Budget-Friendly Entertainment Part Three: Breaking the Frame

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    Images: Ricardo Polo

    APEX Insight: The success of a low-cost carrier relies on lean operational expenses, keeping weight low and costs lower so that passengers can enjoy base fares. Traditionally, budget carriers have found entertainment hardware too heavy to carry, but with new technologies, this market segment is finding room for amusement.  In Part Three of “Budget-Friendly Entertainment,” we examine the daring decisions some airlines took to change expectations of IFE on LCCs.

    Brand differentiation matters – even in the frugal flyer market. JetBlue and Virgin America took the lead among LCCs, incorporating state-of-the-art embedded IFE on their seats and an expansive selection of unique entertainment.

    The two airlines use entertainment platforms as strong customer touchpoints. Virgin America made room on its Red IFE platform for ancillaries by selling food and beverages ordered through the touch screen. It even encourages high-altitude socializing, allowing passengers to place orders for drinks served to friends seated elsewhere.

    Over 32 million hours of DirecTV have been viewed on JetBlue.

    JetBlue announced a comprehensive IFE upgrade this year, moving to a fully connected Thales STV+ system, with high-definition screens, 100 direct-broadcast satellite television channels, and a number of features even novel to traditional full-service carriers. 

    The desire to provide fresh entertainment to an audience of modern binge watchers also prompted both these airlines to think beyond the seatback screen. JetBlue upgraded its IFE selections through a Fly-Fi partnership with Amazon, delivering exclusive entertainment to passenger devices. Jamie Perry, vice-president, Brand and Product Development at JetBlue, describes adding a streamed entertainment option as “a step forward” in the airline’s customer offerings.

    A couple months before JetBlue’s Amazon Prime announcement, Virgin America teamed up with Netflix for a streaming entertainment partnership of its own. Abby Lunardini, Virgin America’s vice-president of Brand Marketing and Communications, credits investments in Wi-Fi and entertainment as allowing the airline “to provide the largest breadth of streamed content ever available at 35,000 feet.” Virgin America also featured select seasons of Netflix favorites on its Red embedded IFE platform. The airline has set a high standard for Alaska Airlines, which bought Virgin America in April.

    While some LCCs shy away from IFE, these mavericks have made it a core element of their passenger experience. Without sacrificing other basic principles of their operating model, they stand out as a premium choice for the price-conscious flyer.

    This story was originally published in the June/July issue of APEX Experience magazine.