United Polaris Launch & BA’s Digital Pill: 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.
What Does Netflix’s Offline Playback Mean for Airlines and IFE?
APEX MEDIA | DECEMBER 1, 2016
Yesterday’s Netflix update for iOS and Android allows subscribers across the world to download movies and TV shows for offline viewing on smartphones and tablet devices. Brian Richardson, American Airlines’ director of In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity, doesn’t think airlines and IFE vendors should be worried about this fundamental change to Netflix’s service offering: “There are limitations [to offline viewing] because it still requires passengers to plan ahead and have enough storage space on their devices.” Éric Lauzon, Air Canada’s manager for In-Flight Entertainment, foresees Netflix increasing pressure on Hollywood studios to access early-window content. “The game is not completely lost to Netflix, but this certainly marks the beginning of a new IFE era,” he says.
Aircraft Carrying Brazilian Soccer Team Crashes in Colombia, Killing 75
THE GUARDIAN | NOVEMBER 29, 2016
A chartered aircraft carrying members of Brazil’s Chapecoense soccer team crashed close to MedellÃn, Colombia, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. At least 75 people including players, journalists and crew members are confirmed dead. Colombia’s civil aviation authority said six people initially survived the crash, but one died a short time later. The aircraft, a British Aerospace 146, was flying the team from São Paulo – stopping briefly in Bolivia – to Chapecoense’s Copa Sudamericana finals match against Atlético Nacional in Colombia’s second-largest city. A statement released by José MarÃa Córdova International Airport said the aircraft declared an emergency because of electrical failures, before crashing in the mountains outside the city.
United Launches Polaris Business Class With Shiny New Lounge at Chicago O’Hare
APEX MEDIA | DECEMBER 1, 2016
Today’s opening of the United Polaris lounge at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) coincides with the soft launch of its new business class and first class on international routes. While the United Polaris seat is expected to launch in early 2017, beginning today, passengers will be treated to the rest of the in-flight experience, including Saks Fifth Avenue custom-designed bedding and products from Soho House & Co.’s Cowshed Spa. “The idea behind United Polaris was conceived completely from customer and employee input,” said Maria Walter, managing director, Product and Brand Strategy at United Airlines, as she welcomed media to the press event at ORD yesterday. “We conducted over 12,000 hours of research to craft this experience.”
BA Could One Day Serve In-Flight “Digital Pills,” But Will Passengers Swallow?
EVENING STANDARD | NOVEMBER 28, 2016
Passengers on British Airways flights could one day be offered “digital pills” that wirelessly beam diagnostic health information from inside the body. The airline filed a patent for a wellness system that includes ingestible sensor technology that would work with in-flight sleep monitors and data from wearables and smartphones to personalize the passenger experience. BA says the aim is to develop technology that determines when a passenger is awake, asleep, hungry, nervous, hot, cold or uncomfortable. The data-driven system could also include cameras tracking body movement and sensors monitoring lighting, humidity, sleep, heart rate and body temperature.
Airbus to Cut 1,164 Jobs as Part of Group Integration
AIR TRANSPORT WORLD | NOVEMBER 30, 2016
Airbus has drawn up detailed plans to cut 1,164 jobs and transfer another 325 roles as part of a restructuring strategy outlined in September. Under the new structure, the European aerospace consortium will merge Airbus Group with its largest division, Airbus Commercial Aircraft, and will move the company’s headquarters from Paris and Munich to Toulouse. “The integration will ultimately strengthen Airbus in its ability to ensure future competitiveness and to remain a global leader in the aerospace industry,” said Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders.
What They’re Watching: IdeaNova’s IFE Analytics
INFLIGHT ONLINE | DECEMBER 2, 2016
IdeaNova Technologies has launched an in-flight entertainment data analysis tool focused on media playback and deployment. InShow allows airlines and IFE vendors to analyze their media streaming ecosystems, including data on customers’ playback experience, frequently watched movies and other system performance indicators. “Analysis of data is a common problem across any media delivery system,” says Juraj Siska, CTO of IdeaNova Technologies. “InShow fills the gap of many avionics companies that deploy media-streaming technology and find a void of information when trying to analyze system performance.”
