Google’s Trip Advice & BA’s Short-Haul Sandwiches: 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.
Google’s New App Will Guide Travelers Through Every Step of the Journey
THE VERGE | SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
Google’s much anticipated travel app is now available for download on Android and iOS devices. Google Trips plans full travel itineraries by pulling data from users’ Gmail accounts and collating data from travel reservations, such as flight and hotel bookings, in a similar manner to Concur’s TripIt. The app offers personalized recommendations based on a user’s Google history – which could raise eyebrows among those with privacy concerns. However, those willing to make the trade-off will also benefit from editorial guides to more than 200 cities and offline functionality, allowing data, including maps and walking directions, to be downloaded before disconnecting from the Internet.
BA to Charge for Short-Haul Sandwiches After Signing Marks & Spencer Deal
THE INDEPENDENT | SEPTEMBER 19, 2016
British Airways will soon announce that it has struck a deal with UK retailer Marks & Spencer to charge for sandwiches on board short-haul flights. The ending of complimentary meals on flights of two hours or less comes after BA’s CEO, Alex Cruz, said the airline would focus on better competing on price with low-cost carriers Ryanair, easyJet and Norwegian. However, Nik Loukas of Inflight Feed says, “I think it is going to be very difficult for passengers to swallow the fact that they are going to have to pay for food after it has been free for so long.”
Let There Be Light: Boeing Files Patent for Cabin Projection System
QUARTZ | SEPTEMBER 22, 2016
Boeing’s vision of a future cabin lighting system that projects images onto aircraft interior walls and ceilings came a step closer to reality last week after the aerospace manufacturer filed a patent application. The company first unveiled the idea of a cabin ceiling adorned in projections of a blue sky or a starry night in January. “In theory, airlines could use lighting enhancements on the walls and bulkheads to display information about destinations or to project scenes that get passengers thinking about where they’re going,” said a Boeing spokesperson. “Projection lighting is simply one of many technologies we are exploring to see if it can bring advances in both airline economics and passenger experience.”
GEE and Avianca Brazil Pick Up the Pace in Race to Get Connected in Latin America
APEX MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 22, 2016
Avianca Brazil yesterday announced that it has completed the installation of Global Eagle Entertainment’s Ku-band antenna on two aircraft. With operations scheduled to begin in October, passengers will be able to access the Internet and watch live TV and on-demand videos on their personal devices while flying on domestic routes. Brazilian low-cost carrier Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes completed its first installation of Gogo’s 2Ku system on a Boeing 737-800 in August and passengers on Aeroméxico’s nine new Boeing 787-8 aircraft are beginning to enjoy Panasonic Avionics’ eXTV Live TV service, via Panasonic’s Ku-band broadband connectivity system.
Travelers Still Prefer Computers to Mobile for Booking Flights
APEX MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 21, 2016
Smartphones may be changing modern travel, but research by Wolfgang Digital suggests the majority of flight bookings are still conducted using desktop computers. The digital agency found that while 57 percent of visits to travel websites are made using smartphones and tablets, 67 percent of bookings are made using personal computers. The Economist’s “Gulliver” blog speculates that when booking something as expensive as a flight, customers prefer to weigh out options – something more easily done by quickly switching between browser tabs. Other possible reasons include a dislike of using credit cards on the go and a distrust of electronic payment systems.
Cheerful and Cheeky: JFK Terminal 4 Gets a Makeover
AD WEEK | SEPTEMBER 23, 2016
John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 4 is getting a style makeover to achieve a more effective visual identity. JFKIAT, which manages Terminal 4, hired branding firm Base Design to create a brand that persuades more travelers and airlines to choose JFK. Terminal 4 and Base Design developed a custom typeface for terminal signage, in addition to a new logo and color scheme to make the terminal more approachable and eye-catching. “We want to make travelers more comfortable, and the buy-in from the airline companies and the staff has been incredibly positive so far,” says Gert-Jan de Graaff, president and CEO of JFK Terminal 4. “Passengers like it because it’s cheerful and different, and they like the cheekiness of what we’re doing.”
