Inflight Entertainment

[JS]

Much like what you see in the movie theater before the lights go down.

Some example. The movie theater business is in the dumps! DVD sales are good, pay-per-view at home, etc., but many theaters are closing.

Why? Due to pure greed mixed in with marketing stupidity, they've managed to piss off many of their customers with their rip-off ticket prices, rip-off concessions, and preview upon preview upon preview before you finally get to the movie for which you paid an arm and a leg to see.

Whatever you do, DO NOT copy the movie theaters! Do the exact opposite!

 

[tadjr]

From that description JS, it sounds like the airlines are too late.

 

[CLT-Douglas]

They may not be pretty, but if it helps pay for the equipment and helps the carrier in time of need, then who cares? Once they are paid for US Airways could do what ever they wanted with their IFE. Yes, movie theaters are not a good example of a type of company to follow. I was just using the slide show as an example. It's better then looking at an empty seat back for hours.

Just for a side note, why do all theaters present those slides in for the first place? Because companies pay lots of money to theaters for the advertising space. I got quoted $1,200.00 per slide for one chain for a client of mine that wanted to advertise this way.

I am not saying US Airways has to do this, but it's an avenue not really explored that could bring in money they are not making elsewhere.

 

[delldude]

AIR K-MART.....way of the future......specials between aisle 15abc...

 

[Twicebaked]

Sell headsets for a one time fee of ten dollars, and they can keep them.

Lightyears,
Since you have been gone we did start selling headsets for a fee of $5. We no longer "rent" them. They can keep them to use on later flights.
If you ask me, they should charge $10-$15 more a ticket and give them meals and a multitude of movies and music. That's just me though.

 

[Light Years]

I agree Twice. My only pet peeve is that we only offer limited IFE on a very small handful of domestic flights when we could be offering it on more.

As for the ads on the overhead bins, RyanAir of Ireland does this and its so tacky. They also sell all drinks and food and hawk duty free on 40 minute flights... safey cards are printed on the tray tables and thier idea of on time is very questionable... but fares are as low as 9 Euro (about 10 bucks!) They've taken getting what you pay for further than any US airline.

But back to us... there are some things an airline offers that may not end up happening- IFE, food, power ports, language speakers, etc. These items are offered as EXTRA amenities but you dont cancel an A330 because you're out of Crabtree & Evelyn amenity kits. In fact on our transatlantic flights, the systems are often on the blink and the aircraft is stocked with extra portable DVD players just for that (dont know if thats changed). More often than not, the systems do work and the customer appreciation and goodwill gained overides the occassional disgruntled passenger.

I'm just throwing out ideas that could differentiate our company and put us ahead of the pack- what we do right now is not working. I'd like to see US Airways define a niche and set out to do it and compete. Currently the airline is run like its a burden to pay for gas and employees, and the customers feel it. There is nothing that sets this airline apart (aside from its remaining employees). We have a questionable route structure, inferior product to even low fare carriers, and a negative reputation with the flying public and many of the politicians and communities we serve. We're still losing money, and I dont see very many other people aside from the work groups and thier families who would care much if US disappeared. It's time for new ideas!!!

 

[ILMgwm]

Perhaps off the subject, but when i was a F/A from 89-96 (now a ground employee) when we first introduced the Airphones in the early 90's we watched a 10 minute video in the crew room. Initially, no one used the equipment. Why? We had no experience with the phones. I always wondered why US didn't give the flight attendants some phone cards or free minutes to play with. After all, the flight attendants could have worked wonders with those phones, if we had an incentive or knowledge . I always felt like an idiot trying to use the phones back then.

I have lost touch with some of the last innovations, but it seem US is always last to catch up. When we catch up it's always in mediocore fashion. Our customers deserve better.

 

[JS]

They may not be pretty, but if it helps pay for the equipment and helps the carrier in time of need, then who cares? Once they are paid for US Airways could do what ever they wanted with their IFE. Yes, movie theaters are not a good example of a type of company to follow. I was just using the slide show as an example. It's better then looking at an empty seat back for hours.

No, it is not better than looking at an empty seat back for hours. I can't enjoy the view out the window, read the in-flight magazine or just stare into space and think if there is a video playing right in front of my face.

This would be far worse than ads on a city bus or train, because 1) there are other airlines you have to compete with, and 2) it is very crowded on a plane. On a bus or train I can look elsewhere.

This idea would not help financially at all. If you force video ads on me, I will NEVER EVER EVER fly your airline again.

 

[N628AU]

While the IFE should not be used to simply hawk another companies products, I have no problem with allowing some advertising to offset the costs associated with showing the actual programming on the IFE. I know of at least one company that advertises on the IFE of other carriers including Delta, Alaska and United. Wait a minute, didn't those airlines do pretty well in the 3rd quarter?

 

[aj04878]

Here is an idea,

Implementing many of the methods discusses above, couple with an improvement of the First Class product and dividend miles program, and clean planes...WE COULD MARKET OURSELVES!!!! We are THE business airline, that is what we rose from and we fell when we tried to become otherwise, let the flying public know this, and it will benefit the company.

Picture this...2 commercials one is a typical classy airline commercial while the other starts off with a bunch of passengers being crammed into a dirty SOUTHernGREEN-TRANsit airlines flight, when the Northeastern business man opens the over head to stowe his belongings, a FA in shorts and a polo pops out... Then this could fade out and be replaced with Transformation playing subltly in the backround and a discussion of our new improved product. "The best FC service across the country, Leading inflight entertainment, new aircraft arriving weekly (?, MDA) and the like, and lastly that we serve 200 and some destinations while B6 serves 18! Just an idea.

However...We need a marketing team and a managment team ready to play the offensive. And how about this...maybe instead of loosing once loyal customers to LCCs we could win them back with our superior product.

Will this cost money...Sure, Could it save the airline....Its time to start somthing different, and more passengers in the seats paying slightly higher fares might just work.

-Just a thougt



PS. For boarding music, why dont we use a res-like transformation music. Since we own it, this would not cost much and it would be great, yet subtle, Company Image booster.

 

[Light Years]

aj- my thoughts exactly... love the idea for the commercial, now if only they would implement these things.

I was on a transatlantic flight earlier this year (A330) and Transformation was the boarding music- it was very nice. They should use it on all flights.

 

[phllax]

Sony panicked when US entered Ch 11 and took back the portable DVD players. All that can be done now is to try to reset the system at your seat until it works.

 

[KCFlyer]

Great idea aj...ask America West how those types of ads worked for them...

 

[PD]

Great idea aj...ask America West how those types of ads worked for them...

Must of worked pretty damn well I made a ton of money off their stock in the past few months. Whoever mentioned US needs to market themselves as something different or geared torwards the business traveler hit the nail on the head.

 

[Hope777]

But that goes back to the point made in numerous topics, You would need a Marketing Department to Market yourself. Maybe if BBB would do his job instead of driving our best passengers away we could turn the corner to PROFITABILITY.