IFEC: EVOLUTION OF IFE
ON THE
HORIZON T
he history of inflight entertainment has always been one of adaptation and transitions. Over the decades, good ideas have been adapted and bad ideas have been abandoned. Videotape has been transitioned smoothly into digital content. Inflight Internet has become “connectivity” and its final acceptance, as part of the cabin appears to be complete. Inflight telephony has moved from beige handsets placed in the seatbacks to personal devices now in the hands of every passenger. At one time, it was thought that inflight gambling would be the killer app for airline ancillary revenue. That idea, perhaps for the better, never really got off the ground. Now as the industry gathers for yet another important yearly event, the evolution of IFEC is clear like never before. The field of companies vying for a place in the cabin has never been larger and more varied than it is today. So what companies are shaping the evolution? PAX International caught up with a few this past summer. Their activities paint a picture of some the cutting edge trends and happenings that make IFEC the vibrant segment of cabin service that it is. Some of the companies are small startups, while others are the deep-pocket worldwide players that are shaping the passenger experience.
Inflight entertainment and connectivity continues to evolve with new partners and new technology, keeping the industry moving forward by RICK LUNDSTROM
Throwing the switch
Passengers on Delta Air Lines are experiencing one aspect of this evolution of inflight entertainment when the airline and its service provider, Gogo began adding access to free entertainment on more than 1,000 aircraft in a service known as Delta Studio. Delta Studio was officially launched August 1. With the service, passengers can have inflight entertainment from their seat or through their own Wi-Fi enabled devices on any flight of more than 1.5 hours. Access to all the content is free for passengers in the airline’s premium cabins. Economy passengers also have access to most of the titles in the Delta selection with the option to purchase additional premium content that includes the latest movies and programming from HBO and Showtime. Passengers also have the ability to take the downloaded programming off the aircraft and access the unwatched portions on their personal device. The service is part of the Gogo Vision platform launched a couple years ago. Gogo Vision gives airline customers the ability to target content to selected parts of the aircraft. Most Delta passengers should have few problems working through the selection of programming, says Steve Nolan Director of Communications and Public Relations
at the Itasca, Illinois-based Gogo. Much of the system follows closely the models found on most home video cable systems and providers such as Netflix. Gogo is also working with another airline customer and technology partner for some in-cabin features that were also recently launched. Business travelers on Virgin America can now explore possibilities for networking among their fellow travelers through an application called “Here on Biz.” The app gives passengers with an iOS-equipped device the ability to send text messages and e-mails to other passengers who may be in a “circle of influence” on the flight. Nolan said the Here on Biz program could be used by business travelers to contact others who may be attending similar events in a destination city. Gogo sees the real possibilities for inflight connectivity coming with additional capabilities that are on the horizon. “The biggest thing for Gogo’s evolution for us is focusing on bringing more bandwidth and capacity to the plane,” said Nolan. In the past year, satellite and ground service have increased the bandwidth available onboard the aircraft from three megabytes per second (MBS) to more than 10MBS. The next generation of capability will be Gogo’s Ground to Orbit system that will combine satellite antennas Delta launched its Delta Studio program on more than 1,000 aircraft this summer
48 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | SEPTEMBER 2014