US upgrade new fiber optic in-flight entertainment system

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Mar 29, 2004
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US Airways, other carriers race to upgrade in-flight entertainment

Dawn Gilbertson
courtesy of The Arizona Republic
Dec. 23, 2007 06:42 PM


Nancy Drew and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.

Those are the only movies showing on most US Airways domestic flights this holiday season. Passengers heading East before New Year's get the savvy young detective, those heading West, a puffed-up Tim Allen.

The Tempe airline hopes to broaden the movie menu in the not-too-distant future with a new fiber optic in-flight entertainment system in development with an undisclosed manufacturer. It plans to test the touch screen seat-back system on one plane as early as late spring.

The goal is to give US Airways an edge over its competitors in the race for passenger loyalty, while also boosting revenue. There will be a charge for the new system, but prices haven't been decided. US Airways' current movie and short-video lineup is free for customers who bring their own headsets. The airline also sells headsets for $5.

Other airlines aren't standing still, of course. Delta Air Lines offers a new seat-back system on its transcontinental flights, including Phoenix to New York, that includes movies on demand, live television and HBO programming. It has aggressive plans to expand it to other routes.

Virgin America, a San Francisco startup, offers a seat-back system called Red that includes more than 25 pay-per-view movies and satellite television. The airline calls it the most advanced entertainment system in the sky. New releases are $8.

JetBlue and Frontier have their popular live television, AirTran XM radio.

In-flight Internet access is also looming. JetBlue recently began testing it on one plane and American and Alaska are next up. Southwest, a big player in Phoenix, also plans a test of in-flight Internet next year.

Travis Christ, US Airways' vice president of sales and marketing, credits the renewed focus on in-flight entertainment to the development of smaller, more economical systems as well as airlines' improved financial health.

The costs of a bulky system aren't inconsequential, adding up to tens of millions of dollars a year in additional fuel when fuel prices are high like they are now.

"We're entering a new era in in-flight entertainment that all of a sudden works not only for a customer, but also works from the airline's perspective," he said.

He said US Airways is initially focusing on movies and related features rather than the Internet because it believes that's where there is more demand. Unlike the in-flight Internet systems being tested, US Airways' video-on-demand system doesn't require customers to bring their own device, such as a laptop or BlackBerry.

"We think this will be attractive to a much greater percentage of people on the plane," Christ said. He said the airline has studied passenger behavior on planes to arrive at that conclusion. "You don't ask them what they do, you look at what they really do," he said.

In a typical 12-seat first class cabin, he said, two or three passengers are working, two or three are watching movies on their laptop, two or three are watching the airline's in-flight movie and the rest are reading a book or sleeping. Christ said frequent business travelers often don't have much time to go to the movies, so they like the option of catching up on new releases during flights.

The US Airways system will likely start with a dozen movie options and later expand to dozens, along with songs, comedies and other features and the ability to buy meals on board, check connecting gate information, or shop the SkyMall catalog.

Tempe business traveler Mark Phillips, who flies US Airways several times a month in his job as program manager for military supplier ArmorWorks, sounds like the perfect customer for the new system. He estimates that he puts on his noise-cancellation headphones and watches the in-flight movie on about half of the flights he takes because he rarely gets to the movie theater.

"If I don't have work to do that I have to get done on the plane, movies or entertainment are good," he said.

There are times, though, when he wishes he could tackle his e-mail on the plane so he doesn't have thirty urgent messages waiting on his Samsung BlackJack waiting when he gets off the flight.

That's the route Southwest is taking. The Dallas carrier, the second busiest carrier out of Phoenix after US Airways, next year will test Internet access on four planes. It has not announced its partner in the deal or the cost.

"The one thing that people really want in flight, especially if they're traveling on business, is to be connected," said Angela Vargo, manager of product development. She said Southwest, which has taken several steps to lure more business travelers, believes Internet access will give it a competitive edge.

US Airways expects the same benefit from its new system. "We think that in-flight entertainment does influence some amount of customer behavior," Christ said, pointing to JetBlue's loyal cadre of travelers.

US Airways' system will be tested on an Airbus 320 beginning in late spring or early summer and will run for three months.
 
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He (Travis Christ) said US Airways is initially focusing on movies and related features rather than the Internet because it believes that's where there is more demand.

I would guess that in-flight internet would win hands down over entertainment for FFs. But you know those Kettles; they can’t get enough Tim Allen sequels and sitcoms.
 
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courtesy of cheapflights.com

US Airways will increase the number of in-flight movies it is able to show with the introduction of a new fiber optic entertainment system.

Passengers will be given the option of 12 movies when the new system is rolled out next spring. This figure will increase as more developments are made, the Arizona Republic reports.

Travis Christ, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at US Airways, told the newspaper: "We're entering a new era in in-flight entertainment that all of a sudden works not only for a customer, but also works from the airline's perspective.

"We think this will be attractive to a much greater percentage of people on the plane."

A new venture with the Travel Channel has seen US Airways launch a new in-flight entertainment service providing passengers with information about destinations. The TravelQuest feature includes tips on where to stay and what to do in several destinations served by the airline.
 
I really don't know what to think about this. On the one hand better IFE is good. On the other, touch screens will get ripped to pieces by the masses.

I'd rather have the internet and I bet it would be lighter than the new IFE. Of course only the business trav is likely to pay to use it and they'll make more money off of the movies.
 
More piano painting going on here. IFE systems are no good if you can't provide decent air service.

US might placate the easily amused, but a fiberoptic IFE isn't going to make up for a multihour delay if you are flying on business.
 
Here we go again! Remember GTE airphones? IFE at every seat? INSANE. Can you say CIDS reset OP CK OK. With cell phones, I-PODS, CD players, etc who cares about seat back IFE? Seats are so close together you can't even focus on that little screen anyway.
 
Fly Virgin or JetBlue. The whole tone of the flight is more settled. Give them something to do and passes the time. Much better inflight experience. Also, we can go cash less much easier. But don't cheap out, if you're going to get a new system plan 5 years ahead and get the Internet with it. It's either this or we are left in the dust as usual.
 
Well this is good news... nice to see US is back to focusing on running an airline and providing products that customers want. Happy Holidays to all the GREAT employees of US. Peace


I am not a germ freak, but................

I am just imaging all the kids with their dirty slobbery fingers always playing with these things.....

We all know we aren't so good at actually cleaning anthing very well.

Imagine the germs.....
 
This is good news. I hope they put an inflight information system in to display ground speed, alt, etc. On Cathay they also display upon arrival into HKG connecting flight gates, etc.
 
I am not a germ freak, but................

I am just imaging all the kids with their dirty slobbery fingers always playing with these things.....

We all know we aren't so good at actually cleaning anthing very well.

Imagine the germs.....
Uhh, an airplane is full of germs anyway, I doubt the addition of touch screen TV's would make a difference....

I think this is a positive step! Cool....
 
I would guess that in-flight internet would win hands down over entertainment for FFs.


This is a double-edged sword: While the ability to download e-mail and connect to my VPN inflight would be appreciated, my inflight time is really my only "downtime" where I can either work, read or watch a movie uninterrupted. And I find I am much more productive when working uninterrupted than I am when that stupid e-mail dings every few seconds. There IS something nice about being completely unreachable for a few hours.

Given the choice, I think I would choose a new generation IFE entertainment system over the ability to connect to the internet. I don't think my company will self-destruct if I am unreachable for a few hours, although you'd think otherwise by some of the e-mails marked "urgent." ;)
 
Given the choice, I think I would choose a new generation IFE entertainment system over the ability to connect to the internet. I don't think my company will self-destruct if I am unreachable for a few hours, although you'd think otherwise by some of the e-mails marked "urgent." ;)
Good. Glad to hear it. It's on its way.......
 
Personally, I am a fan of seatback IFE systems. I have done about 10 flights total on jetBlue. Song, and DL with the former Song system, and have really enjoyed it. Since we know Tempe reads these boards I hope they hear loud and clear what I am about to suggest. Since so much of our customer base seems to be Ma and Pa Kettle if you really want to sell lots of seats as a result of this new system please have lots of programing for kids of different ages, just as we do on the A-330. Living in NYC. jetBlues largest market, and having many friends with kids who travel regulary and are not airline employees, many have done most of their flying on B6 because their IFE keeps the kids entertained for the entire flight, including long ATC delays. To many of them this is so huge they only plan vacations to places B6 flies. I realize B6 and Songs original systems are Live TV whereas it sounds like US is going with an AVOD system there are still lots of oppurtunity for kids programing.

My 2 cents

LGA777
 

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