In Conversation: EXPO Preview with Michael Planey
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Leading up to EXPO we’ve been getting to know your Education Day speakers and moderators. We’re excited to bring you our final Q&A with Michael Planey , co-Founder of HMPlaney Consultants (yes, he gets a lot of puns related to his last name). Michael elaborates on the e-aircraft panel agenda and reveals what, in his opinion, is the most underrated aspect of aircraft interiors.
About Michael: Michael Planey is the co-founder of HMPlaney Consultants, an independent consultancy offering clients more than 16 years of expertise in product definition, design and development for the travel industry. Mr. Planey is a specialist in the areas of inflight internet connectivity, entertainment, communications and aircraft interiors. Current and past clients include airlines, passenger rail lines, technology suppliers, content creators, trade associations and financial investors. His commentary has been featured in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the New York Times, and Air Transport Intelligence.
Q: What are some of the major points the panel will cover?
A: We have six panelists and they represent the vendors of technology to the airlines. I think the question we will end up answering is “What are the opportunities beyond IFE to present to the airlines using connectivity?” The e-enabled aircraft, the connected aircraft, the network enabled aircraft, all these terms represent the same thing which is the opportunity for the airline to exploit the data connection to the aircraft for purposes other than passenger e-mail and that’s what we want to focus on.
Q: IFE system or PED (personal electronic device)?
A: I would say that I use the airlines system more than I use my own for entertainment purposes. I use what the airline offers more often than I use my own stuff and I treat my own devices as backups. Given that, there is a lot of movement towards enabling passengers PEDs to be more useful throughout all stages of their travel journey. You want to be able to connect to them in their home, on the ground, in the airport, in-flight, at the hotel, so you can give them the best customer service that you possibly can. It’s definitely in the airlines best interest to enable as many PED processes as they can and have people think to go to the airline as a source of continuous info instead of just in the air.
Now we’re seeing much more adaptability in terms of lighting inside an aircraft cabin. [Airlines] are providing lighting that is more comfortable and in sync with what humans need to be more comfortable in an aircraft.
Q: Most underrated aspect of aircraft interiors?
A: I think the most underrated aspect of aircraft interiors is lighting. It’s a combination of natural lighting from the windows and the technological advances in terms of getting away from those awful florescent light bulbs that have been around forever. There’s something about the horrible color temperature of those bulbs that mess with your natural circadian rhythms. Now we’re seeing much more adaptability in terms of lighting inside an aircraft cabin. [Airlines] are providing lighting that is more comfortable and in sync with what humans need to be more comfortable in an aircraft.
Q: What is your opinion on airlines choosing not to offer in-flight WiFi?
A: I don’t think it’s a problem yet. The US market is a little different than many of the other markets. We had a dominant vendor here that really pushed the adaptation of WiFi in a way that didn’t happen in other regions of the world. But I will say that within two or three years you should see the adaptation of WiFi in a much larger segment of the transcontinental travel market.
Airlines have been, in many cases, burned in the past with technology upgrades. If you were first into the market with the technology, that didn’t necessarily mean that you got the best product. It meant that you suffered through the development cycle and real-time, and your passengers sometimes paid the price for it. I think for a lot of [airlines], those lessons have been learned and taken to heart. Now that the market has matured and you have a lot of operational data to support the claims that the vendors are making, the airlines are able to make more educated choices and should suffer fewer surprises as a result.
Catch Michael at 13:30 on Monday during the Breakout Session: E-Aircraft Concept: Concept & Fulfilment.