US to discontinue domestic IFE (Now confirmed by the company)
 

I've just heard from a very reliable source that USAirways will be removing In Flight entertainment on all domestic aircraft because it weighs too much....flight62 or Galleywench, could you confirm that this is true?

I would be very surprised (though certainly not unprecedented for me with this bunch). Given all the hawking they do on it, it has to be a profit center, the increased cost of fuel notwithstanding.

I was more expecting to see them replace the trivia with home shopping network instead.

IIRC the last post that was "from a very reliable source" was about the 500 mile minimum. That doesn't bode well for the future of IFE. :(

Is this your source?

http://www.usaviation.com/forums/ind...howtopic=42334

Might as well let people know who so they can read/judge for themselves...

Thanks for posting vysean. It was not my source but i guess it is out in the open now.

The new slogan should be: "Fly USAir, we're just like SouthWest, except not as cheap, not as timely, and we charge for everything.".

Well, that IS the rumor. It was brought up in one of the focus groups. The argument is of course the weight issue. Also on the drawing board are the ovens and chillers on the East a/c...all wonderful to have but either not being used or necessary..well, the chillers are nice to keep my butt cool.

Short of a free movie for F/C, there is very little revenue for the company. Most customers have their own headsets and sales don't justify the money for the rights from the movie industry for the rights to show the movies. I have heard that in the future a new lighter fiber optic system will be put in. Also, the new A321's supposedly will not have an IFE. I know, which century?

The good about this is that you will not have to hear constant advertising on the videos...worth it's wait in movie sacrifice.

My suggestions?

Take off pillows and blankets, ovens, chillers:(, and IFE.

On 3 hour + flts, provide one cart to sell a pillow banket (like ones in airport) set for $10...free for F/C and rent portable IFE's WITH Bose headsets for $10. The benefit to this is that passengers would now own a quality clean and cooty free pillow and blanket. Also, I average about 10 headsets to sell on a good day. 20 portable IFE's would be less weight and provide for those wanting to see a movie. Again, F/C would be free of charge.

My DREAM GALLEY

Rip out the current galley. Make it more of a cafe look like Amtrak with a display for snacks/bevs with a counter on top. One part of the counter would flip up so the f/a could man the bar. Beverages, coffee, a sink, and ice would be on one side and snacks on the other, pillows, blankets, and IFE's on the other side., along with the display counter. One f/a mans the counter. One makes sure trash is picked up. Passengers would come to the back to purchase items. One could buy as they choose without the f/a's having carts in the way.

Better yet, put the lavs at the very back, extend the cabin another row and put the galley at exit rows and at 2LR on the 757/A321. Seats forward of the cafe not F/C on the 757/A321 would be reserved for top fliers and provide more privacy, more legroom, and complimentary pillow/blanket, sodas, coffee, and use of IFE for $5.

Couldn't vending machines accomplish much of that (minus the trash collection), with far less cost? True, the initial cost would be high, but the mainentance would be far less than an employee. I'm really surprised that airlines don't just have food, drinks, and other things like headphones, etc in vending machines.


Generally, I'd be happy to be without IFE. I usually find it distracting, as I usually have work, an iPod, a book, my own magazines, and/or other things to keep me occupied when I fly. Otherwise, I sleep, and put on my own headphones and music to try to keep out noise. When I get upgraded to F, I usually ask the FA to give my headphones to any employees flying standby; when I was an employee I always appreciated them when this happened to me.

Vending machines are heavy. The FA has to be there anyway.

Well I rely on the IFE to keep me busy since I do not own an ipod or any of those handy dandy gadgets that America has been so obsessed with. On a Transcon, I could use that movie as a time passer. I can't sleep on airplanes and I can only do Sudoku for so long before my eyes go crossed. But then again, I won't be flying revenue on US much longer so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

It occurs to me that the cafe approach would leave the aisles perpetually clogged. Granted the carts block the aisle, but only for fixed periods of time. I don't even want to think about all the potential for spillage.

One would think, but for those of us who have traveled Amtrak to many times, you may have 8-10 people waiting, but I see your point.

I cracked up over SW's new commercial advertising their no fee approach - they show someone having to put a quarter in the slot to open the overhead or to recline the seat!

One of the reason I don't fly SW cross country, I like to watch a movie. I love Delta's individual TV's (even though many channels don't work). Add another reason not to fly US............:rolleyes:

Well, I do have the iPod, the laptop, etc.

It seems to me that if you're not on a 321, you have no power, so the laptop is out, since running the DVD player on it burns down my battery in about 1/2 hour. I try to strip down the number of running processes, but it still just eats my battery alive.

Otherwise, I have to download movies, convert them to iPod format, import them to my iPod, etc, etc, yadda yadda. Not to mention the initial cost of the movie.

Now, let's see, which works out better for me? Pay $10 / ticket more to cover cost of IFE and movie, or spend $20 of my own money (no reimbursement) to buy a movie, and 4 hours of my time to rip it to my iPod? Hmmm. Now, I don't hold a degree in advanced mathematics, but I'm pretty sure I come out ahead with US raising the ticket price a little bit.

Those sandfleas in Tempe are trying everything they can to get me to switch to another airline, aren't they?