pinniped

Yes, I've flown UA's 747's in Y many times. Granted, I'm more often on the 777/767's, but I don't use IFE on those either. Yes, my answer doesn't change: IFE in the form that United provides it is an antiquated technology. Serving up 12 movies in 2009? Thanks, but I can carry hundreds of my own movies with me. Or thousands of songs. Or...one book, which is even better.

Perhaps someday the technology will take a giant leap forward and airlines will be able to push any content I want to me wirelessly. I'll decide on a whim I want to watch Airport '77 and a few clicks later it'll be streaming via satellite to the plane and via WiFi to my laptop or mobile device. (As I think about it, maybe a fat, reliable pipe is their primary role in future IFE - let Netflix and others solve the rest of the problem.) Then, perhaps I'll get excited about it again. But until they get to that point, it seems like a waste to invest large amount of money in 20th-century hardware-intensive solutions that don't really deliver much.

United keeps insisting that E+ is a moneymaker. For one, people directly buy it so they can measure it that way. That helps...it's easier to sell analysts on that than it is to simply say "Our elites love it and are flying us because of it." But I suspect they have focus group and other research data to help quantify retention. It also helps that none of UA's major competitors have E+ - in a focus group or survey, I would probably rank it as a big differentiator for United, attaching a tangible value to E+.

It'd be hard to make that case for IFE. Nobody really makes a ticket purchase decision based on IFE. Anybody who cares that much about cinema or music is bringing their own content. There are only a handful of carriers in the world who offer any kind of remotely 21st -century solution and they aren't UA's head-to-head competitors.

I'm simply rather UA spend the money on something else if they spend it at all.

cordelli

E+

I'm not really sure I would pay for Wifi on an airplane most of the time.

schley

Do you mean evergreen deluxe/elite? Aren't they about the same thing? I like it and wish E+ was in this ballpark.

PVDProf

I find I'm quite productive on planes...when I can open my laptop and position my hands to comfortably type. This is the most important aspect to E+ to me, and I pay more for the UA ticket because of it.

goalie

e+ for me.

i'm 6' (6', 1" on a good day) and i want my legroom (and i simply do not like my knees in my chest )

BlissWorld

Because on Delta, I get to sit in First Class with meals and snacks flowing nonstop And, I earn miles I can redeem for other premium cabins. Jetblue, not so much.

You havn't flown much on planes with wifi. I've used them long enough on Delta to know that when there are enough people using wifi, the speed gets clogged up just like T1. And trust me, Hulu won't load. And, before you start saying that well, DL sucks, gogo inflight internet is what DL uses on their planes, which will be what UA will use on their planes as well.

Krustov

I'm not positive but I think that Deluxe is limited to the 747 Combi, and I haven't tried it. I don't know if it's the same, but seatguru.com says Deluxe doesn't have power in the seats. I was referring to Elite on the 777 which is a "Premium Economy" product. I like the 2-4-2 arrangement, especially since the one time I tried it I had a "2" side all to myself. With power in the seats, this setup trumps WiFi for me any day.

I'd take power in E+ over WiFi any day of the week.

BlissWorld

I've flown BR Deluxe. It's called Deluxe on 747 but Elite on other aircrafts. They have them on all long haul flights. It's pretty good. It has enhanced meal service. The seats are anything BUT E+. The seats are almost identical to UA domestic F, with wide seats (on the 747 its 2-4-2), AVOD, and leg rest. It's more like domestic First +

EricH

Another vote for E+.

unavaca

If you classify WiFi and Satellite TV as IFE, then yes, you bet people make decisions based upon IFE. I have road warrior friends who will first look for B6 and VX flights, and only after exhausting those will they try UA (and this is even out of SFO!). The Wi-Fi and TV are big selling points.

CorSter

If I flew enough on United, E+ would be the most important reason for me to stay with them.

Yet, at the same time, as a leisure traveler that travels once or twice a year, i'll go for either price or IFE....

Basically i'm saying, as a frequent flyer, E+ is more important, but as a leisure traveler, i'm not spending the extra money buying myself up to E+ and dont get to experience it... hence i prefer IFE (though i'll fly any airline if the price is right).

choster

For a number of years now, AA has (or had) laptop power throughout most of its cabins, but no E+. UA has E+, but getting laptop power is dicey except in premium cabins on international widebodies. As a result, I suspect the vocal proponents of each offering have gravitated to the airline that suits them.

But you'll find that the vast majority of frequent travelers choose their airline based on destinations and schedules. For all the E+ love-fest you get at FT, most people don't make UA their airline because of it, and the same would be said of laptop power. As much as I would loooove to have outlets in Y— I would happily give up E+, all IFE, and Channel 9 for it— I'm not willing to give up *A, numerous California-WAS redeyes, and the nonstop IAD options for it.

pinniped

Yes, I'd classify both of those as IFE. I started thinking about this in my previous post...perhaps talking out of both sides of my mouth ...eventually the airlines might decent that robust WiFi is their main contribution to future IFE.

In other words, you bring whatever hardware you like and we'll stay on top of the latest data speed/reliability technology for airborne travel. I would think that the airlines would be happy to exit the content distribution business and travelers would be happy to get a data speed that opened the entire universe to them. I guess the question is whether any of the current technologies provide a good video-streaming experience to a planeload of people all watching what they want.

Perhaps I should refine my original post to say this: I've never picked a primary airline based on IFE partly because I've never really had that choice.

Things like status and miles keep me "sticky" to Star for now and Oneworld in a pinch (thanks to AA Lifetime Gold). If a couple big carriers out of one of those alliances made a quantum leap forward in IFE, and I was starting out a status year where I could quickly reach at least AA Plat if necessary, would I allow IFE to impact my decision? Perhaps...

WineCountryUA

Jet Blue regular economy is 34", their premium, extra cost "Even More Leg Room is 38"
On the same routes/plane type as Jet Blue, UA E+ is 35/36" (no extra cost for UA elites)

So NOT the same seat pitch -- the extra inch or two make a huge difference in the ability to use a laptop let alone leg space.



True UA's 747 E+ is closer to 34" but when was the last time you took Jet Blue A320 to Asia, OZ, Europe, ....

pinniped

Wasn't 34" also the AA MRTC pitch back in the early part of the decade?

I recall that as tolerable... I mean, compared to the alternative...