IFE on domestic flights?

[PHL]

Over on FT, a member posted that an FA said that for planes with IFE (757, A330) on domestic routes, the A/V would be activated again to "align with AA" in terms of their in flight entertainment policies.
 
Is this a recent/true customer improvement?

 

[1AA]

WOW, USAir shut down the IFE on domestic routes?

 

[Keroseneuser]

Parker had all the IFE removed from all fleets around 2008.   We did add gogo inflight internet to all fleets starting around 2010
 
All usairways east airbuses originally had the drop down video screens and ran movies during transcons.   All of that gear was removed to save weight for better fuel numbers.   Essentially we were brought to west standards for the fleet during that time,  which was basically operated as a large commuter/regional.
 
However on the flip side, Usairways made money overall during the lean times of the late 2000's when many other carriers were losing millions, and even though we still don't have IFE on domestic flights presently, every day in CLT and PHL looks like thanksgiving day with a sea of humanity moving from one plane to another.   I gave up trying to non rev my family anywhere that they had to be a couple years ago,  if they need to go somewhere I buy a ticket,  only way to get them there on time.   It is rare to see more than a few open seats on anything anymore.
 
I guess the IFE thing depends on how you look at it as to it being good or bad.

 

[phllax]

Actually the West Airbus fleet also had the same drop down IFE and actually used it on all flights, showing mostly bloopers and trivia. It was only legacy US that used them for domestic mid-con and above stage lengths.

 

[737823]

This is USAIR, the trashy bottom feeder carrier among the US airlines. Meanwhile standalone AA planned to install AVOD to all newly delivered 319, 321, and 738 aircraft US has no in seat power and not even overhead screens. I hope they address the considerable gaps in product across the fleet.

Josh

 

[robbedagain]

Josh  since you have absolute complete hatred judging by your last post above   QUIT FLYING US/AA    You have nothing ever good to say about it.  Well let me tell you this much... DL does NOT have IFE on their A319s MD-88s nor the MD-90s   I know bec I flew on each of those mentioned planes May 4th and May 11th.  

 

[etops1]

To answer the opening posters question . Yes. To better align with AA policy ,US reactivated IFE on domestic flts on May1 .This only applies to aircraft with IFE installed . 757/767 A330.

 

[CactUS4Ever]

This is USAIR, the trashy bottom feeder carrier among the US airlines. Meanwhile standalone AA planned to install AVOD to all newly delivered 319, 321, and 738 aircraft US has no in seat power and not even overhead screens. I hope they address the considerable gaps in product across the fleet.
Josh

Josh you have lots of anger towards US and AA.Why do you continue to fly AA/US??? You know there is Delta ,JetBlue,Virgin and etc. I work for the company and I couldn't care less about IFE and Food service. All I care about is my free seat and to get from point A to point B without incident. I can bring my own IFE and I can buy my own food

 

[737823]

No anger towards AA, only anger is that the unions pushed this stupid merger, which many in management of AA did not want despite all the people that say otherwise.  And give it 18-24 months and even the employees that have been pushing for this merger will likely see why it was such a stupid idea.  I chose not to do business with USAIR before the merger and only flew the Shuttle occasionally to DCA as it was convenient for me but now I have no choice. 
 
Josh

 

[700UW]

That would have been Doug Parker and the Creditor's Committee who pushed for the merger, AA's unions, APA, APFA and the TWU, on the US side that would be ALPA, AFA and the TWU who supported it.

Employees actually had no say in the matter, if you really look at it, that would be Parker, Wall Street and the Creditor's Committee who wanted the merger.

 

[1AA]

To answer the opening posters question . Yes. To better align with AA policy ,US reactivated IFE on domestic flts on May1 .This only applies to aircraft with IFE installed . 757/767 A330.

So USAir deactivated IFE's on aircraft that has them installed. WOW, so is this what USAir calls good customer service?

 

[nycbusdriver]

So USAir deactivated IFE's on aircraft that has them installed. WOW, so is this what USAir calls good customer service?

 
Sadly, yes.  It's the Tempe Brain-Trust mentality.  They have never figured out what is meant by "the high cost of cheap."

 

[ChockJockey]

Do we even have IFE in economy on our 757's and 767's that fly Europe and Hawaii? They don't have AC or USB charging capability either, do they?

 

[konaparadise]

About the IFE on the a/c the old usiarways had drop down screens on all of it s airbus aircrarft and on the boeings they had overhead videos.  When the US/AW happened Scott Kirby decided that the aircrafts would be lighter taken the equipment off.   This was to reduce the use of fuel.  I was told by a mechanic that it only eliminated 240 lbs. For some reason the AW does not believe in IFE on transcon or flight over 3hours.  If they want to compete with UA and DL they better wake up.  Their excuse they give is a lot of folks have their own electronics they bring on board.....I disagree that is true of young travelers but the last flight I was on it was Delta flight a lot of folks were watching/using the IFE.

 

[PHL]

So USAir deactivated IFE's on aircraft that has them installed. WOW, so is this what USAir calls good customer service?

 
Deactivating would imply that the equipment remained, but was simply disabled/turned off.  The entire system was removed from the A319/320/321 fleet as of 2008, and subsequent deliveries came out of the factory without it.  It wasn't so much bad customer service as it was cost savings when fuel reached $148'ish per barrel and airlines were pinching every penny they could.
 
All of the Empower outlets in every seat of the Pre-merger Airbus fleet were also disabled.  The plugs are still there...but INOP because, as I recall a discussion here, the breaker(s) that powered the IFE also powered the in-seat power.
 
Yes, US was not very customer friendly in those years after the 2005 merger.  I like to think they have a renewed sense of customer commitment these days, though.