Giving Passengers Choice is Key to SIA’s New Premium Economy IFE Strategy
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Singapore Airlines (SIA) has made in-flight entertainment (IFE) a central passenger experience feature of its new Premium Economy cabin, through a combination of latest generation hardware, a user-friendly interface and a strong content platform.
The selected Panasonic eX3 system boasts the largest screen introduced into a premium economy cabin. It dominates the back of the modern, feature-rich seat, giving passengers an immersive, cinematic experience. To make that experience complete, SIA will offer premium economy passengers the same Phitek noise-canceling headphones given to passengers in the airline’s business class cabin.
The hardware upgrade also includes an overhaul of the airline’s KrisWorld IFE interface, capitalizing on new touchscreen and swipe capabilities to build an intuitive menu.
SIA’s vice president of Public Affairs, Nicholas Ionides, tells us that the selection of Panasonic’s eX3 system for the new cabin was based on a long-term vendor relationship with Panasonic that “began in 2006, when SIA was the first airline to launch Panasonic’s eX2 system.”
“SIA subsequently launched a next generation KrisWorld, based on Panasonic’s eX3 system, for the Boeing 777-300ERs that entered service from September 2013,” Ionides says. “Our premium economy class customers will enjoy the same next generation KrisWorld, and will experience an improved graphical user interface on our 13.3-inch HD-enabled touchscreen LCD monitor.”
CONTENT IS PREMIUM
The airline’s content mix includes early-window, popular and foreign films, as well as television programs, music channels, hosted radio programming, games and learning content. SIA has paid special attention to ensure that KrisWorld’s content will appeal to a diverse passenger mix.
“[IFE is] specially designed and continually adapted to suit the prevailing tastes and preferences of our customers who come from all over the world,” Ionides says, adding that airline monitors consumer trends and passenger response to content to inform its product decisions.
“Awards like the Passenger Choice Awards do affirm that we are on the right track.” – Nicholas Ionides, VP Public Affairs, Singapore Airlines
“We do track viewership numbers and we use these figures to constantly adapt our in-flight entertainment to what our customers want,” Ionides adds. “Awards like the Passenger Choice Awards do affirm that we are on the right track.” The airline offers films for all ages in a variety of genres, and includes a content warning screen which lets viewers make their own decisions on the film that follows.
“KrisWorld is an entertainment platform that caters to various groups of customers – both adults and children,” Ionides says. “We therefore need to ensure that besides providing entertainment value, our in-flight selection of films and movies needs to be evaluated for content such as crude or tasteless humor, excessive graphical violence and controversy relating to race, religion or politics. That said, the above are guidelines as we would still assess films on a case-by-case basis, whenever the need arises.”
The airline also offers a “Kid’s Mode,” which gives children access to cartoons, family-friendly movies and games, and allows parents to ensure the content their children enjoy on the KrisWorld dashboard is suitable.
Because many of its routes are long-haul flights, SIA lets passengers make the most of their time with educational content. “Passengers can choose to enrich themselves with Berlitz World Traveller, a fully interactive language-learning program,” Ionides tells us, which offers “a total of 23 of the world’s most popular languages.”
There are also courses to sharpen business and cultural skills. “Culture Quest is an information application that provides cross-cultural tips for doing business in more than 10 countries,” Ionides says. Also, DK Travel Guides give passengers destination information on major cities around the world.
PREMIUM CONNECTIONS
Connectivity complements the airline’s IFE product, increasing the choice of activities onboard. “Singapore Airlines launched in-flight connectivity services in 2012 as part of a $50-million program,” Ionides says. “Passengers can surf the Internet, send and receive e-mails on smartphones and other electronic devices, and send and receive SMS text messages with GSM-compatible mobile phones.”
OnAir provides connectivity service to the airline, which also offers telephony, but SIA has elected not to allow telephone calls on its flights. On the airline’s six new 777-300ERs, connectivity is provided by Panasonic Avionics.
“Thirty-eight aircraft have been equipped to date and the service will be rolled out to the rest of the 777-300ER aircraft in the fleet by 2016,” says Ionides. “The A350s will also be fitted with connectivity services.”
Watch the Singapore Airlines’ premium economy product launch and see some of the IFE features up close: