American’s Post-Zodiac Plans & Hawaiian’s IFE iPads: APEX Daily Experience Week in Review
Share
Here are the most-read stories from this week’s APEX Daily Experience newsletters. To receive breaking passenger experience industry news in your inbox on a daily basis, subscribe here.
American Talks Post-Zodiac Long-Haul Business-Class Plan
RUNWAY GIRL NETWORK | OCTOBER 10, 2016
American Airlines says it will divide its long-haul fleet into five business-class subfleets after canceling its contract with Zodiac Aerospace due to the aerospace supplier’s inability to deliver the customized Concept D product. While American’s Boeing 787-8s will stick with Concept D, its 787-9s will be fitted with B/E Aerospace’s Super Diamond seats and its 777-200ER fleet will be split into three versions. Joel Mapston, American’s manager of Onboard Products, Cabin Design, said, “For the 777-200s, we actually have two variants of the cabin. One of them is a 260-seat aircraft and one of them has 209 seats – basically it’s a difference in the size of the business class.” According to Mapston, the 777-200ER retrofit is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2017.
Hawaiian Airlines Partners With Bluebox Avionics for iPad Pro IFE Platform
BLUEBOX AVIONICS | OCTOBER 13, 2016
Bluebox Avionics has partnered with Hawaiian Airlines to supply its in-flight entertainment platform on iPad Pros for the first time. The Honolulu-based carrier’s premium-class seats on its Airbus A330 aircraft are customized to support the 12.9-inch touchscreen tablets – each preloaded with Bluebox Avionics’ IFE system and early window content. The IFE solution will be available as of December 5, initially for passengers flying between Honolulu and Narita, and Brisbane and Auckland. “When designing our Premium Cabin for the A330 aircraft, we wanted to redefine the leisure travel experience to Hawaii,” says Avi Mannis, SVP of Marketing at Hawaiian Airlines. “Having our seats custom-built meant we could also include a totally new IFE solution as part of that experience.”
KLM Launches a Download-Before-You-Fly Newspaper App
THE NEXT WEB | OCTOBER 12, 2016
KLM has launched a smartphone app that allows passengers to access a range of newspapers in flight. The KLM Media App is available for Android and iOS devices, and features the airline’s in-flight magazine alongside 13 Dutch and international newspapers, including De Telegraaf, Le Monde, The New York Times, Die Welt and the Financial Times. According to KLM, newspapers can be downloaded up to 24 hours before takeoff, but the number of publications that passengers can read depends on their travel class and frequent-flyer status. “We are also exploring the possibility of expanding the app to become a complete entertainment app, including films and series,” says Ryanne Van Der Eijk, KLM’s SVP of Customer Experience.
Airlines Target Personalization With IFE Content Recommendations
APEX MEDIA | OCTOBER 10, 2016
With in-flight entertainment catalogs growing to unprecedented sizes, passengers may expect to find the same types of video recommendations used on YouTube and Netflix on board. In September last year, Singapore Airlines became the first airline to launch a companion mobile app for its IFE system, allowing customers to personalize IFE in a way that feels natural. Powered by Panasonic Avionics, the app carries passenger-viewing data from one flight to the next to inform recommendations, but Cedric Rhoads, executive director, Corporate Sales and Product Management at Panasonic Avionics, expects in-flight connectivity to revolutionize recommendations even more. “Where it’s going to get interesting is the airline’s ability to use connectivity to the aircraft to load content dynamically, based on passenger experience or passenger requests.”
Industry First: Airbus Installs Satcom Direct’s Cabin Connectivity Suite
INFLIGHT ONLINE | OCTOBER 14, 2016
Airbus has installed the Satcom Direct Router (SDR), two SD WiFi Hubs and GlobalVT on an ACJ320 aircraft, marking the first time an OEM has integrated the products to provide a complete cabin solution. When installed together, the SD WiFi Hub and SDR enhance Wi-Fi coverage and performance in the cabin and unlock a series of capabilities, including GlobalVT, which allows passengers to use their smartphones in flight with their own number and caller ID. “Many passengers rely on connectivity in the air so it needs to be robust, reliable and resilient. With this suite, Airbus is assured of providing a state-of-the-art solution to these needs,” said Chris Moore, SD’s chief commercial officer.
Hawaiian Airlines Introduces Lie-Flat Seats on International Routes
TRAVEL WEEKLY | OCTOBER 10, 2016
Hawaiian Airlines is now selling lie-flat seats in its premium cabin for flights commencing December 5, on routes connecting Honolulu with Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The new premium cabin product features 18 fully lie-flat leather seats, deployed in a 2-2-2 layout, and each seat comes equipped with 13-inch tablet devices loaded with 100 hours of TV and movies. The updated cabin is part of the carrier’s continuing effort to retrofit its fleet of 23 Airbus A330s. According to Travel Weekly, Hawaiian Airlines has plans to expand its premium seating to additional routes throughout 2017.
