond Emirates, broadening its use across global travel networks.