Onboard Tech innovation

Tech innovation

We’re turning the spotlight onto the innovations in onboard technology.

Showcase your latest passenger experience solutions to our airline, rail, cruise and ferry buyers. Distributed during key innovation and passenger experience shows

CRAIG.MCQUINN@ONBOARDHOSPITALITY.COM; +44 (0)7753 745419 | SUE.WILLIAMS@ONBOARDHOSPITALITY.COM | ONBOARDHOSPITALITY.COM

The power of print Building on our established coverage of entertainment and connectivity, our bi-annual supplement is now a one-stop guide to technologies right across the cabin, transforming F&B, wellbeing, service, retail and comfort too

TARGET AUDIENCE

FREQUENCY

CONTENT

The buyers and suppliers of onboard hospitality including catering, wellbeing, onboard retail, inflight entertainment and connectivity

In print: Bi-annual to coincide with trade shows: March/April, September/October

News, views and tech product updates covering hardware, software, apps, company profiles, expert interviews and industry issues

REACH

FORMAT

ADVERTISING

A full-colour, high-quality print magazine with dedicated sections.

Plus digital interactive e-magazine version

Our knowledgeable sales team can offer a range of packages and one-off deals and help you plan the best use of your marketing budget

Onboard Tech Innovation is circulated to an international database of over 15,500+ readers. It is also distributed at all major shows

24 / ONBOARD STREAMING

ONBOARD ENTERTAINMENT & CONNECTIVITY

ONBOARD ENTERTAINMENT & CONNECTIVITY

Dreaming of The popularity of personal electronic devices and streaming services is making airlines think twice about seatback services, says Benjamin Coren

streaming

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tablet, and those latter figures are expected only eatback entertainment remains an to rise. important part of the passenger Airlines clearly recognise the risk - or experience and many airlines say potential. United Airlines, for example, now they don't see that changing. But with the offers personal device entertainment onboard, introduction of better wifi services onboard presenting it as just another choice alongside and growing numbers of people glued to their the seatback facilities; while a spokesperson for smart devices, passengers could soon expect Air Canada said: “Wifi onboard complements to be able to use their own systems onboard seatback entertainment. The ability to watch and start turning away increasingly from the your favourite movie onboard, including newer seatback option. content than you can find on streaming services, More and more airlines are adding wifi services at the same time as being able to browse the onboard and prioritising connectivity efficiency. internet, catch up on work, or message friends, high-speed wifi With advancements in hardware, high only improves the overall is becoming more affordable customer experience. onboard, and peek over their “The convenience of the shoulder and you could soon seatback also plays an see passengers widely using important role - think of their personal electronic PED viewing is a family of four travelling devices (PEDs) to access their becoming a familiar favourite streaming services option: passengers like together. They would need to onboard – no matter how using a familiar device carry four phones, tablets or laptops with them in order to good the seatback options keep the family entertained! being offered are.

Not to mention, watching the latest Blockbuster Be it Netflix, Disney NOW, Amazon Prime, Now on a five-inch screen, versus an up to 18-inch TV or Spotify, these services seem set to play screen - it is a very different experience.” a growing role in onboard viewing one way or Larry Meck, United's principal IFEC another as their subscriber base extends. partnerships, said: “The biggest impact is Netflix reported 137.1 million global users as on communication. Since personal device of Q3 2018 and in some destinations, such as entertainment is an 'invisible' product, we have the UK, the streaming service has overtaken more work to do to make sure our customers the popularity of traditional television services. know what to expect and are ready to access Whilst the majority (70%) of subscribers view that entertainment offering when they fly. streaming services via a TV, 15% view via a “Currently we communicate through channels laptop, 10% by smartphone and 5% by their

8 / SEAT TECHNOLOGY

Technology is increasingly embedded in every element of the passenger journey. Richard Williams discovers how designing for digital innovation is impacting the very seats we’re sitting on

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he average passenger may not pay much attention to his or her aircraft seat – unless it’s particularly uncomfortable – but those on commercial aircraft today are unquestionably different from those 20 years ago. They are likely to be lighter and less bulky, constructed from different materials, and increasingly ‘smart’ – adapted to serve our tech-centric lifestyles.

Craig Foster, of market intelligence firm Valour Consultancy, recently produced a report on the seats market. He says: “With airlines constantly looking to reduce fuel burn, there has been an intense focus on producing lighter and lighter seats and materials that promise to reduce ongoing operational costs. Airlines will pay more for lighter

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SEAT TECHNOLOGY / 9

The future is behind you

like united.com, pre-departure emails, and our app so customers can preview the onboard content available. For PED viewing we have more work to do to ensure our offer is compatible with popular devices and the various operating systems and browsers passengers use.”

Streaming services seem likely to play a role in the future of in-air entertainment but with no single technology or service relevant to everyone, it is partly a question of wait and see.

Meck added: “Our strategy is to closely align our entertainment and technology offerings to the needs of our customers, and that means a multisolution approach. PED viewing is becoming a familiar option: passengers like using a familiar device, which is likely to have a crisp, new high resolution screen, updated at much higher frequency than we can on an aircraft.“ Key will be passenger feedback. The carrier has recently added free DIRECTV seatback entertainment on select 737 domestic flights to broaden its entertainment offer and has noted a positive impact of providing greater entertainment choice, with a direct connection to overall passenger satisfaction levels.

As inflight wifi technology continues to mature and the cost of delivering it continues to decline, it is likely the choice of viewing options will only increase too but don't abandon the seatbacks just yet. Meck added: “We do not see that offsetting the need for us to provide a robust catalogue of airline-curated content. Rather, we see that as an opportunity to further invest in improving our passenger experience." •

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ONBOARD NEWS STREAMING UPDATES // 25

materials when fuel prices are high, but there is, of course, a breakeven point above which airlines cannot justify the cost.”

At the heart of the sector are the ‘big three,’ he says: Safran Seats, Collins Aerospace and Recaro Aircraft Seating. Together, these account for about three-quarters of annual revenues, but a clutch of new players are also seeking to chip away at the dominance of the big three.

And as airlines also look to invest in technology, to improve every element of the onboard experience, seating specialists are collaborating more closely with digital specialists to combine services to best effect.

Strong growth

Materials such as new iron-aluminium alloys and carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites, titanium, magnesium and graphene, are all in the mix, and when new designs and constructions incorporate passenger enhancing technologies too there’s the potential for a further return on investment in terms of the passenger experience.

Airlines are investing, with the seat market showing strong growth, and Foster expects the commercial aircraft seating sector to be worth $4.9 billion by 2028 – up from $3.8 billion in 2018.

More control

Adam White, director at aviation design consultancy Factorydesign, says: “There is no lack of enthusiasm for bringing technology into aircraft

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Seat Design Feature _v3.indd 8

interiors, or lack of knowledge of what is possible, but what has been hard is the transfer of new technology into the cabin without adding weight, without time-consuming certification, and all for an acceptable cost.

“Key is to create pieces of added value that enhance the experience. Once the technology itself is part and parcel of the seat, the ground and in-air experiences really start to align.

“We are already seeing passengers getting much more control over their environment, with growing opportunities for interaction in the luxury end of the market. But there is still an awful lot more that can be done to improve the Economy experience through technology.

“As inflight technology becomes routine

Above: The Air Lair cabin concept from Factorydesign

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News, interviews ideas and editorials: 44 (0) 20 8649 7233 Julie Baxter, Editor: julie.baxter@onboardhospitality.com April Waterston, Journalist: april.waterston@onboardhospitality.com

Tech innovation

CRAIG.MCQUINN@ONBOARDHOSPITALITY.COM; +44 (0)7753 745419 | SUE.WILLIAMS@ONBOARDHOSPITALITY.COM | ONBOARDHOSPITALITY.COM

Profile your tech product We don’t just cover industry news but also aim to help form industry opinion, identify and share trends and innovations, and be THE place for ideas and inspiration. Each issue coincides with the industry’s major shows Magazine Advertising

Distribution Breakdown

Full Page:

£2,990

Europe

43 %

Half Page:

£1,600

Americas

29 %

Far East/Australasia

17 %

Middle East/Africa

11 %

Quarter Page: (Horizontal Only) £950 Eighth Page: (Horizontal Only)

£500

Inside Front Cover:

£3,400

Inside Back Cover:

£3,200

Outside Back Cover:

£3,600

Inserts, Belly Bands, Cover Wraps etc:

£POA

Dimensions

FULL PAGE

type 237 x 177 bleed 266 x 201 (trim size 258 x 195)

TOTAL DISTRIBUTION

15,500+

Onboard Tech Innovation is circulated to an international database of over 15,500+, copies are also distributed at WTCE, APEX, AIX and IFSA.

(depth & width in mm)

HALF PAGE

horizontal type 115 x 177 horizontal bleed 133 x 201

HALF PAGE

vertical type 237 x 85 vertical bleed 264 x 98

QUARTER PAGE

horizontal type 177 x 56 horizontal bleed 73 x 201

EIGHTH PAGE

horizontal type 21 x 175 horizontal bleed 38 x 201

For a full list of specifications or any other production information please contact: production@bmipublishing.co.uk

Tech innovation

CRAIG.MCQUINN@ONBOARDHOSPITALITY.COM; +44 (0)7753 745419 | SUE.WILLIAMS@ONBOARDHOSPITALITY.COM | ONBOARDHOSPITALITY.COM

Be a part of it Contact the team and share your tech innovations, case studies and news through the supplement via our editorial team and a range of advertising and promotional opportunities

CRAIG MCQUINN

Sue Williams

April Waterston

Associate Publisher

Publisher

Journalist

craig.mcquinn@onboardhospitality.com

sue.williams@onboardhospitality.com

april.waterston@onboardhospitality.com

+44 (0)7753 745419

+44 (0) 20 8649 7233

+44 (0) 20 8649 7233

onboardhospitality.com @OBHmagazine BMI Publishing, Suffolk House, George Street, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 1SR United Kingdom

Tech innovation