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Forced in-flight DirecTV ads need to stop

Forced in-flight DirecTV ads need to stop

Old Jun 24, 2017, 11:32 am
  #1  
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Forced in-flight DirecTV ads need to stop

I took a flight on a 737-900 from SFO-SEA the other day and this flight has IFEs in economy. Nice, but don't really care for it since I usually either just fall asleep or gaze out the window.

So flight leaves the gate and starts taxiing. Just after the pilot announces "ready for takeoff", bam, DirectTV IFE ad starts playing over the PA speakers. Of course, there's no way to mute it, but I managed to at least turn off my screen with the remote.

Half hour into the flight, my screen turns on and full blast DirectTV ad again. This not only startled me, but also visibly disturbed a number of other passengers, some of whom were asleep.

This is a 2 hour flight and this stupid ad played four times. It's bad enough the flight left the gate 40min late, but there's simply no need to subject passengers to this type of intrusive ads during the flight.
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Old Jun 24, 2017, 11:35 am
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Agreed, the repetitive ads that turn your screen back on are incredibly annoying. I look around the cabin and see the ad on every screen because no one is paying for it.

They need to scrap the system yesterday. It's been useless since it was deployed, and I can't believe either party has made any money on it.
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Old Jun 24, 2017, 11:42 am
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I don't remember the Ads automatically playing mid-flight but it could definitely be that I haven't paid close attention. I've done red eyes on 737s with DTV and haven't been woken up. Did they have to reset the system maybe? That would drive me nuts if I was happily sleeping/napping.
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Old Jun 24, 2017, 12:00 pm
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Originally Posted by mduell
Agreed, the repetitive ads that turn your screen back on are incredibly annoying. I look around the cabin and see the ad on every screen because no one is paying for it.

They need to scrap the system yesterday. It's been useless since it was deployed, and I can't believe either party has made any money on it.
While I agree the ads need to stop and this is something within UA's control, the system itself is great and was well used and appreciated by countless CO customers over the years. It was a brilliant decision by Larry K to introduce a useful IFE system at the time it was implemented.
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Old Jun 24, 2017, 12:26 pm
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Originally Posted by Explorer789
I took a flight on a 737-900 from SFO-SEA the other day and this flight has IFEs in economy. Nice, but don't really care for it since I usually either just fall asleep or gaze out the window.



This is a 2 hour flight and this stupid ad played four times. It's bad enough the flight left the gate 40min late, but there's simply no need to subject passengers to this type of intrusive ads during the flight.
Cool. So -- SFO-SEA is served competitively by AS/VX and DL.

Do you intend to fly on another carrier next time? (Does UA have any skin in the game re: your feedback about their service?)
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Old Jun 24, 2017, 12:43 pm
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
While I agree the ads need to stop and this is something within UA's control, the system itself is great and was well used and appreciated by countless CO customers over the years. It was a brilliant decision by Larry K to introduce a useful IFE system at the time it was implemented.
It has a (seemingly) low uptake rate since its inception. How is that a brilliant decision?
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Old Jun 24, 2017, 1:06 pm
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Originally Posted by smxflyer
It has a (seemingly) low uptake rate since its inception. How is that a brilliant decision?
Stats?

Also, at that time there were limited PDE options, IIRC.
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Old Jun 24, 2017, 1:11 pm
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Originally Posted by Bonehead
Stats?

Also, at that time there were limited PDE options, IIRC.
That's why I said seemingly. Based on anecdotes anyhow.
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Old Jun 24, 2017, 1:14 pm
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Originally Posted by smxflyer
That's why I said seemingly. Based on anecdotes anyhow.
Anecdotes?
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Old Jun 24, 2017, 1:15 pm
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My complaint re DTV is the volume. Goes from 5 during safety video to 11 (that's one more than 10) for the DTV promotion.
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Old Jun 24, 2017, 1:28 pm
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Originally Posted by smxflyer
It has a (seemingly) low uptake rate since its inception. How is that a brilliant decision?
Seemingly? Meaning your opinion that no one bought it? Lots of people bought it, but granted a minority on each flight. It's a brilliant decision because Continental was able to offer a state of the art IFE feature on most of its domestic fleet with little to no infrastructure or maintenance investment of its own - the bulk of the cost and revenue went to DirecTV, while Continental was able to market the benefits of the feature and draw customers. While the technology was innovative only for its time, the business decision was brilliant.

The decision to use the system today for loud-blasting obnoxious credit card ads - not brilliant, but we're dealing with new management who doesn't really care how customers feel.

Certainly during key sporting or news events, purchase volume went way up and probably still does. I would much rather watch live TV inflight vs hunting through a limited collection of movies I already watched, or have no interest in watching, on my iPhone.
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Old Jun 24, 2017, 1:33 pm
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
While I agree the ads need to stop and this is something within UA's control, the system itself is great and was well used and appreciated by countless CO customers over the years. It was a brilliant decision by Larry K to introduce a useful IFE system at the time it was implemented.
I agree with you that it was innovative at the time. IMO though, after the merger UA reached for the stars on pricing and were burned by the Sun, and sales probably weren't helped by the tablet revolution.

JetBlue had it included on my last flight, which was great - except it was a redeye PHX-JFK and so it was "free infomercials".
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Old Jun 24, 2017, 1:57 pm
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Its much more annoying when you either turn off the screen, or actually pay to watch it and your neighbor continually jams their elbow into the controls. So stupid to put the controls on the armrest in Y. Time for DTV to go.
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Old Jun 24, 2017, 2:02 pm
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Originally Posted by JBord
Time for DTV to go.
Totally disagree. I'd rather have DTV than any of the other IFE options. If I want to catch a sporting event, or watch the news, or even just watch Jeopardy, it's DTV or nothing!
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Old Jun 24, 2017, 2:26 pm
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It's topped only by the FA's hawking CC's on AA.

But, apparently not enough pax complain to UA about the ads or to AA about the CC's to move the needle.
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