I've had this happen twice now over the past 6 months, both times on the same airline and route. Trans-Atlantic flight of 13 hours. FA notifies us on the PA as they close the cabin door that the they apologize that the in-flight entertainment system isn't working. But, she adds, "Personal video players will still be available to our customers in business class." Anyone else have this happen to them?

It would be nice if they'd post this sort of info at the gate so I could at least go buy a couple extra DVDs movies to watch on my laptop.

It would be nice if they were more proactive about letting people know. I have found that my travel experience is better if I follow a few rules:

1) Don't rely on the airline to entertain me.

2) Don't rely on the airline to feed me (long haul excepted, but even then, carry snacks).

3) Bring eye patches and noise isolating or canceling earphones.

I'm not big on "in flight entertainment", preferring books and naps, but.....

If you fail to identify the airline which didn't live up to the expectations it had "sold" you with, then your efforts are in vain. Only exposing it to the opprobrium of the paying public (even FT's tiny but vocal segment) with the hope that a few might shop elsewhere will cause the airline to repair or replace dodgy systems.

Agreed. Honestly, I don't understand why US airlines insist on charging for checked bags when they could just as easily save as much or more by removing those IFE systems that take up so much space and weight. Many people these days travel with laptops, they'll watch their own movies...why even bother with a heavily edited cut of a mediocre Hollywood movie. Don't have a laptop? Books still work just as well as they have for hundreds of years.

That said--when an airline does make the effort to differentiate its IFE (JetBlue probably being the best example, at least in the US), I certainly do appreciate it. :-)

Good point. It has gotten quite a bit cheaper and easier to carry one's own music and movies (iPods, laptops, etc), and the trend is likely to continue as laptops get smaller and lighter, and have more storage. Add to that the fact that carriers are starting to offer WiFi, so pax will be able to access streaming video via their laptops, and you have to wonder about the airlines investing money in costly, heavy systems that are becoming more unnecessary by the day.

To the OP's original question, though: I agree that it would be nice for the airline to notify pax if they know the system isn't working. Still, it's possible that technicians were trying to get it fixed before the flight, so it may not have been clear that the system wouldn't be operable. Just imagine if they announced that the system wasn't working, and then they got it fixed at the last minute. Pax would be complaining about having spent $$ on DVDs in the airport when it later turned out that they didn't need to.

Like another poster mentioned, I hedge my bets by always bringing along something (laptop, iPod, book, or all of the above), just in case the system is down....

Hi

It did happen to me once when I was flying Copenhagen to Bangkok. After the flights I was pretty mad with SAS for various reasons so I actually sent in a complaint concerning this and I got some money back...but I had paid like 4500$ for the tickets.

Bring a good book or two?

Sure, but point being, if they only tell you the IFE is down after the cabin doors are secured, it's too late to visit the bookstore.

No IFE on a domestic flight is not a big deal -- NW hasn't had it for years -- but on longhaul / international it is a compensation-worthy fault. It is asking a lot to just sit there staring at your seatback for 8+ hours. On some airlines (SQ, CX, etc.) the advanced digital IFE is a significant part of the value prop in all classes and may be why some customers chose to fly with them.

The OP's anecdote is a little odd. I can't think of any 13-hour transatlantic flights. And I can't think of a longhaul airline that normally offers IFE but, when it fails, effortlessly produces dozens of personal video players for the pax up front.

What I hate is when other FTs that sponsor that airline act like this is just business as usual and that 'airlines are for flying' attitude.

We were flying United SFO/Frankfurt business and the agent called me up to the counter and told me the headphones in my seat weren't working would I like two SWUs to make up for the inconvenience. I thought that was nice.

That's a steal of a deal. I'd put up with no IFE on a SFO-FRA flight for 2 SWUs.

I've learned from my experience to not count on it (thanks DL LiveTV...). I keep a paperback in my briefcase, plus my laptops, ready for if/when this happens. Fortunately, my longest flights are normally ATL-California, so nothing too horrible.

In April flying UA in F between NRT and ORD my emPower was on the fritz and the IFE was not working in my seat.

I was handed 4 SWUs for this inconvenience. While I did need to work, and a deadl laptop 30min after flight with 7hrs of work to get done I was happy with 4 SWUs later.

Aeroflot, on the LAX to SVO run. I think it was a 757 we were on, but I'm terrible at remembering aircraft...with the exception of the Tupolev deathtraps I've been in.

As I noted in another reply, it's the LAX to SVO route, which I call "transatlantic" but maybe it's not the right term. I've flown it many times, and the route time has varied from 12.5 to almost 14 hours, depending on weather and direction.

Happened once to me on JAL about halfway to Narita while sitting in C. I had watched the only movie that interested me so it didn't bother me much. The FA's went around apologizing to everyone and handing out cards to fill out to get 7000 miles in compensation.