Delta’s Business-Class Suites & Virgin America’s New IFE Provider: APEX Daily Experience Week in Review
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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.
Suite Deal: Delta to Debut Fully Enclosed Business-Class Cabins on A350 Fleet
THE NEW YORK TIMES | AUGUST 16, 2016
Delta Air Lines is planning an industry first by debuting fully enclosed business-class suites on its upcoming Airbus A350 fleet. The carrier will take delivery of the first of 25 wide-bodies in September 2017, and will configure each with 32 Delta One suites. Designed in collaboration with London-based Factorydesign, the suites feature a sliding door to create a private area for passengers, 21-inch-wide seats and 18-inch HD seatback displays. “This product is meant to be as close to a private jet experience as possible and is driven by our customers, who were telling us that they wanted more privacy,” says Tim Mapes, Delta’s CMO.
GEE and UMG Reach $20-Million Settlement
DIGITAL MUSIC NEWS | AUGUST 16, 2016
Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE) has reached a settlement with Universal Music Group (UMG) following two years of litigation. GEE will compensate the record label with a $15-million payment and 1,360,544 shares of its common stock, followed by another payment of $5 million before March 31, 2017. UMG first took GEE to court in May 2014 for allegedly infringing on 4,500 UMG songs, in addition to videos from artists including Elton John and Taylor Swift. US District Judge George H. Wu ruled against GEE in April, but gave both parties until August 9 to reach an agreement.
[PHOTOS] Details of BA’s Airbus A350 Business-Class Seat Revealed
AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS TRAVELLER | AUGUST 19, 2016
Design details and images of British Airways’ Club World business-class seat on the airline’s forthcoming Airbus A350 fleet have surfaced on the Australian Business Traveller website. The leaked internal BA documentation shows that while the British flag carrier will retain the alternating forward-backward layout of its current business class, a number of improvements are in the offing. The website says the new seats will have direct aisle access, convert into lie-flat beds and be fitted with seatback in-flight entertainment displays that are nearly 50 percent larger, upsized from 10.4 to 15.3 inches.
Approved: Gogo and China Telecom Satellite Get Green Light for In-Flight Connectivity
GOGO | AUGUST 15, 2016
Gogo has received Chinese regulatory approval, through its local partner China Telecom Satellite, to begin offering in-flight connectivity services on international flights operating in and out of China starting in October. “This is really a groundbreaking moment as we expand our global reach as an organization into China and other parts of the world,” says Gogo’s president and CEO, Michael Small. “For passengers on Gogo-equipped flights currently flying into China, this means they will be able to enjoy seamless service once they reach Chinese airspace.” Gogo currently has one international airline partner operating services to China.
Virgin America Selects Startup West Entertainment as New IFE Service Provider
APEX MEDIA | AUGUST 17, 2016
Virgin America has become post-production house and service provider West Entertainment’s first client. The startup, which was founded by industry veteran and APEX Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Rick Warren on July 11, 2016, will provide in-flight entertainment management services, including video content metadata services and advertising administration, to the airline. “I started West Entertainment because former airline clients, distributor clients and employees all suggested that the current environment isn’t working for all stakeholders in our industry and needs change,” said Warren in an exclusive interview with APEX Media. “They suggested that I could be that change agent. I agreed.”
Behind the Scenes of American Airlines’ Decision to Offer Free IFE
APEX MEDIA | AUGUST 19, 2016
American Airlines last week announced that it is now offering complimentary fleet-wide in-flight entertainment across all cabins. The news follows a similar move by Delta Air Lines, which rolled out free IFE on most of its aircraft earlier this summer. APEX Media spoke to Brian Richardson, AA’s director of In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity and president of the APEX board of directors, about what spurred the decision and what this means for the future of the carrier’s American Spotlight IFE platform. “One of the factors that prompted us to make the change now is how quickly our fleet of domestic aircraft with seatback entertainment continues to grow, and we want all our customers to be able to enjoy these new systems and stay engaged throughout the flight,” he said.
