USAir to Eliminate movies on domestic flights, will AA follow?
#16
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Pretty soon these will be X went bankrupt will (or when) will AA follow threads. Expect to see this by fall or Winter with the large carriers start filing. Who knows, AA could be the first here.
#17
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How do airlines pay for the inflight entertainment?
Years ago, AA (and the other airlines) insisted that watching a movie cost $5 even if you used your own headphones, calling it an "exhibition fee" rather than headphone rental.
Then, AA reversed course and said that IFE was included in the ticket price, and sold cheap earbuds for $2 if you forgot to bring your own.
Does anyone know (and are you able to share) whether the Eye on American commercials pay for the movies? Or does AA have to fork over real cash to the studios for the right to show old movies?
Years ago, AA (and the other airlines) insisted that watching a movie cost $5 even if you used your own headphones, calling it an "exhibition fee" rather than headphone rental.
Then, AA reversed course and said that IFE was included in the ticket price, and sold cheap earbuds for $2 if you forgot to bring your own.
Does anyone know (and are you able to share) whether the Eye on American commercials pay for the movies? Or does AA have to fork over real cash to the studios for the right to show old movies?
#18
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP,2MM, DL Gold,Starwood PLT
Posts: 3,876
How do airlines pay for the inflight entertainment?
Years ago, AA (and the other airlines) insisted that watching a movie cost $5 even if you used your own headphones, calling it an "exhibition fee" rather than headphone rental.
Then, AA reversed course and said that IFE was included in the ticket price, and sold cheap earbuds for $2 if you forgot to bring your own.
Does anyone know (and are you able to share) whether the Eye on American commercials pay for the movies? Or does AA have to fork over real cash to the studios for the right to show old movies?
Years ago, AA (and the other airlines) insisted that watching a movie cost $5 even if you used your own headphones, calling it an "exhibition fee" rather than headphone rental.
Then, AA reversed course and said that IFE was included in the ticket price, and sold cheap earbuds for $2 if you forgot to bring your own.
Does anyone know (and are you able to share) whether the Eye on American commercials pay for the movies? Or does AA have to fork over real cash to the studios for the right to show old movies?
I don't belive the projected cost savings for US was based on programing cost. The reports I've seen indicate the 10 million in savings will come from reduced weight by removing the AV equipment from the fleet.
#19
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: DFW
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According to a "lil Birdie" over at USAirways, there is more to this than meets the "CBS EYE ON AMERICAN." HAHA, I crack myself up! Seriously though, apparently US had a contract with Rockwell Collins (I think that is the company, don't quote me on that) to maintain the IFE systems and that went sour. So basically they sent manuals to all of the maintenance stations which was supposedly supposed to show maintenance how to service/fix the systems and nobody has a clue. According to the "birdie" a ton of the IFE systems on the US fleet (about half in the birdie's estimation) are inop at the moment. I'm guessing they don't want to invest the money on the upkeep of the systems and the "weight savings" is just another "fuel savings" ploy to get us to buy-in to their nonsense.
#20
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I don't recall, in my 25 years of flying AA, there ever being anything worth watching in a domestic AA flight, so I don't know what the difference will be. As a matter of fact, 95% of my flights on AA don't even have anything to show, so it doesn't change a thing for me.
#21
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Yep, Parker seems to want to make US into a Southwest w/intl flights Guess what? it wont work when you pay 3x $ for fuel.
#22
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Yes, the published reports might lead to that conclusion. For example:
Airline spokeswoman Valerie Wunder said the current in-flight entertainment systems are being pulled from roughly 196 of its planes. "These systems weigh about 500 pounds, and whether a movie is showing or not, the plane has to bear that weight," Wunder said.
And, she said with changing customer behavior, fewer people are shelling out the $5 to rent the headsets to listen to the movies. "A lot of people bring their own personal devices and their own headsets on airplanes," she said.
And, she said with changing customer behavior, fewer people are shelling out the $5 to rent the headsets to listen to the movies. "A lot of people bring their own personal devices and their own headsets on airplanes," she said.
Apparently, US was unable to convince 2 million people to pay $5 to watch the movie - since that would have covered the fuel.
So back to my question - how much might AA have to pay to cover the IFE? I doubt the movies are free.
#23
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 5,630
US Airways says it will start removing in-flight entertainment systems on domestic flights in November to save about $10 million annually in fuel and other costs. (Link to article below.)
I can’t see AA doing this on the East to West Coast flights, but can you see them eliminating movies on all other domestic flights?
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/fligh...s_N.htm?csp=34
I can’t see AA doing this on the East to West Coast flights, but can you see them eliminating movies on all other domestic flights?
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/fligh...s_N.htm?csp=34
AA has eliminated all IFE on their MD80's.
oops, they never put it in.
As AA uses the same 757, 767, 738 on trans con and non trans con, not sure AA is going to spend the $ to remove. A300 will go away soon, so no reason to fo anything with them, except park then in the desert.
The real ? is, how long will US exist?
The next thing u will see is US eliminating paint as it saves weight for fuel.
Last edited by zman; Jul 10, 2008 at 9:30 pm
#24
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: AA 1MM
Posts: 3,182
Personally, I'd switch to a system that's a hybrid of their current system, and that employed by VX: Make people pay for IFE, but, rather than install expensive (and heavy) IFE systems in each seat, have the personal systems available in transcon/int'l first/biz available at the gate, for a $20 rental charge. Only those who want them will bother, and they'll more than make up for the cost of the fuel to carry them. Of course, they'll still be free in premium cabins, and come with those sweet headphones .
#25
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: lax
Posts: 3,874
Personally, I'd switch to a system that's a hybrid of their current system, and that employed by VX: Make people pay for IFE, but, rather than install expensive (and heavy) IFE systems in each seat, have the personal systems available in transcon/int'l first/biz available at the gate, for a $20 rental charge. Only those who want them will bother, and they'll more than make up for the cost of the fuel to carry them. Of course, they'll still be free in premium cabins, and come with those sweet headphones .
#27
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: DFW
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Couldn't care less about movies on domestic flights. They make the time pass too quickly. I provide my own entertainment, or get caught up on my sleep.
#28
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#30
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On the other hand, treating what one airline does as orthogonal to the actions of other airlines is very simplistic. We all know that this is a "follow the leader" game in many ways. Fare wars, baggage charges, fuel charges,...
So, to equate this change with a simple flight delay is a flawed analogy. The fact that an airline did this has a reasonable probability of causing other airlines to re-evaluate IFE, expecially if the competitor can now charge $5 for the tickets.
Cheers.