Paper in Planes: Airlines Prove That Print Isn’t Dead
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APEX Insight: As the airline industry rushes to herald in the latest technological developments in in-flight entertainment, Jetstar Airways, Condor and Virgin Atlantic are looking anew at print culture. Classics are classics for a reason – when it comes to both literary narratives and the forms in which they were recorded.
Referring to print media as innovative in the 21st century may seem anachronistic; print content is more often cited in phase-out plans than trailblazing initiatives. Jetstar Airways, Condor and Virgin Atlantic are flipping the script by appealing to hard copy to breathe fresh air into in-flight entertainment.
Jetstar’s Aerial Exchange
In an exclusive interview with APEX Media, a Jetstar Asia spokesperson explains, “A plane is a unique environment unlike any other. Wi-Fi and charging ports are not always available, and regulations for electronic devices on board limit the use of laptops, phones and e-books. Many passengers turn to in-flight magazines and catalogues or their own books to pass the time when digital entertainment isn’t available, and we don’t foresee this trend changing in the near future. There’s nothing quite like a good old-fashioned read.”
From July 30 to August 31, Jetstar, in partnership with the National Reading Movement, will be handing out books at the departure gates of select flights at Changi Airport’s Terminal 1, as part of the airline’s Big Book Swap initiative. Passengers are encouraged to pick up a book, read it in flight, bring it with them on holiday and then place it back in the seatback pocket so that the next passenger can do the same.
Over 500 books were donated by the National Library Board, MPH Bookstores, Select Books, Book Point and Write Editions, and passengers are free to offer their own books. “We felt that passengers would get more personal fulfillment out of the book exchange if they could contribute their own books to the club,” explains the airline spokesperson. “We have high hopes that the book swap will flourish into a community-driven book club.”
“We have high hopes that the book swap will flourish into a community-driven book club.” €” Jetstar Spokesperson
Jetstar devised the book swap after a survey concluded that 55 percent of the 3,900 respondents read less than five times per year. Forty-two percent of those polled cited lack of time as the main reason for this; yet, only 7 percent engaged in the activity during holiday, when they ostensibly had more time. Jetstar’s book exchange is designed to inspire passengers to put down their devices, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive: “Hours after we released the news on our Facebook page, hundreds of book-loving passengers praised the initiative, telling us how they are looking forward to taking part in the Big Book Swap, and making suggestions, such as following books on their travels through a record of destinations in the front cover.”
Sentimental Stories on Virgin Atlantic
Despite the economic and environmental merits of e-books, digital reading has been linked to poorer comprehension and memory retention, as well as to disrupted sleep patterns – drawbacks that are especially harmful for young children. As many airlines invest in sophisticated digital media platforms to entice junior travelers, Virgin Atlantic has decided to take a more old-fashioned route: the children’s storybook.
The carrier has placed an order for 2,000 copies of The Great Hot Air Balloon Adventure, a bedtime story written and self-published by a father for his daughters. Author Stephen Holmes initially ordered a print run of 1,000 copies, which he planned to sell to family and friends but decided to “try his luck” with Virgin Atlantic. The airline’s head of Technology & Outsourcing Procurement, Matt Webster, said: “We were instantly charmed by Stephen’s endearing book, as well as the story behind it, and felt it would be a great hit with families on night-time flights.” The book has already been handed out on overnight flights from Orlando, Florida, to the UK, but Holmes hopes to reach an even larger audience.
Carry on With Condor
“Where does it make more sense to read than on holidays?” €” Condor Spokesperson
The program is the result of a partnership with the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, and has been running for over a month, with 5,000 booksellers across Germany distributing campaign stickers for passengers to put on their travel bags. Although the promotion is capped at the summer period, the carrier hopes to keep literary interest alight: “We are open to doing further campaigns that combine books and literature with our customers’ holidays because we are convinced of the bond between these two worlds.”