Virgin taking tips from Jetblue
Nov 4, 2004, 8:00 pm
#16
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Sydney, AU.
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This is brilliant. DJ have hit both the business traveller and leisure PAX in one go. Time will tell how a family of 4 or 5 will feel having to pay $5 per person but suddenly flying DJ got more attractive. Now they just need a loyality program and they are away.
I wonder if Pacific Blue is getting this as well, as it would create grief for other carriers apart from QF then.
I think this might create more problems for Jetstar on the leisure routes, than affecting QF mainline (cause I think the whole CityFlyer package is better than Foxtel/ Austar).
I think the problem with the AS portable players is you have to put them somewhere and when the person in front reclines, your viewing pleasure is really all over.
I just wish DJ changed it's pricing structure so you could pre-purchase all the add ons when booking the tickets. So if you wanted you could purchase a food and entertainment "pack" that included your choice of meal, drink and TV as a ticket add on (or for a few bucks more when onboard).
I wonder if Pacific Blue is getting this as well, as it would create grief for other carriers apart from QF then.
I think this might create more problems for Jetstar on the leisure routes, than affecting QF mainline (cause I think the whole CityFlyer package is better than Foxtel/ Austar).
I think the problem with the AS portable players is you have to put them somewhere and when the person in front reclines, your viewing pleasure is really all over.
I just wish DJ changed it's pricing structure so you could pre-purchase all the add ons when booking the tickets. So if you wanted you could purchase a food and entertainment "pack" that included your choice of meal, drink and TV as a ticket add on (or for a few bucks more when onboard).
Nov 7, 2004, 5:22 am
#17
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Perth, WA, Australia
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Originally Posted by nonce
I just wish DJ changed it's pricing structure so you could pre-purchase all the add ons when booking the tickets. So if you wanted you could purchase a food and entertainment "pack" that included your choice of meal, drink and TV as a ticket add on (or for a few bucks more when onboard).
Nov 7, 2004, 1:14 pm
#18
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,625
"I wonder if Pacific Blue is getting this as well, as it would create grief for other carriers apart from QF then."
I wouldn't have thought it would work for international flights. I would have expected that the flight would head outside the transmission footprint once nicely over the pacific
Dave
I wouldn't have thought it would work for international flights. I would have expected that the flight would head outside the transmission footprint once nicely over the pacific
Dave
Nov 7, 2004, 2:07 pm
#19
Join Date: Oct 2003
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Originally Posted by Dave Noble
"I wonder if Pacific Blue is getting this as well, as it would create grief for other carriers apart from QF then."
I wouldn't have thought it would work for international flights. I would have expected that the flight would head outside the transmission footprint once nicely over the pacific
Dave
I wouldn't have thought it would work for international flights. I would have expected that the flight would head outside the transmission footprint once nicely over the pacific
Dave
Nov 7, 2004, 3:17 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: Bay Area, CA
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Originally Posted by Ascent
Will be interesting to see if this works, after doing a bit of reading i see that the original plan at jetBlue was to charge 5$ to activate the set, dunno if it was dropped before or after they started flying.
Nov 7, 2004, 4:11 pm
#21
Join Date: Aug 2001
Programs: AA Plat & LTG; QF LTG
Posts: 9,837
Originally Posted by channa
IIRC, jetBlue had a lot of technical problems when they first deployed it that they made it free for a period of time. Then once they ironed out the issues, it was so popular, they decided not to charge for it, thinking it would bring them more business, which I'm sure it does. You can't hear anybody mention jetBlue without mentioning "free DirecTV."
I suspect JQ and QF will be a little concerned about this initiative from DJ. Seems to me like a very clever move on DJ's part, so long as they can cover the costs (installation, programming, extra weight to carry etc). I wonder if they are paying for content on a fixed price basis, or on a per subscription basis where a proportion of the $5 goes directly to the content providers? Each model carries its own risks, but DJ seem to be quite commercially savvy when it comes to these types of things.
By starting with a $5 charge, they have some place to move. They can offer short-term promotions fo free programming (perhaps at initial installation or during periods where they want to attract customers), or increase the fee if it proves popular.
Its good to see DJ bringing some innovation to the Aussie marketplace and not just trying to compete on price. However, I would not be paying $5 in a 1 or 2 hour flight. Maybe for a trans-continental or trans-Pacific flight.
Nov 15, 2004, 8:29 pm
#22
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Sydney, AU.
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Perhaps QF/ Jetstar will follow AS and now AA: http://www.aa.com/content/amrcorp/pr...1/15_ped.jhtml
Personally I see some drawbacks of this system:
The cart takes up space in the galley
$12USD is expensive
The units would suffer greater risk of damage than an in seat system
Units are harder to view than a seatback TV as they need to go on the tray table
Requirement to maintain content
Battery Life
The upside would be:
Greater range of available content
Cheaper to fit to existing fleet than satelite based system
Looks like AA is trialling them on what are primarily super 80 routes. They might be from the 80's but let me tell you, they aint that super.
Entertainment In The Palm Of Your Hand
American Airlines Passengers to Test New On-Demand Personal Entertainment Devices
Fort Worth, Texas – American Airlines today premiered a wide variety of on-demand entertainment content, including movies, TV shows, games and electronic newspapers and books, packaged in a new, hand-held Personal Entertainment Device. This inflight entertainment concept will be tested on select flights in several markets during the next three months as part of American’s ongoing effort to provide customers what they value.
"We are very excited to share this new solution with our passengers as they evaluate the latest in inflight entertainment," said Mary McKee, Managing Director-Inflight Products for American Airlines. "We believe our customers will value the ability to choose from a wide selection of entertainment options and will find that their flight is too short to enjoy all that these devices offer. The content is designed to have broad appeal -- from the seasoned road warrior to families flying with their children."
The easy-to-use technology allows American to offer a large selection of entertainment options including:
Early-window movies (after-theater release, but before DVD or video release)
Music videos
American's award-winning inflight audio programming - 12 channels offering a variety of musical genres and business programs
TV comedy and drama programming, such as Cheers, Law & Order, and Without a Trace
Animated children's programs
Digital newspapers
Audio book excerpts
Card games, such as Solitaire and Black Jack
The lightweight, portable devices have an 8.9-inch wide Super Video Graphic Array (SVGA) Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen, support continuous play with a battery life of approximately five hours and offer two output headphone jacks.
During take-off and landing, the devices will be housed in a special cart that doubles as a content loading and charging docking station while on the ground. Digital newspapers will be updated daily and other content, including movies and TV programs, will be updated on a regular basis. The secure, digitally encrypted content will be stored on the hard drive of each device.
During the test, the devices will be distributed at no charge to passengers in the First Class cabin. Passengers in the Main cabin can rent the devices for a fee of $10 to $12 (depending on the market) by simply swiping their credit card on the portable unit. All of the "on demand" entertainment options will be available for that one flat fee. There will be no cash transactions for the devices.
The units will be available in selected Chicago/Los Angeles, DFW/Seattle, Fort Lauderdale/Los Angeles and Chicago/Seattle routes. The test will run through early February, 2005.
American Airlines is the world's largest carrier. American, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection® regional carriers serve more than 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 3,800 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 1,000 aircraft. American's award-winning Web site, AA.com, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworldsm Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve more than 575 destinations in 135 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation (NYSE: AMR).
AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, AAdvantage and Net SAAvers & Special Offers are marks of American Airlines, Inc.
Note: This press release was accurate at the date of issuance. However, information contained in the release may have changed.
If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.
American Airlines Passengers to Test New On-Demand Personal Entertainment Devices
Fort Worth, Texas – American Airlines today premiered a wide variety of on-demand entertainment content, including movies, TV shows, games and electronic newspapers and books, packaged in a new, hand-held Personal Entertainment Device. This inflight entertainment concept will be tested on select flights in several markets during the next three months as part of American’s ongoing effort to provide customers what they value.
"We are very excited to share this new solution with our passengers as they evaluate the latest in inflight entertainment," said Mary McKee, Managing Director-Inflight Products for American Airlines. "We believe our customers will value the ability to choose from a wide selection of entertainment options and will find that their flight is too short to enjoy all that these devices offer. The content is designed to have broad appeal -- from the seasoned road warrior to families flying with their children."
The easy-to-use technology allows American to offer a large selection of entertainment options including:
Early-window movies (after-theater release, but before DVD or video release)
Music videos
American's award-winning inflight audio programming - 12 channels offering a variety of musical genres and business programs
TV comedy and drama programming, such as Cheers, Law & Order, and Without a Trace
Animated children's programs
Digital newspapers
Audio book excerpts
Card games, such as Solitaire and Black Jack
The lightweight, portable devices have an 8.9-inch wide Super Video Graphic Array (SVGA) Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen, support continuous play with a battery life of approximately five hours and offer two output headphone jacks.
During take-off and landing, the devices will be housed in a special cart that doubles as a content loading and charging docking station while on the ground. Digital newspapers will be updated daily and other content, including movies and TV programs, will be updated on a regular basis. The secure, digitally encrypted content will be stored on the hard drive of each device.
During the test, the devices will be distributed at no charge to passengers in the First Class cabin. Passengers in the Main cabin can rent the devices for a fee of $10 to $12 (depending on the market) by simply swiping their credit card on the portable unit. All of the "on demand" entertainment options will be available for that one flat fee. There will be no cash transactions for the devices.
The units will be available in selected Chicago/Los Angeles, DFW/Seattle, Fort Lauderdale/Los Angeles and Chicago/Seattle routes. The test will run through early February, 2005.
American Airlines is the world's largest carrier. American, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection® regional carriers serve more than 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 3,800 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 1,000 aircraft. American's award-winning Web site, AA.com, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworldsm Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve more than 575 destinations in 135 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation (NYSE: AMR).
AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, AAdvantage and Net SAAvers & Special Offers are marks of American Airlines, Inc.
Note: This press release was accurate at the date of issuance. However, information contained in the release may have changed.
If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.
The cart takes up space in the galley
$12USD is expensive
The units would suffer greater risk of damage than an in seat system
Units are harder to view than a seatback TV as they need to go on the tray table
Requirement to maintain content
Battery Life
The upside would be:
Greater range of available content
Cheaper to fit to existing fleet than satelite based system
Looks like AA is trialling them on what are primarily super 80 routes. They might be from the 80's but let me tell you, they aint that super.
