I notice that some airlines provide free Newspapers/Magazines

I thought in this day and age of high fuel costs they could not afford the extra expense of providing newspaper (Especially to Pax in Y)

It has always puzzled me I mean can't they go and spend $1 on a newspaper I mean it's not like it's going to kill them

It's a cheap ammenity to offer and enhances the overall service...that's my guess, anyway.

It's called "service". Like food, drink, headsets, eyeshades, toothbrushes etc.

Yes, pax could in theory buy all of those things for themselves. Being provided them by the airline is part of the service that you get with your ticket.

The Airlines get the newspapers for free (afaik)....

Free, or reduced, methinks, and the plus for the publishers are increased circulation figures for advertising rates.

Magazines I don't really care about, but newpapers can be a fun read. Especially when they're a local paper from the destination location, it gives a chance to see what's happening in the town you're flying to.

I have been told that some newspapers and magazines actually pay the airlines to get theri publication on board to enhance readersship by an affluent, captive audience. So, maybe providing the newspapers is improving profits>

Because they are scared that I'll flip if I spend several hours without reading material*

* victim of 10th August ban on anything

They generate revenue and customer good will, at least at some airlines and at no expense to the airline, according to my sources.

Yeah they got deals with the publishers.
That and it keeps the pax occupied at least between boarding and lift off and a bit beyond.
Which is a good thing on long distance flights.
Keep em busy with something until beverage and food service starts.

Its a win win situation for everyone.

YAY hahahahahaha

Actually, the entire set-up is in flux. One poster noted that newspapers and magazines have been able to count the copies supplied to airlines (and hotels) in their circulation. Basically, the higher the circulation the higher the rates magazines and newspapers can charge advertisers. However, in the advertising arena there are two main types of circulation - paid and controlled (free). Paid is typically thought of as you pay to subscribe to a magazine or newspaper or you buy it at a newsstand. For what it's worth, media buyers typically believe that is stronger that controlled as they know the person wanted the magazine or newspaper as they bought it.

Most of the magazines and newspapers you see distributed by airlines or hotels were being counted by the publishers as paid, however, they really weren't. What was happening went something like this: Airline X wants to buy $1 million of advertising in The Daily Daily Newspaper. As most publishers discount, they end up agreeing to pay $600,000 in cash and $400,000 in subscriptions. For the publisher, they get $400,000 in additional subs they can count as paid subscriptions and the airline gets "free" newspapers and magazines for their customers.

What's changed is the main auditor of magazines and newspapers has decided these really aren't paid copies and should be classified as controlled - public place which means the publisher can count them in their circulation but not as paid.

The number of copies each title was putting out as controlled but previously counting as paid was released for the first time about a month ago, so media buyers for the first time are seeing these numbers. I believe it was reported in one of the ad trades that Time Magazine had over 1 million public place copies. These also count places such as doctors offices (in these cases the copies are usually sponsored by pharm companies, etc.).

If media buyers discount this public place circulation, or in other words tell publishers they will not pay high rates based on this circulation but only count paid circ, over time you will see publishers supplying less of these copies.

As to publishers paying to be on planes, this is true too. Many airlines don't want to get involved in the logistics of supplying themselves with the reading material so they appoint a third party vendor that then charges the publishers a handling fee. The airline still chooses what titles are on what flights but the third party is responsible for coordinating shipments from the publishers and then supplying them to lounges and aircraft.