Combining Tennis and Technology at the U.S. Open

Emirates Airline is serving up technology this year at the U.S. Open.

In its third year as an official sponsor of the U.S. Open, Emirates welcomed tennis fans with three different installations located near the courts. The main attraction making its debut this year is the Emirates Lounge, a 3,000-square-foot structure that gives Open attendees a sneak peek inside the airline’s double-decker A380 planes.

Specifically, visitors will get to play around with the entertainment systems located on the backs of Emirates plane seats. In first class, Emirates provides travelers with supersized 27-inch screens, while economy passengers get 12.1-inch screens.

The Emirates Lounge also served as HQ for the airline’s social media challenge. Visitors were encouraged to take selfies and tag them using the hashtag #AtYourService; they could later print them at the lounge using Emirates tablets. The photos also enter the tennis fans in a contest to win tickets to the Open’s men’s finals game.

Aside from the Emirates Lounge, the airline incorporated technology in its booth outside the Arthur Ashe stadium. There, attendees could participate in a life-sized game seemingly inspired by the carnival classic “Whack-a-Mole.” Players stand on a small tennis court printed with a world map; as cities light up, players hit them with a racket to earn points. All the cities featured are locations served by Emirates Airline, helping to celebrate the airline’s tenth year flying in the U.S.

The Emirates booths will be open for the entire U.S. Open tournament, which runs from August 25 until September 8. The #AtYourService contest will end the day before the men’s final on September 8.