APEX Experience - The Technology Issue

airline passenger

volume 5, edition 2 | march - april 2015

The Technology Issue

Ahead by a Century | Smart Card | Ground Control | the big deaL about Big Data High-speed entertainment | Altitude adjustment | attendant devices

official publication of the airline passenger experience association

Coming to Airlines June 2015

Contact: Ruth Walker

818-560-1345

nt.disney.com

Š2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Airbus

You don’t have to compromise on comfort...

airbus.com

60 years ago, passengers flew in 17-inch wide Economy class seats. But we are all slightly larger now. For our competitor, nothing has changed, that’s still their standard.

Airbus offers comfortable cabins optimised around an 18-inch wide Economy class seat.

It feels like an upgrade. It is.

With Airbus aircraft, you can offer the right product, to the right market, at the right price.

Our competitor’s 17-inch wide seats.

© AIRBUS, 2015. All rights reserved. Airbus, its logo and the product names are registered trademarks.

...to make your profit fly.

Contents

apex experience

The Technology Issue

Visit us at apex.aero

volume 5, edition 2 march - april 2015

We review the recent International Consumer Electronics Show and hypothesize on how some of the future-forward tech we observed on the showroom floor might soon make it into the aircraft cabin. We also look forward to innovative products and services from APEX member companies and preview key upcoming industry events.

> IN Profile

55

64

73

Ahead by a Century

High-Speed Entertainment

Ground Control

Building a new airliner is as much a feat in computer science as it is in engineering, and Honeywell Aerospace’s avionics teams have always been ahead of the curve.

Katie Sehl

Binge-watching may be the new norm on the ground, but bandwidth poses limits in the sky.

The rising popularity of both civilian and commercial drone use is outpacing the necessary regulations and guidelines to control traffic in a more crowded airspace.

Marisa Garcia

Max Flight

62 Jay Heinrichs

89

Editorial Director, Southwest: The Magazine, Pace Communications

96 Smart Card

The Big Deal About Big Data

As the deadline to changeover to smart card compliant technology looms, North American airlines struggle to adopt next-generation retail payment technologies.

How can big data and the Internet of Things be harnessed by the airline industry and used to its fullest potential?

Michael Planey

Jenn Wint

103 Altitude Adjustment No flyer is a stranger to turbulence, but recent developments have made the ride a lot smoother.

80 Jenny Delcambre Head of Global Travel Distribution, Euronews

Brett Snyder

94 Kevin Bremer

111

Airplane Systems Senior Skill and Strategy, Boeing Commercial Airplanes

Attendant Devices Smart devices and management tools are keeping cabin crew organized and more connected to passengers.

108 Kamahl Santamaria Broadcast Journalist, Al Jazeera

Howard Slutsken

6

volume 5, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: Sita; Rob Strong; Courtesy of Jenny delcambre illustrations: MarĂ­a Corte; Clara Prieto; Ricardo Polo

> Features

Empower your fleet for connected skies With more than 7,500 connected flights taking off every day, Gogo knows inflight internet has to work fast. Our new 2Ku antenna — capable of speeds up to 70 Mbps — can do just that.

But it still has to work. We know how to deliver dependable service — wherever

you fly, whatever your fleet. And with 55+ million sessions served since 2008, it’s clear Gogo works reliably.

That’s just some insight into how we’re building the best aero-communications network possible — for your airline and for the future of connected flight.

Meet us at AIX 2015 • gogoair.com/aix ©2015 Gogo LLC. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contents

apex experience

Comfort & Ambience Entertainment & Connectivity Catering & Services

Visit us at apex.aero

volume 5, edition 2 march - april 2015

> Industry

22 Complete Fabrication

36 Jumping Over the Top

Textile technology has come a long way.

Consumer demand for TV everywhere raises the stakes for the entertainment industry.

Paul Sillers

38 Bright Ideas

Snuggle up with a warm and fuzzy pet-bot on your next flight.

Li-Fi in the sky may be a greener and brighter IFEC solution.

Jordan Yerman

Nicolás Rossel

41 Hacking the Sky

How can we secure devices from airborne cyber attacks?

27 Virtual Future Holographic displays may soon be a virtual reality in the cabin.

Laura Magnifico

28 Bridging the Gap The latest jetway tech bridges boarding safety and efficiency.

Daniel Viola

18 APEX in Action

34 Tear-Out Poster: Prague City Guide

126

Terri Potratz

IFSA News

45 Tracking Snacking New digital tools make managing inventory easy as pie.

Maryann Simson

Fergus Baird

32 Explanation Station

49 Printed Palate

Explainer videos may be more than just a passing fad.

3-D printed food adds a techy twist to the menu.

Tomás Romero

Jasmin Legatos

volume 5, edition 2

16 Featured Contributors

Volvo’s Ocean Race takes connectivity to the stormy seas.

Do any ticket-booking myths actually hold water?

8

13 Board News

42 Satellite Sailors

Digital watermarks are key to identifying content leaks.

Marisa Garcia

14 Editor’s Letter

APEX News

46 Cost Confusion

Selective fine-tuning of resolution optimizes clarity and saves on memory.

12 President’s Letter

122 - 125

to Encryption

35 Set Your Sights

> Standbys

Jordan Yerman

Jason Kessler

30 The Keys

> APEX

50 Automating the Airport Restaurant Tablet menus make it easier for flyers to dine and dash.

Alison Robins

> Listings

128 Movie Listings 10 Advertisers’ Index

83 Roundtable: Socially Savvy How can companies connect with followers on social media? Four APEX member companies discuss.

Jessica Sammut

117 Travelogue: Here Goes the Future An avgeek keeps his head in the clouds and above the crowds at the latest International Consumer Electronic show in Las Vegas.

Jordan Yerman

154 Throwback: Walk this Way Moving walkways may be a 122-year-old idea, but they’re still a technological staple at airports around the world.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: segatoys; Moment factory: Global Eagle Entertainment; 3d systems; afp

24 Pet Robots Tame Anxious Flyers

illustrations: Jorge de la paz; julie carles; gonzalo Martínez

Jordan Yerman

Entertainment so immersive, you’ll feel like you’re there. That’s the Interact difference!

At Interact, we provide your passengers with the ultimate entertainment experience - transporting them to another world!

Our entertainment solutions are as unique as your airline and tailored to suit your specific requirements. interact.aero

Ad Index

apex experience

Advertiser’s Directory

Visit us at apex.aero

volume 5, edition 2 march - april 2015

Airborne Interactive ltd www.airborne.aero > See page 71

Deutsche Welle www.dw.de > See page 71

Linstol www.linstol.com > See page 119

STG Aerospace www.stgaerospace.aero > See page 110

Airbus www.airbus.com > See pages 4 & 5

DigEcor www.digecor.com > See page 93

Telefonix www.pdt.com > See page 29

Arinc (Rockwell Collins) www.rockwellcollins.com > See page 88

Emphasis Video www.emphasis-video.net > See page 149

Long Prosper Enterprise Company (LPE) www.longprosper.com > See page 11

Astronics www.astronics.com > See page 26 & 72

Entertainment In Motion www.skyfilms.com > See page 141

Australian Broadcasting Corporation www.abccommercial.com > See page 44

General Dynamics www.gd-ots.com > See page 33

Avid Airline Productions www.avidproducts.com > See page 37 Axinom www.axinom.aero > See page 75 BAE Systems www.baesystems.com > See page 25 BBC www.bbc.co.uk > See pages 135 & 153 Betria Interactive LLC www.flightpath3d.com > See page 54

Geven www.geven.com > See page 20 Gogo LLC www.gogoair.com > See page 7 Guest Logix www.guestlogix.com > See page 121 HBO www.hbo.com > See page 151 Inflight Canada www.inflightcanada.com > See page 102

Bloomberg www.mediasource.bloomberg.com > See page 135

Inflight Entertainment Products www.ifeproducts.com > See map insert

Bluebox www.bluebox.com > See page 19

Inflight Peripherals ltd www.ifpl.com > See page 48

Breakaway media www.breakawayinmedia.com > See page 15

Interact www.interact.aero > See page 9 & bellyband

Carlisle interconnect Technologies www.carlisleit.com > See page 82

Jaguar Distribution Corporation www.jaguardc.com > See page 144

Cine Magnetics Inc www.cinemagnetics.com > See page 105

Kid Systems www.kid.com > See page 115

10

volume 5, edition 2

LSG Sky Chefs www.lsgskychefs.com > See page 51 Lufthansa Systems www.lhsystems.com > See page 130 Lumexis www.lumexis.com > See page 47 OnAir www.onair.aero > See page 31 Panasonic Avionics Corporation www.panasonic.aero > See page 156 Paramount Pictures www.paramount.com > See page 2 & 3 Pascall www.pascall.co.uk > See page 79 Penny Black Media www.pennyblackmedia.com > See page 143

T-Mobile www.telekom.com > See page 116 Turner www.turner.com > See page 147 NBCUniversal www.nbcuni.com > See page 139 Video Technology Services www.videotechnologyservices.com > See page 61 & 98 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures www.ebvnt.disney.com > See gatefold cover Warner Bros www.warnerbros.com > See page 133 & airplane insert WOI www.woi.aero > See page 155 Zodiac In-Flight Entertainment www.imsco-us.com > See page 56

Phitek Systems Limited www.phitek.com > See page 69 Skycast www.skycastsolutions.com > See page 39 Sony Pictures Releasing Corporation www.sonypicturesinflight.com > See page 136 Soundchip www.soundchip.ch > See page 17 Spafax www.spafax.com > See page 91

Airline Passenger Experience Association

LPE-P16NC

Bluetooth BT-SF07NC

LPE-591C

INSERT-1023

BOING 747-8

AIRBUS A380-800

Surround Sound LPE-P6NC

INSERT-1025

F-35

President’s Letter

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Dear Fellow APEX Members, In this industry, change is good.

New ideas and innovations come fast and furiously. And it’s partly the job of this association to ensure that they don’t go unnoticed. A community of innovators such as ours deserves recognition. By way of active marketing and outreach, as well as our world-class awards programs, we help to put member airlines and vendor accomplishments in the spotlight.

During the last few months, we have rolled out an expansive advertising campaign to show the world and the industry that APEX is a place where collaboration and innovation happens. It takes a community of passionate individuals from various sectors working together to drive the passenger experience industry forward.

And not only do we achieve results, we have a good time in the process. You can see examples of this advertising in this issue of Experience (see page 34) and in other industry

12

volume 5, edition 2

“The Passenger Choice Awards honor the world’s top airlines.” publications throughout the year featuring APEX’s new tagline: CONNECT LEARN & CREATE TOGETHER. The APEX Awards programs (winners will be announced this fall at APEX/IFSA EXPO in Portland) are our most direct way of recognizing member companies that are making the biggest impact on the passenger experience. The Passenger Choice Awards are based on actual passenger feedback and honor the world’s top airlines.

The Avion Awards recognize industry innovators for new member products and services.

And additional awards – Lifetime Achievement, Outstanding Contribution and Newcomer – shine a light on the individuals working tirelessly to make our industry better.

It’s worth noting that we’re just a few short weeks from the start of the 2015 Passenger Choice Awards (PCAs) cycle, and the time for airlines to start your promotions is now. All member airlines are automatically entered, and passengers

can fill out the survey at passengerchoiceawards.com.

Detailed information about the promotional opportunities we offer is on page 127. And remember, in a break from previous years and in response to your feedback, the 2015 PCA voting cycle for passengers has been condensed to the months of May and June, meaning it’s important to begin plans now to aggressively promote the PCAs in the new, shortened window.

If you have any feedback related to our member recognition initiatives or any other APEX programs and activities, please feel free to contact me or any other board member. Our e-mail addresses are available at apex.aero.

All the best,

> Alfy Veretto apex president Virgin America

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Board News

apex experience

Meet the Board The APEX Board of Directors uses this space to inform members about ongoing Board work and decisions. In addition to APEX association information in the magazine, the Board sends e-mails after each Board meeting to update the membership and to be as transparent as possible.

Board information is also shared in APEXnews Daily SmartBrief and direct e-mails to the membership. The Board is always available for input and questions as well – all Board e-mails are listed on apex.aero.

call for education proposals The APEX Education and Technology Committees seek your input for future educational sessions. In a continual effort to provide the best events possible for members and other attendees, the committees invite members, professionals and experts to provide proposals.

To submit a proposal and to learn more about the guidelines, please fill out the Call for Educational Session Proposal at apex. aero. Members may also suggest topics by e-mailing Lauren Beneri, director of Programs and Services, at lbeneri@kellencompany.com.

> Alfy Veretto president Virgin America

> Brian Richardson vice president American Airlines

> Dominic Green secretary Thales Avionics

membership incentive plan APEX continues to offer an incentive for member companies who encourage new airlines to join. If you refer a new member who then joins, your company is eligible for one free EXPO registration ($450 value) or two free registrations to attend APEX Regional Conferences ($700 value). Contact Dana O’Donnell, APEX Membership Services manager, at dodonnell@kellencompany.com to learn more.

> Joan Filippini treasurer Paramount Pictures

> Patrick Brannelly past president Emirates

> Kevin Bremer Boeing Commercial Airplanes

passenger choice awards update Unlike in previous cycles, this year the Passenger Choice Awards are open in May and June only, and we encourage you to begin promoting your airline and the survey now! The voting structure has also changed, as passengers will select finalists and airline members will vote for the winners.

> Michael Childers Lufthansa Systems

> Éric Lauzon Air Canada

> Luay Qunash Royal Jordanian Airlines

submit your nominations for avion awards and honorary awards Know a company or individual deserving of recognition from the APEX community? We are now seeking nominations for the annual Avion Awards, the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Outstanding Contribution Award and the Newcomer Award. To nominate yourself or a colleague, visit apex.aero and select “Awards” from the menu.

> Mary Rogozinski

> Ingo Wuggetzer Airbus

Gogo

photos: Mehran torgoley

board nominations Nominations for the APEX Board will be accepted until 1 June, 2015.

To receive a nomination form, contact Lauren Beneri, director of Programs and Services, at lbeneri@kellencompany.com.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 2

13

Editor’s Letter

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Lean Back There’s no shortage of technological marvels to delve into within this edition, but when facing such innovative gadgets, conceptual thinkers and futuristic plans, we remain humbly reminded that one of the most astonishing pieces of equipment before us remains the aircraft itself.

Every year, the International Consumer Electronics Show seems to create several weeks of “gadget fever” in the popular press. This year, we got to hear a lot about how wearable technology would soon be as ubiquitous as smartphones and tablets.

However, it’s always hard to draw a straight line from what we see every year in Las Vegas to what we will see on the airplane. Very often, the limitations of the aircraft environment prevent a direct application of consumer technology onboard – often to our frustration, as we are constantly looking to improve the passenger experience. (We’re here to connect the dots!)

That being said, we often forget that the greatest piece of technology we experience in-flight is not our in-flight entertainment screen or an airline-provided handheld device: It’s the aircraft. Throughout the cabin, advances in technology have dramatically improved how we enjoy air travel, even if you can’t see it. Our

feature on Honeywell provides a closer look at a 130-year-old company that has been at the forefront of aviation technology. It’s almost a certainty that Honeywell products have made your flights more enjoyable without you even knowing it. Meanwhile, the folks at Boeing are taking a novel approach to turbulence reduction, one that uses the latest modern technology to replicate the technique that birds have used for aeons.

We look forward to comparing whatever technology you might be wearing with ours at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg or the APEX MultiMedia Market in Prague.

We’re flexing our trivia muscles and brainstorming award-winning team names in anticipation of the Networking Event and MultiMedia Quiz. In the meantime, we hope this issue’s features help show you what possibilities lay ahead in our alwaysevolving industry.

> Al St. Germain publisher

> Terri Potratz editor

illustration: Jonathan Petersen

Terri and Al

14

volume 5, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

BREAK AWAY FROM THE NORM.

Spice up your programming with our unique international content.

See you at the MultiMedia Market!

For more information, contact Mehmet Gunduz mgunduz@breakawayintmedia.com

www.breakawayintmedia.com

Contributors

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Featured

See Jonathan’s work on the cover.

Jonathan Petersen is an independent graphic designer and illustrator living in Chicago, Illinois. He recommends you always bring snacks and extra underwear on any trip, and his go-to in-flight gadget is an iPhone or iPad. Future tech he’s most looking forward to? A personal spaceship.

volume 5, edition 2 march - april 2015

APEX Experience Magazine 1507 West Yale Avenue Orange, CA 92867 +1 714 363 4900 Cover illustration by jonathan petersen

> Publisher Al St. Germain al.stgermain@spafax.com

Read Marisa’s work on page > 64

See Rob’s work on page > 62

Marisa Garcia caught the aviation bug 20 years ago and has never sought a cure. She’s a 3-D traveler (that’s three devices! Laptop, iPhone and iPad), so her best in-flight gadget is the Mophie battery pack. A hat that can help her write at the speed of thought is on her future tech wish list, though she already dreads the editing.

Rob Strong is a photojournalist in New Hampshire who drove his last car the distance of the Earth to the moon while visiting 48 US states. His top in-flight gadget is the window seat: Nothing in his carry on is one percent as enthralling as the view from 30,000 feet – which is why he can’t wait for the space elevator of the future. Imagine the view at 30,000 miles!

PRODUCTION > Production Director Joelle Irvine

EDITORIAL

> Acting Production Director Maureen Veilly

> Editor Terri Potratz terri.potratz@spafax.com

> Production Manager Andréanne Lafond

> Copy Editor Katie Sehl katie.sehl@spafax.com

> Assistant Copy Editors Diane Carlson Deanna Dority Ann Ward

> Community Manager Jessica Sammut jessica.sammut@spafax.com

> Fact Checkers Tara Dupuis Leah Esau Daniel Viola

> Research Assistant Ella Ponomarov > Contributors Fergus Baird, Max Flight, Marisa Garcia, Jason Kessler, Jasmin Legatos, Laura Magnifico, Michael Planey, Alison Robins, Tomás Romero, Nicolás Rossel, Paul Sillers, Maryann Simson, Howard Slutsken, Brett Snyder, Daniel Viola, Jenn Wint, Jordan Yerman ART

Michael Planey is an engineer trying to provide practical solutions to the everyday problems facing the travel industry. While they may be low-tech, he never flies without earplugs. If there’s one future gadget he can’t wait for, it’s a Jetsons-style Rosie the Robot.

Read Michael’s work on page > 96

> Art Director Nicolas Venturelli nicolas.venturelli@spafax.com

> Proofreaders Katie Moore Robert Ronald ADVERTISING > Sales Director Steve O’connor steve.oconnor@spafax.com +44 207 906 2077 > Ad Production Manager Mary Shaw mary.shaw@spafax.com > Ad Production Coordinator Anne Marie Nguyen

> Graphic Designer Eva Dorsch

SPAFAX CONTENT MARKETING

> Contributors Marcelo Cáceres, Julie Carles, Manuel Córdova, María Corte, Óscar Chávez, Forma & Co., Gonzalo Martínez, Jorde de la Paz, Jonathan Petersen, Ricardo Polo, Clara Prieto, Mathias Sielfeld, Rob Strong

> President Raymond Girard > Senior Vice-President, Content Strategy Arjun Basu

content on the go

16

volume 5, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

PANASONIC AVIONICS DELIVERS GREAT AUDIO

Driving a revolution in in-flight audio .

When it comes to in-flight audio, it's clear there's room for improvement.

At Soundchip we're changing this. Drawing upon our consumer electronics expertise and development-level relationships with leading IFEC equipment and headphone suppliers, we're driving a revolution in in-flight audio - enabling airlines to offer the same sonic thrills in the air as passengers are used to on the ground.

In 2011, Soundchip and Panasonic Avionics Corporation joined forces to modernize the in-flight audio experience. Our mission was to rethink all aspects of a passenger aircraft's audio delivery system, from the formatting of media through to the headphone itself. Two years on and our work is complete, the outcomes of which are nothing short of game changing.

Contact us today for more information: hd-audio@soundchip.ch

AUDIO TECHNOLOGY \ IN-FLIGHT AUDIO DESIGN \ HEADPHONE ENGINEERING \ HEADPHONE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Social

apex experience

APEX in Action Association members were treated to a special aviation-themed tour at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada this January.

Visit us at apex.aero

Read coverage of the entire event online at > apex.aero/CES

1. The showroom floor at CES was bustling with technology and electronics fans 2. APEX contributor Jordan Yerman trials the latest in women’s makeup at the Panasonic Smart Mirror 3. Dirk Ottens, Lufthansa Systems 4. Matthias Walther, Panasonic Avionics 5. Bryan Rusekno, APEX Technical Director; Ron Freer, Southwest Airlines; Michael Childers, Lufthansa Systems

1

Do you have social photos that are fit to print? E-mail submissions to 4

18

5

volume 5, edition 2

> editor@apex.aero

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: getty images; Jordan Yerman

3

2

Join us at:

HALL B3 STAND 3C10

The IFE world has changed dramatically - and the choice airlines have faced between heavy and expensive embedded systems or nothing at all is now a thing of the past.

It’s an attractive proposition - although no WiFI system is Hollywood approved to stream those all-important Early Window Content movies to passenger devices.

deliver brand new Hollywood movies and other content categories to create a truly memorable IFE experience.

Airlines have the option of very quickly deploying portable solutions that utilize the latest tablet technology to

They can also choose to implement wireless streaming systems that deliver a range of content over cabin networks to both passenger-owned and airlinesupplied devices.

Bluebox Ai

Bluebox Hybrid

Bluebox wiFE

STAND ALONE PORTABLE IFE

CONNECTED PORTABLE IFE

WIRELESS STREAMED IFE

Bluebox Ai is approved by US studios to host pre-loaded Early Window Content on iPad Air and iPad mini tablets. It is the market leading portable IFE solution with over 14,000 units flying.

Bluebox Hybrid empowers airlines to offer a blend of pre-loaded Early Window Content with content streamed to Bluebox devices from approved onboard systems.

Bluebox wiFE is the new streaming system that really delivers.

Users enjoy the same superior audio, retina display screens and iOS games that iPad delivers on the ground.

Bluebox Ai also offers you superb accessibility options, including closed caption capability as standard.

Bluebox recognises that choice brings complexity, and with it the challenge of ensuring future-proof investment. Our portfolio of IFE solutions is designed to make the choice an easier one.

Using the class leading aircraft-certified streaming server and infrastructure, Bluebox wiFE offers thousands of hours of IFE content.

An enhanced version of Bluebox Ai, Bluebox Hybrid delivers the latest Hollywood content in an environment that would otherwise offer only late window movies. Together they make the perfect IFE complement.

Bluebox wiFE supports a wide range of portable devices and a highly configurable user interface ensures an engaging and exciting passenger experience.

+44 (0) 7947 720924 +44 (0)1383 620922

ANCILLARY REVENUE

blueboxavionics.com info@blueboxavionics.com

|

SERVICE ENHANCEMENT

|

SERVICE RECOVERY

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

This Issue

Welcome

Brush up on your trivia skills by taking our practice quiz! > apex.aero/quiz

photo: alamy

Trivial Pursuit APEX members will descend upon the beautiful city of Prague, Czech Republic for the 2015 MultiMedia Market, previously called TV Market.

While the name has changed to be more inclusive of the breadth of media offerings – now representing movies, TV, apps, GUIs and games – one thing will remain the same: the much-anticipated Networking Event and MultiMedia Quiz. This highly competitive trivia night will take place at the iconic Municipal House, a 100-year-old Art Nouveau building in the heart of the city. Which team will take home bragging rights this year?

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 2

21

Comfort

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Complete Fabrication While fabrics are not as obviously techy as digital cabin components, textile technology is stealthily permeating and enhancing many aspects of the in-flight experience.

by Paul Sillers

22

volume 5, edition 2

photos: Rohi

Fabric developments affect many key factors for airlines, including comfort, durability, maintainability, ecology, noise absorption and that perennial old chestnut: cost reduction.

Compared with advances in in-flight entertainment or mood lighting, technological leaps in the “comparably mature textile industry might not seem that exciting,” says Philipp Dahm, managing director of Rohi, the Bavaria-based aviation fabric manufacturer.

Maybe not as exciting, but perhaps more significant: Evolved textile technologies, rather than paradigm shifts, can often be more appropriate and effective for improving passenger comfort. Take Rohi’s seat cover fabrics, for example. Evolving over a period of more than 80 years, the manufacturer’s seat cover fabrics have their origins in prestigious concert halls across the world, including philharmonic concert halls in Berlin, Cologne and Munich, and also Switzerland’s Scala in Basel. Having worked with external acoustic engineers on auditorium projects, Rohi sees potential to improve passenger cabin comfort through in-flight noise reduction by applying the fabric technology lessons learned in developing and designing auditorium textiles.

From the Scottish Borders region, designer and manufacturer Replin Fabrics focuses its textile technology on in-flight maintainability and cost reduction. Replin Fabric Protection System (RFPS) is a trademarked system that involves coating individual fibers with protective particles, Airline Passenger Experience Association

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

apex experience

Comfort

Read about fabric recycling initiatives > APEX.AERO/RECYCLE

Rohi has a philharmonic history: The company has vast experience working with acoustic engineers to create textiles optimized for sound performance. In-flight noise reduction may be the next frontier in fabric technology.

making its seat fabrics both water resistant and stain repellent, useful when unexpected turbulence results in a spot of red wine on a seat cover, for example. Sales and marketing director Carla Wiseman explains that “[RFPS] protection means the fabric can be spotcleaned in situ, thus reducing the frequency of dry cleaning – a savings to both the environment and the [pocketbook]!”

In the Swiss capital of Bern, Lantal Textile’s design director, Ilona Illing, envisions “future airline fabrics corresponding with the passenger, reacting to body temperature, to the music someone listens to, making traveling more comfortable for the individual.” To address these objectives,

Evolved textile technologies can often be more effective for improving comfort.

Lantal’s innovative Pneumatic Comfort System has replaced conventional cushions with pneumatic ones, that can be adjusted to the required comfort level of each passenger. The system is combined with acclimatizing polyester 3-D meshes that are covered with the airlines’ seat covers.

Climatex’s chemical make-up of virgin wool and beechwood viscose renders the fabric fully biodegradable – in line with the airline industry’s growing awareness of sustainability issues.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 2

23

Comfort

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Pet Robots Tame Anxious Flyers Pets can provide significant therapy for anxious flyers, but the animal doesn’t have to be alive to provide comfort: Robot pets can soothe passenger nerves without triggering allergies in the cabin environment.

Robotic pets are becoming extremely popular companions: You can opt for a cat, Paro the seal or a wee chick.

Meet Paro, a therapeutic robot that looks like a fuzzy baby harp seal. When you pet Paro it coos with glee, gently shaking and changing its expression as you stroke its soft fur. When you stop, Paro asks for more.

This highly evolved therapeutic tool was designed by Takanori Shibata at the Japan National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology for use in hospitals and elder-care facilities.

Christine Hsu, general manager of Paro Robotics US, says, “At first, [people] think it’s a toy, but actually it’s a very intelligent interactive robot. There are sensors all over its body, which react to touch, to sound and to light.” When running out of power, the robot recharges through a pink pacifier.

What you see today is the ninth generation of Paro, a design that’s been built upon since 1993. Its artificial intelligence allows it to get to know you, responding to your 24

volume 5, edition 2

voice and affections. The Guinness Book of World Records certified Paro as “the world’s most soothing robot” in 2002 – perhaps an esoteric field at the time, but one full of therapeutic promise.

According to Hsu, “A lot of [seniors] use it as a companion, when they cannot take care of a live pet.” Aside from assisting those struggling with dementia, Hsu adds that Paro plays well with autistic children “and helps them develop social skills.” A 2012 study conducted at the Brigham Young University Comprehensive Clinic found this to be true as well.

Emotional support animals are becoming more common onboard, but their training is not as strict as that of service animals. Live animals can cause unintended disruptions, which are not easily tolerated by fellow passengers or flight crew. Furthermore, tales are emerging of passengers gaming the

system to bring their regular pets aboard – pets which may be barely housebroken, let alone trained to behave in public. However, a realistic enough robot can provide comparable affection without the behavioral or allergic disruptions.

This is an aspect of in-flight entertainment and communications still to be widely explored, and passenger experience designers are free to let their imaginations off the leash.

When envisioning robotic flight companions, there’s no reason to stick with real-life animals.

Your kid could cuddle up with a seal, dog or cat during bouts of turbulence, or could just as easily snuggle with a dragon, yeti or unicorn.

Costing upward of $6,000 each, robot seals have yet to become budget friendly, but today’s new technology tends to get cheaper tomorrow. In the meantime, imagine the soothing coos of robot harp seal pups permeating the cabin on your next flight.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: AIST, japan; Segatoys

by Jordan Yerman

WE’RE TRANSFORMING THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE. Our wireless IFE system gives your passengers the entertainment choices they want – from the latest movie releases, to the most popular games, to the newest TV shows and music – everyone on board will enjoy a truly transformative in-flight experience.

Learn more at: www.baesystems.com/intellicabin

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Ambience

apex experience

Virtual Future

See the Airbus Concept Cabin > APEX.AERO/CONCEPT

In 2010, Airbus revealed the Concept Cabin it envisioned for the year 2050, and it was unlike anything we’d ever seen. We examine how close we are now coming to some of the technologies that may be onboard the aircraft of the future.

by Laura Magnifico

photos: moment factory

[LEFT] Casino de Montreal’s multimedia environment includes a digital wall.

[BELOW] LCD screens in Oakley’s NYC retail location display performance athletes in HD while toying with shoppers’ perceptions.

The Airbus Concept Cabin took the traditional cabin model and shook it up like a snow globe. The snow settled to reveal a cabin that could be customized to look like a golf course, bedroom or tropical forest, thanks to virtual decor projection. Fast-forward five years and now, according to Nicolas Tschechne, Airbus trend research and market intelligence specialist, “[The Concept Cabin is] still a future concept ... but we’re still quite sure that with the right technologies we are already looking at ... we can deliver a product quite similar to the one we’re envisioning right now.”

What will the future Airbus cabin look like? Picture one where first, business and economy classes are replaced by three designated zones – Vitalizing, Interaction and Smart Tech. These zones allow passengers to relax, interact with other passengers or play games. Using holographic Airline Passenger Experience Association

displays that are projected onto the walls and intelligent gestural controls, passengers can squeeze in a virtual game of golf or browse the racks of a virtual shopping wall.

Passengers looking for a more private experience can take advantage of pop-up pods that can be used for anything from virtual business meetings with co-workers on the ground to saying goodnight to their kids back home.

According to Charles Champion, Airbus executive vice-president of engineering, “The Airbus Concept Cabin shows that the journey can be as much a voyage of discovery as the destination … The passenger of 2050 will step out of the Airbus Concept Cabin feeling revitalized and enriched.”

In addition to improving passengers’ experiences mid-flight, airlines are using augmented virtual reality tours to give

potential customers a peek into what their flying experience will be like. Virgin Atlantic lets passengers tour the cabin of its 787 Dreamliner right from their mobile devices.

Holographic displays and virtual decor projection aren’t exclusive to airlines. In 2013, Richtree Natural Market Restaurants, which serves up organic fare, opened a new flagship restaurant in Toronto featuring a state-of-the-art hologram hostess. The hostess, dubbed “Mrs. Green,” welcomes customers and provides information. Other high-tech features include a 23-foot video mural and an interactive wall where children can play games. Says CIO Joshua Sigel: “The Richtree experience was created to incorporate the latest technology without sacrificing quality or customer service, establishing a contemporary environment that is inviting for both kids and adults.” volume 5, edition 2

27

Ambience

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Bridging the Gap Since the first jet bridge was installed in 1959 at San Francisco International Airport, passengers have been able to board and deplane with relative protection from the elements. We look at how new aircraft have inspired updates to these airport accordions.

by Daniel Viola | illustration Clara Prieto

Passenger boarding bridges have remained fairly unchanged over the years, at least until the Airbus A380 arrived on the scene. Suddenly there were up to three bridges – two to the main level, one to the upper deck. While it became easier to move passengers, it necessitated more upgrades to ensure safety.

Todd Tanner, Business Development and Marketing at JBT AeroTech, Jetway Systems, says that boarding bridges are traditionally equipped with ultrasonic or infrared sensors (or both). These detect the aircraft and slow the bridge as it comes to a crawl in the final foot before connecting. Sensors are also mounted to prevent the bridge from hitting wings and engine cowlings.

But with the A380, suddenly there was a brand new bridge to contend with; collisions were a risk. “The bridges are only a few feet apart,” Tanner explains.

“It’s very critical that both the software and the sensors are very sensitive and monitor very carefully the motion of the boarding bridges.”

At San Francisco International Airport – where there are four gates that can accommodate the A380 – public information officer Doug Yakel says bridge safety systems are a top priority during upgrades. “For us [that means] collision-avoidance systems, proximity sensors and audible alarms,” he says.

While sensors are essential for safety, they can also facilitate faster

and easier connections. Tanner says that optional sensors on the front corners of the bridge can help it align with the center of the fuselage. And by using pre-positioning software, operators can select for the incoming aircraft type ahead of time. The bridge will rotate the cab and maneuver itself to the proper height, orientation and angle for that model. When the airplane pulls in, the operator simply drives the bridge a few feet forward. “It’s like a 90-percent reduction in the workload on the operator,” Tanner says. “As you’re waiting to deplane, you get to get off the aircraft two or three or four minutes faster.” He notes that as fuel prices skyrocketed in recent years, shaving seconds off turns could mean major savings in the long run – and more airports and airlines are starting to take note.

10’ 2”

8’ 4”

1

2

3

1 Right cab rotate sensor 2 Aircraft proximity sensor 3

28

volume 5, edition 2

2

1

3 Left cab rotate sensor

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Entertainment

apex experience

The Keys to Encryption

Visit us at apex.aero

For more news on entertainment, visit > apex.aero/ entertainment

Safeguards exist at numerous levels to prevent film piracy: Watermarks and other digital identification tactics allow studios to both prevent and pinpoint content leaks.

by Maryann Simson

original video embedded watermark

30

volume 5, edition 2

digitally watermarked content

[ABOVE] Video edit bays at Global Eagle Entertainment allow watermark insertion into the video masters.

[RIGHT] 8 mm video recorders; overlay watermarks can also be added to tape orders as they are created.

after 40 to 50 years is a credit to everyone in the business for keeping the content secure.”

There are a number of safeguards in place to ensure that content, the lifeblood of studios, labs and content service providers alike, makes it to the airline passenger intact.

First of all, the studios vet every company in the content supply chain. “Our security team and a consultant for the MPAA [Motion Picture Association of America] will go and make sure that companies can handle our content in a secure manner – we review computers, buildings, even employee background checks – it’s serious stuff!” Horton explains.

Next, the films are placed under lock and key – but more figuratively than literally.

According to Horton, a video or audio file always gets encrypted before it is sent to airlines. This encryption is like a lock on

the entertainment, and you can’t enjoy it unless you have the “key.” Each in-flight entertainment (IFE) hardware manufacturer has its own keys that unlock the specific content to play on their specific systems.

Also, digital watermarks (embedded signals imperceptible to the viewer) are applied first by studios and again by the lab as a means of passive identification. “We have progressive watermarks,” says Horton.

“These allow us to pinpoint exactly where a breach occurred.”

Finally, one of the most important ways to guarantee that IFE content doesn’t end up in pirate hands is to keep a tight circle of those in the know. “I’m sure our security team does stuff they don’t even tell us about. We’re not really ever going to be privy to that … and I think it’s better that way.”

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: Global Eagle Entertainment

North Korea’s alleged cyber-assault on Sony Pictures over satirical comedy The Interview is still fresh in everyone’s mind. Not only was sensitive information about the company and top employees leaked, but the film was thrown into limbo after moviegoers hoping to attend the Christmas Day premiere were threatened with the possibility of violence.

When faced with a complete cancellation of theatrical release, some projected the studio losses could top $75 million. Sony was able to turn things around, recouping a reported $15 million in an online release, in addition to a limited theatrical release.

Considering how financially damaging a content leak can be, should we be rethinking how we handle entertainment for consumption on board passenger aircraft?

Not really, says Mark Horton, vice-president, Non-Theatrical Sales for Paramount Pictures.

“We always have to be vigilant, but it’s been a very safe market, which is why the airlines continue to have the early window with our product. The fact that that is still happening

Cabin Crew

Cockpit

E-Enablement

Passenger Air TraďŹƒc Management

Empowering airlines to realize the full potential of the connected aircraft.

Simply connect to sitaonair.aero

apex experience

Explanation Station

In a world where the day’s most complicated news stories are broken down into quick, easily digestible portions, it’s fairly clear that the age of the explainer video has arrived.

by Tomás Romero

Despite the soaring popularity of the Slow Movement in fields like food, fashion, film and even travel, the one area that even the most diehard “slow-media diet” adherent has a difficulty embracing is slow technology.

There may be a special place in hipster hearts for vinyl records, cassette tapes and other analog endeavors, but when it comes to online information, speed is still king.

Easily digestible sound bites and video clips have become hugely popular on “explainer sites” like BuzzFeed, Business Insider and Vox. The fact that major news outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post have leapt into the explainer fray (with The Upshot and The Wonkblog, respectively) only 32

volume 5, edition 2

further highlights the hunger for so-called “conversational” or “database” journalism.

All of which begs the question, is in-flight entertainment (IFE) next? Could short, informational video clips connect with techsavvy passengers in the cabin the same way they have at home? As always, it depends on who you ask.

Carriers like AirBerlin and Panama-based Copa Airlines have used stylish explainer clips to educate their passengers about group-boarding procedures and the benefits of web check-in, and a number of carriers have incorporated cheeky elements of explainer clips into their in-flight safety videos as well. Harnessing the entertainment value of explainer videos for more traditional IFE offerings, however, has proved to be a bit more challenging.

But that hasn’t stopped the forwardthinking IFE team at Virgin America from trying. “The Virgin brand started out in entertainment, and it’s an area that Virgin America remains passionate about today,” says Alfy Veretto, Virgin America’s manager of IFE and partnerships.

Noting that Virgin generally curates their IFE content directly from studios,

Visit us at apex.aero

Watch our “Explainer Videos: Explained!” animation online at > apex.aero/explainer

production companies and TV networks, Veretto says that lately, traditional content formats are just the beginning. Aside from their continuing partnership with GoPro, the carrier recently began testing the waters with explainer videos as well.

“One example of an explainer video that has appeared onboard is an advertisement from Tongal,” says Veretto. “We recently worked with Tongal to crowdsource an advertising concept through social media for our loyalty program [and] the end result was a tongue-in-cheek video, The Claw, which resonated widely with our guests. So we decided to play it on all flights across our network.”

And though the Tongal clip has more of a marketing slant, Veretto says Virgin is definitely open to the idea of news or entertainment-centric explainer content down the road.

“As a young company based in Silicon Valley, we are always interested in new trends in digital content and marketing,” says Veretto. “We aim to offer fresh content that you won’t find on any other airline.”

In other words, the future of explainer IFE is wide open. No explanation necessary.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

illustration: flaticon

Entertainment

Keeping passengers connected.

More bandwidth and faster speeds with General Dynamics’ high performance radomes

Advanced composite products for the most demanding environments

composites@gd-ots.com gd-ots.com/radomes

Caitlin SEATs!

James PEDs!

Benpramar GUIs!

At APEX vibrant debate about the passenger experience is always on the table

connect learn & create together A I R L I N E PA S S E N G E R E X P E R I E N C E A S S O C I AT I O N TO JO IN VISIT AP E X. AE R O

Entertainment

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Set Your Sights

Stay updated on news from APEX TEC > apex.Aero/tec

As video technology improves with 4K HD televisions and curved screens, great strides by the APEX association’s High Definition Working Group are delivering new clarity to our in-flight viewing.

by Marisa Garcia

H.264

H.265

photos: © 2014 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. and Village Roadshow Films North America Inc. All Rights Reserved. ANNIE Available April 2015

Advanced Video Coding (AVC)

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC)

4 Mbps

4 Mbps 720p HD 720p

2 Mbps 720p

AVC is a mainstream format for the recording, compression and distribution of video content. It is commonly used for Blu-ray and Internet sources like YouTube, as well as HDTV broadcasts.

Attendees of the APEX Technology Conference November 18-19, 2014 got to peek behind the scenes and learn what’s involved in rendering better definition from those little pixels.

“4K High-Definition is a big part of it,” explained presenter Attila Szilagyi, MTS V, software, Core Software Development at Panasonic Avionics Corporation. “The bitrates that you have for content, even for 1080p, was kind of stretched from what you got for a lot of other broadcasting. Your broadcast media today is 720p, or lower, because of bitrates and network bandwidth.”

And, according to Szilagyi, this isn’t just on aircrafts, but also on many ground systems.

“Going to 4K, you have to import all that data, which would really just decimate most networks trying to run it, even at AVC/H.264.”

MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Coding) H.264 is an established coding for video data Airline Passenger Experience Association

HEVC is the successor to H.264 and doubles the data compression ratio while maintaining the same level of video quality. In other words, it delivers identical resolution at half the bitrate, and it supports up to 8K UHD.

that compresses content for delivery and distribution. The newer HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) H.265 coding uses both the memory resources of the delivery systems and of the hardware more efficiently.

“With H.265, we’re able to achieve a 50 percent compression over AVC H.264, giving the exact same level of quality,” said Szilagyi.

“You can continue with the same kind of content we have now, lowering your file sizes, your network bandwidth, and easing the constraints on your wireless bandwidth, too.”

2 Mbps

HD 720p

By choosing certain elements with larger blocks of data and with selective “fine-tuning of resolution,” H.265 is more efficient for memory resources, but renders a better image.

Panasonic has also “developed some additions beyond [the H.265] standard” used to determine the level complexity to select in a frame for greater detail and sharper clarity. “There’s potential support for 4K in the future,” Szilagyi told his audience, “making it somewhat more feasible for bandwidths for the aircraft.”

“With H.265, we’re able to achieve a 50 percent compression over AVC H.264.”

Attila Szilagyi, Panasonic Avionics volume 5, edition 2

35

MMM in

City Guide 1 2

Trivia Playback Prep for this year’s Quiz Night by seeing if you remember these skilltesting questions from previous years.

> 2010 What quiz show is hosted by George Kurdahi in the Middle East, Eddie McGuire in Australia, Jean-Pierre Foucault in France and Günter Jauch in Germany?

Czech Mate!

Use these Czech clues to supply the correct English word.

3

5

4

6 8

7

across 3. The Dancing House is nicknamed after Fred and this partner.

7. Prague, to natives.

8. Prosím. Use this word to ask nicely.

10. Ahoj! These two words are used for greeting and parting in English. Also a Beatles song.

13. Historic bridge that crosses Vltava River, named for this king.

down 1. Jídelnícek. Ask for one of these to order jíldo (food).

2. Pivovar. Where 12 Down is made.

4. Lodge at one of these, called the same thing in Czech and English.

5. Duben. Or the cruelest month according to Eliot.

9 10

11

12 13

6. Na zdraví! Clink your beer mugs with this expression.

9. Ne in Czech, the opposite of “yes” in English.

11. Snídane. A meal when buttered bread with ham and eggs would suffice.

12. Pivo. Popular pub beverage among locals.

13. Kavárna. In English, this borrowed French word is for where one gets their káva fix.

> 2011

> 2012 What classic 1960s French TV series, about a boy and his dog, had its name used by a Scottish indie band?

> 2013 Name the only three movies to have won “the big 5”: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Adapted or Original Screenplay?

> 2014 Name the artist and album name associated with this Lego art:

What to Pack

Prague Fast Facts

Shoes

Thinking Cap

It’s not uncommon for it to rain in Prague at this time of year, so be sure to bring along comfortable shoes that can handle those slick cobblestone streets.

That’s right, the famous QuizNight is ON! Start doing those mental exercises.

Jacket Cool temperatures will demand you bring a warm jacket and sweater along in your carry-on.

If you plan to explore the city, you might want to top off that getup with a warm hat and scarf.

Business Cards This is par for the course, right?

While this is one of our more intimate conferences, we’re always seeing new faces at APEX events and you won’t want to be caught without a card mid-handshake.

Healthy Snacks Prague is not known for it’s healthy, heart-friendly food, so you might want to stash some energy bars in your luggage for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.

weather 48°F (9°C)

language Czech

currency Czech koruna

plug 2 round pins

time zone Central European (GMT +1)

tipping Standard is 10-15%

Your Smartphone Google Translate and a currency converter app will be handy tools if Czech is a very foreign language for you.

This Map Yep, you can tear this guide out and carry it with you!

That’s what we made it for!

Crossword Across: 3-Ginger, 7-Praha, 8-Please, 10-HelloGoodbye, 13-Charles. Down: 1-Menu, 2-Brewery, 4-Hotel, 5-April, 6-Cheers, 9-No, 11-Breakfast, 12-Beer, 13-Cafe

The wedding of which member of the British Royal Family was the first to be publicly televised?

1. The Queen 2. Princess Margaret 3. Princess Anne 4. Prince Charles

Quiz Night: April 21

Sponsored by

Answers > 2010 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? > 2011 Princess Margaret > 2012 Belle and Sebastian > 2013 It Happened One Night (1934), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), The Silence of the Lambs (1991) > 2014 Bruce Springsteen, Born in the USA

Restaurants

In between meetings and the hustle and bustle of the MultiMedia Market, set aside some time to explore the city known as “the heart of Europe.” illustration Mathias Sielfeld

1. La Finestra Platnérská 13

8. Plzeñská Restaurant Náměstí Republiky 5

2. U Medvidku Na Perštýně 7

9. Brasileiro Na Příkopě 22

3. La Degustation Haštalská 18

10. Zorto Restaurant Nekázanka 6

4. Lokál Dlouhá 33

11. Čestr Legerova 75/57

5. Pizza Nuova Revoluční 1 6. La Boca Truhlářská 10 7. Francouzská Restaurant Náměstí Republiky 5

Bars

Cafes

1. Vinograf Míšeňská 8

4. Bar & Books Týnská 19

2. Letná Beer Garden Letenské sady

5. Pivovarsky Klub Křižíkova 17

3. Pivnice U Rudolfina Křižovnická 60/10

1. Cafe Savoy Vítězná 5

Entertainment

apex experience

Jumping Over the Top

Visit us at apex.aero

Watch the CES 2015 Brand Matters keynote > APEX.AERO/ BRANDMATTERS

Over-the-top content, or OTT, was a trending topic at the International Consumer Electronics Show this year. Content creators can theoretically stream TV programming to any networked device, even on transcontinental flights, but this concept of “TV everywhere” isn’t always available everywhere.

by Jordan Yerman | illustration Jorge de la Paz

Rod Perth, president of the National Association of Television Producers Executives, reckons that Internet technology is now delivering a true end-to-end impact on the entire TV industry: “It’s changing the advertising business, changing the distribution business, it’s changing everything.”

However, the broadcast industry is largely clinging to business models that impede that change: Regional rights agreements, in maximizing the dollar value of a movie or TV series, often leave viewers in the lurch. Live in a country that’s still on season one? Sorry, no streaming for you.

On top of that, service providers deliver wildly uneven qualities of streaming. The show you’re watching must run an obstacle course of devices and networks before it appears on your screen, so a lot can go wrong.

For example, WatchESPN suffered a colossal and widely criticized failure when their streaming platform went down during the 2015 Rose Bowl, one of the most important college football games of the year.

Then there are commercials. Networks need the world’s brands to create ad content, but commercials are too disruptive for this new mode of OTT viewing. Interruptions chew up bandwidth and slow down the experience,

“We have to get content to where people want to receive it.”

Leslie Moonves

36

volume 5, edition 2

either by forcing the stream to buffer or breaking it completely. Meanwhile, ad sales depend on robust viewing metrics, because brands pay much more to appear on shows with top ratings.

Super-mogul Leslie Moonves, CEO of CBS and board member of ZeniMax Media, says that mobile is the main reason to go OTT: “We have to get content to where people want to receive it.” Moonves continues, “Technology and content were at war. There wasn’t a common language, there wasn’t a common goal. Now that’s all changed drastically where technology and the content providers are working so closely, hand in hand. It’s really remarkable.” Now, judging a show’s success has gotten more complex: Socialmedia activity is now included along with the “antiquated” Nielsen ratings. Those, says Moonves, must be wrangled so the brands can pay, so the network can get paid, so the shows can keep getting made.

These problems are only amplified at 35,000 feet, thus hindering OTT’s entrance into in-flight entertainment and communications (IFEC). Steve Ehrlich, business developer for Hewlett Packard, says, “It’s a rights issue. It’s a bandwidth issue. It’s a toll collector’s issue. It’s not just technology ... it’s who’s going to get paid.”

Current IFEC technology can easily carry a signal with it as a plane crosses borders and oceans, but content owners and rights agreements won’t always allow it.

For TV to truly be everywhere, brands and networks must rethink their relationships with viewers, and with each other. Perth described the current environment as “the deconstruction of everything we knew about television for [the past] 60 years.” Today’s decisions around advertising and OTT licensing will have deep implications for how our kids grow up with television, and where they watch it.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Connectivity

Bright Ideas As Wi-Fi becomes more pervasive onboard aircraft, connectivity pioneers are looking beyond the horizon at the next revolution in wireless communications: Light Fidelity, or Li-Fi.

by Nicolás Rossel illustration Forma & Co

If good ideas look like lightbulbs, Li-Fi might just be the brightest one around.

More than likely, somewhere above you there is a lightbulb illuminating this page. And in the age of the Internet of Everything, University of Edinburgh professor Harald Haas and a handful of tech pioneers are developing technology to turn LED lightbulbs into concentrated beams of wireless Internet. Light Fidelity, or Li-Fi, a term Haas introduced during his widely watched 2011 TED talk, is now taking its first steps into commercial reality, and airplane cabins are primed to take part in initial applications.

INTERNET / SERVERS

Data from the Internet or local network is sent to the LED lamp source.

38

volume 5, edition 2

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

LAMP DRIVER The lamp driver regulates the LED flicker intensity so quickly, it’s imperceptible to the human eye.

LED LAMP

01 11 10 10 00 01 10 PHOTO-DETECTOR

Interprets light on as a 1 and light off as a 0.

The mechanics are complex, the technology cutting edge and the implications disruptive, but the concept is simple. Digital communication is based on transmitting 1s and 0s. Visible light has two positions: on and off. By varying the intensity of light at speeds beyond human detection, Li-Fi turns off-the-shelf LED lights into concentrated beams of 1s and 0s. At the other end, a photosensitive detector connected to a computer or phone can read and decode the variations, so that the light beam is now also a blazing fast data stream.

Current mobile networks, those that provide us with our beloved Wi-Fi, operate utilizing radio frequencies, and with analysts projecting that we will run out of spectrum by 2020, the race is on to deliver new and complementary

For more news on connectivity, visit > APEX.AERO/ CONNECTIVITY

technologies. Given current mobile technology’s heavy carbon footprint – information and communication technology systems equal global air travel in CO2 emissions – the race isn’t just about speed and spectrum, it’s also about going green.

While Li-Fi is by no means considered a wholesale substitute for Wi-Fi, its potential applications are staggering, with market-research firm MarketsandMarkets projecting the new technology as a $9-billion business by 2020. From security to underwater applications, and petrochemical plants to wearables, there is no shortage of potential industrial uses. According to Haas, the same report predicts in-flight entertainment as being within one to five years of Li-Fi application.

Speaking at the Edinburgh International Science Festival last year, professor Haas discussed the potential of Li-Fi on airplanes. His spinoff company, pureLifi, has already done extensive experimentation with a major aircraft manufacturer, but it remains to be seen who will bring the Li-Fi experience to the aircraft passenger.

COMPUTER / DEVICE

Data is converted and sent to a device.

Li-Fi won’t interfere with radio communications, making it very safe for in-flight use.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Skycast Solutions Fuels the Tablet Revolution with the Latest in Portable IFE. The most capable low cost portable IFE device is powered by Windows and flying high on Alaska Airlines.

Alaska needed a portable IFE solution that met the quickly changing demands of their customers and one that would integrate seamlessly with their connected cabin. They looked to Skycast, together with Microsoft and Toshiba, to develop a cutting edge device that packed robust capabilities along with a stunning entertainment experience.

Sophisticated user-interface including multi-tasking.

Seamless Wi-Fi integration with onboard server or internet connection.

Early window movies, TV, Xbox® games, music, maps, and much more.

Complete program management available.

“The user experience is awesome and so easy and intuitive. This is truly the best inflight entertainment system we have ever used.” ~ John Lisicich, Long Time Alaska Frequent Flyer Proud Partners with:

TabCaddy™

TabCaddy™ High Pocket

The TabCaddy™ product line provides the ultimate solution to provide passengers a safe and comfortable way to use and view their personal devices.

The patent-pending designs support all sizes of personal devices (PEDs) – from smartphones to 10.1” tablets.

Custom integration with seat-back.

Support all sizes of tabs and cases securely.

Smooth 'one-finger' operation to change viewing angles.

Custom branding and optional changeable advertising buttons.

Frees entire tray for food and beverage.

Mee t us

at E X PO H ambu rg: Boo th 4B05 skycastsolutions.com | 1-855-487-2988 © Skycast Solutions, Inc. TabCaddy™ is exclusively distributed by Skycast Solutions, Inc. Patents Pending.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Join the Crystal Cabin Award 2016 – take the opportunity to win one of the coveted trophies for your aircraft interiors innovation.

Application period: October – November 2015 Winners will be presented on the occasion of the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg.

www.crystal-cabin-award.com www.hamburg-aviation.com

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Hacking the Sky

See our favorite hacker movie picks > APEX.AERO/HACK

If it can be built, it can be hacked, and airborne networks are no exception. As airlines bring Wi-Fi functionality into their cabins and open it up to passengers’ smart devices, security implications need to be examined.

by Jordan Yerman | illustration Jorge de la Paz

Speaking on an International Conference on Consumer Electronics panel previewing tech trends of the next five years, Dr. Scott Linfoot, senior research systems engineer for MASS Consultants Ltd., pegged cyber security as a key concern. After speaking with security consultants and hackers (a bit of overlap there) about networked technology, he declared, “Security is currently viewed in that domain as a joke.”

APEX technical director Bryan Rusenko responded: “I am of the opinion that our industry should take more seriously the thought of a hacker opening up a seat partway and tapping into a physical network. I think people would be curious about doing that simply to relieve the boredom on a long flight.”

The more devices networked, the greater the payoff for a hacker: Linfoot warned that a weakness in one networked device

Connectivity

would compromise the entire network.

A cabin full of interconnected devices, then, equals heightened exposure to risk.

Linfoot cited the case of former US vice-president Dick Cheney, who had the wireless capabilities of his pacemaker deactivated so nobody could hack his heart. But there are several ways to maintain security in a more vulnerable world, Linfoot elaborated, such as adaptive security that changes over time, and device DNA, which allows communication only with specifically trusted partner-objects.

Michael Childers, chair of the APEX Technology Committee, said that Hollywood studios are particularly worried about piracy in a wirelessIFEC (in-flight entertainment and communications) environment, saving their newest content for IFEC systems that are solely controlled by the airline.

Systems that allow your iPad to show movies end up with older fare.

Technology such as Toshiba’s TransferJet may be explored as an in-cabin option. Using near field communications technology, which facilitates contactless exchanges between devices, a passenger would use TransferJet to transfer larger chunks of data (such as video or a digital in-flight magazine), interacting only with her own IFEC unit, and not with the entire cabin’s network. The result would be a series of one-way conversations, rather than a massive group-chat of passengerand airline-owned devices.

Childers said that any IFEC content should be encrypted, adding, “Streaming, of course, is inherently more secure than downloading,” since a pirate would have to scrape streamed content frame by frame.

Key management – the management of the encryption and decryption keys that are used to lock and unlock content files – is also crucial, he adds.

Balancing security requirements with passenger expectations means that we must first understand those requirements.

Linfoot said, “Security needs to be the primary building-block for devices, and should not be an afterthought.”

PlayStation/Xbox hack >> Hacker group claiming responsibility: Lizard Squad >> Claimed motive for attack: “Because we can.” >> Number of online gamers potentially affected:

PlayStation: 110 million

Xbox Live: 48 million

Downtime: Two days >> Guy who stopped the attack: Kim Dotcom, hacker and entrepreneur >> Ransom allegedly paid: 3,000 cloud hosting vouchers

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 2

41

Connectivity

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Satellite Sailors The Volvo Ocean Race for endurance sailing was established in 1973, when only high-frequency radio telephones were stowed on board. Now, the availability of 24/7 satellite tracking and connectivity provided by Inmarsat is changing the game.

by Terri Potratz

Whether you’re in the cabin of an aircraft that’s flying over the world’s oceans or a sailing vessel racing through them, you might be relieved to know your movements can be continually tracked to ensure your safety. While the airplane and the sailboat are two very different environments, both are benefiting from satellite technology that provides reliable safety services.

The Volvo Ocean Race is a nine-month journey around the world with seven competing sailing teams, each receiving voice and data connectivity from Inmarsat.

Amory Ross, on-board reporter (OBR) for Team Alvimedica, notes that this is “the first race we’ve been in touch 24/7, and that makes a really big difference in terms of staying in touch with friends, family, world happenings, news and, of course, in getting content off the boat, including valuable data like boat speed and temperature.”

Ross was also an OBR during the 2011–12 race, so he’s uniquely qualified to gauge the differences technological improvements have made: “There’s a much faster baseline of data communication, which keeps us in touch with [headquarters in Alicante], which drives a lot of the content we produce.” Ross notes that the jump in bandwidth has also enabled the 42

volume 5, edition 2

OBRs to produce more compelling narratives: “Last race, we were sort of handcuffed by bandwidth and that transition time of getting things from here to there,” he says, also noting that they now “have more room to work with and be creative.”

Each OBR submits daily race coverage to headquarters, allowing fans to experience the journey through photos, videos and blogs.

Constant tracking by Inmarsat enables the race path to be updated every three hours, which means friends and fans alike can view

“There’s a much faster baseline of data communication.”

Amory Ross

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

apex experience

Connectivity

1993–1994 >> First satellite communications via phone Data speed off yachts: 9.6 Kbps 1997–1998 >> First e-mails sent from onboard Data speed: 64 Kbps 2001–2002 >> Two telephone lines onboard Data speed: 64 Kbps 2005–2006 >> First video conferencing Data speed: 128 Kbps 2008–2009 >> First dedicated media crew member Data speed: 492 Kbps 2011–2012 >> Fleet monitored 24/7: Live tracking with 60-second updates Data speed: 492 Kbps Data delivered every 15 seconds to Race Control

photo: Amory Ross / Team Alvimedica

2014–2015 >> Live telemetry >> iPhones used as onboard intercoms Data delivered every 10 seconds to Race Control

the progress of each vessel online. The duty officers in Alicante aren’t just monitoring safety: They also field research requests from each team, so the crew can continually educate themselves. Ross recounts, “Just last week, we sailed the reverse route of Marco Polo. It was a story that we didn’t know anything about onboard, but after a simple request, we found out all about Marco Polo. It makes the storytelling a lot easier.”

But storytelling isn’t the only benefit of constant connectivity. Following the Airline Passenger Experience Association

mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in 2014, Inmarsat offered to support free global airline tracking in which information would be transmitted via satellite at predetermined intervals.

Katie Potts, corporate communications manager for Inmarsat, says that Inmarsat is also developing a “black box in the cloud” service, “which will provide flight data via satellite to mitigate against future costly searches for aircraft flight data recorders (black boxes).”

To read Amory’s full Q&A, visit us online at > APEX.AERO/ AMORYROSS

volume 5, edition 2

43

Entertaining

ABC Commercial Entertaining the world

COMEDY Series 1: 8 x 30’ HD Series 2: 8 x 30’ HD

FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT 12 x 45’ HD

CHILDREN’S Series 1: 52 x 11’ HD Series 2: 52 x 11’ HD

Visit ABC Commercial at APEX For Inflight sales contact Anne McGrath, anne@abclondon.org +44 (0) 7770 348 332

in stock

150 left

Services

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

in stock

200 left

running low

110 left

in stock

150 left

in stock

250 left

by Jason Kessler illustration Julie Carles

Preparing an aircraft for a flight takes a lot of planning, and that ranges all the way from the life-or-death issues of mechanical systems and how much fuel to take on board to the less pertinent but still important matter of how much food and beverage to stock on the airplane.

A combination of both hardware and software has allowed airlines to maintain and control their inventory in real time. On many flights, cabin crews now carry handheld devices that not only function as retail systems, but also as tracking devices that record what’s Airline Passenger Experience Association

140 left

0 left

Tracking Snacking How are airlines managing their catering supply? The same way they’re managing just about everything else these days: using technology.

in stock

out of stock

Read our feature on cabin crew management tools > on page 111

purchased, how much and by whom. While limited-function personal digital assistants have been popular in the past, there’s now a growing movement to use commercial mobile devices equipped with airline-specific software.

Aeroflot recently equipped its cabin crew with 500 iPad Minis and will expand to 1,200 tablets; JetBlue has adopted iPads in Mint premium cabins on its new A321s; Delta’s using the Nokia Lumia 1520 phablet; and United announced that its flight attendants would each be getting an iPhone 6 Plus this year.

These devices run software such as GuestLogix and eGate to conduct on-board transactions and inventory control in the air, while on the ground, airlines are using management programs like Sabre AirVision In-flight for their meal planning.

These programs use historical sales data to determine future inventory levels for each flight. The on-board inventory is also affected by data relating to in-terminal purchases.

Nicole Huang, manager Onboard Experience for JetBlue, reports that they load less food

for purchase onto airplanes departing from JFK’s Terminal 5 because the terminal restaurants have proven to be so popular.

Another key element of inventory tracking and spoilage management is simple database control. Some airlines report using readily available consumer software like Excel and Google Docs to keep track of supply levels and avoid landing with a large inventory of unused product.

So what happens if all this exciting on-board technology fails? JetBlue relies on good ol’ fashioned paper and pencil as a fail-safe.

“From [an] operations standpoint,” Huang says, “sometimes simple is the best policy.”

Snacks or in-flight meals are the #1 in-flight purchase.

2014 APEX Survey volume 5, edition 2

45

Services

apex experience

Cost Confusion

Read our follow-up story on yield management > APEX.AERO/FARES

Airline fares are in a constant state of flux, causing perpetual confusion for cost-aware consumers. We break down some of the most common ticket-booking myths facing passengers today.

by Fergus Baird | illustration Óscar Chávez

Given the opaque nature of airline pricing, it’s not surprising that myths and hearsay can influence when consumers decide to book flights. Traveling more cheaply on Tuesdays, booking during the “magic hour,” waiting for rock-bottom price seats to pop up in the final days before a flight’s departure are only a few of the theories that are referenced time and time again, but how many of them actually hold water? Is there really a reliable way to find great deals on flights?

One of the most persistent ticketbooking myths is that airfares are cheaper on certain days of the week.

Last year, CheapAir.com performed a study analyzing the individual prices of 415 million flights. According to its findings, Wednesdays and Thursdays are

46

volume 5, edition 2

Visit us at apex.aero

actually the cheapest days to buy flights, but the difference between these days and the most expensive ones – Saturdays and Sundays – amounted to $3 on average, a statistically insignificant sum that reveals the benefit of booking on a “cheap day” often doesn’t amount to much.

The “magic hour,” a supposed latenight time window when great deals materialize, is another ticket-booking unicorn no one should lose sleep over.

Airfare prices are updated dynamically according to the number of seats sold at any given time. If someone snaps up a cheap flight on Thursday night and cancels Friday morning, that seat is immediately returned into the airline’s inventory and filtered through its dynamic algorithms to be made

available for sale again, or not, based on projections for that flight. Depending on what seats may have been bought and sold since its initial purchase, the value of that ticket is likely to change.

Another myth that runs rampant among impulsive flyers is that flying last minute can be cheaper than booking in advance. Airlines set their last-minute prices based on how many seats they’ve managed to sell so far, which can work both for and against consumers looking for a steal. Travel-booking metasearch engines such as Kayak and FareCompare are changing this, but for now, the most consistent way for travelers to fly cheaply is to plan ahead and buy tickets well in advance of their date of departure.

Myths and hearsay can influence when consumers book.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

AN EYE TO THE

FUTURE LUMEXIS.COM

The Future of IFE

CONNECTING AIX YOUR STAND 3C34 PASSENGERS SEE US ON

Audio Payment Interface Solutions BREAK FREE! The ‘Dual’ is the latest in our range of robust magnetic audio jacks that provide reliable, long term service and affordability.

PAY UP! Our Contactless Retail System is designed to improve passenger experience and generate income.

CHARGE!

+44 (0)1983 555900

................................................................

enquiries@ifpl.com

CALBOURNE, ISLE OF WIGHT, PO30 4JY, UK

.....................

Our range of Interface solutions includes the 2 amp output for charging passengers’ PEDs.

MORE AT AWARD WINNING IFPL.COM CONNECTING YOUR PASSENGERS

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Printed Palate 3-D food printers may one day make mealtime at 35,000 feet a much more palatable affair.

by Jasmin Legatos

You’re two hours into a flight from New York to Sydney when you suddenly get a craving that just won’t quit. You stare longingly at the flight attendant, hoping that the nice juicy hamburger you’re dreaming of is on the dinner cart. With the limitations airlines face vis-à-vis food preparation, especially for economy passengers, chances are you won’t be biting into that burger until after you land. But a group of design students from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati is hoping its 3-D food-printing prototype will one day change all that.

Dubbed the Sky Kitchen, it’s an interactive menu that would work with the seatback screen. With a few taps, passengers could customize their dish down to the smallest detail. Want that

Catering

apex experience

burger to be star-shaped, on a glutenfree bun and topped with one pickle, mayo, Dijon mustard and frisée? No problem. Once completed (and paid for), your order would be sent off to the airplane’s on-board 3-D printer and made fresh, just for you. Currently, there’s no printer that can meet the demands of the Sky Kitchen proposal; the promise of 3-D printed food is more novelty than reality at the moment. Yet, several companies are dabbling in the possibilities: The Culinary Institute of America has teamed up with technology company 3D Systems to explore what’s possible. Hershey is also working with 3D Systems to develop CocoJet, a 3-D printer that can turn liquid chocolate into architectural sculptures almost too beautiful to eat.

Further hoping to leverage the interest in 3-D-printed food is pasta giant Barilla, which is collaborating with TNO’s High Tech Campus Eindhoven in the Netherlands to get a pasta printer into restaurant kitchens. Barilla would sell the cartridges of the raw material that the

Read about Alaska Airlines’ Popcake pancake printer > apex.aero/popcake

printer would turn into a tasty plate of “design your own shape” pasta.

Not surprisingly, NASA has also thrown its weight behind 3-D food printing, providing a $125,000 grant to Texas-based Systems & Materials Research Corporation (SMRC) to develop a machine that could print food for astronauts on long space missions.

SMRC’s synthesizer would use cartridges filled with powders and oils that contain sugars, complex carbohydrates and proteins to create the meals. These cartridges would have a very long shelf life – perfect for, say, a trip to Mars. For now, the corporation’s printer can make pizza – albeit one only an astronaut floating around in zero gravity would likely appreciate. To make the pie, the printer starts by spitting out the dough, which gets cooked on a heated plate, then layers on the sauce made from tomato powder, water and oil, followed by the (cream) cheese topping.

Hmm, maybe we’ll stick to airplane food after all – at least for now.

How does it work?

photo: 3d systems

In general, 3-D printers aren’t that different from the inkjet one sitting on your desk. To print food, the printer’s cartridges need to be filled with organic material in either a powder, liquid or paste form. The machine is then programmed to print the food according to a specific design. Dishes like pizza, sandwiches and ravioli are ideally suited to 3-D printing because they are foods that you can “build.” The 3-D food printers currently on the market are little more than assembly machines – human intervention is still needed to cook the food and create the source material.

Say goodbye to your regular sugar cubes: 3D Systems’ ChefJet can print sweet architectural works of art.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 2

49

Catering

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

For more news on catering, visit > APEX.AERO/ CATERING

Tablets installed in airport restaurants allow you to order food and beverages, track your boarding time, browse the web and then pay by credit card.

Automating the Airport Restaurant OTG has integrated thousands of tablets at airport restaurants throughout North America to create a superior dining experience with award-winning chefs in the kitchen and integrated technology at the table.

by Alison Robins

50

volume 5, edition 2

Find touchscreen devices tableside at these restaurants in airports around the world, and expect to see many more popping up in the future. > Wondertree London Heathrow Airport (LHR), T2 Have Croix de Bezard Picpoul de Pinet translated on the tablet menus at Wondertree, so you can kick back with a glass of French white wine. > Sakae Sushi Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), T2

seat, which conveniently also offers a USB port, a charger and a credit card reader. Your meal order is sent to the kitchen automatically, and waiters are notified on their own devices once it’s ready to be served; the average wait time is 15 minutes. “It keeps a steady flow, so things turn out fast and everyone is happy,” says Rick Blatstein, CEO of OTG. The tablets are not intended to replace waiters. Blatstein tells us that the restaurants often “double the number of crew at their restaurants to focus on details and hospitality.” The new customized, interactive experience takes the once apt word wait out of wait staff, without removing service from the industry. In this instance, technology doesn’t nullify face time despite the efficiency and expediency of the process.

When the conveyer belt slows down, choose from over 200 varieties of sushi and sashimi on Sakae Sushi’s interactive tablet menu. > Corso Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), T3 Recharge with a fresh, oven-baked Dolce Lucano pizza from chef Rocco Agostino’s rustic Italian iPad menu offerings. Plug your devices in for recharge, too.

“OTG brings an iPad experience to empower our customers and crew members to react at the highest level,” says Blatstein. He adds that the iPad will change the perception and landscape of airports: It “puts entire control of our customers’ experience in their own hands.”

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: otg

Back to the Future Part II was set in the year 2015, and while we haven’t quite made it to flying cars, the hubs for our flying machines are moving in a futuristic direction by automating airport restaurants. Thanks to OTG, travel restaurateurs who have upped the ante of the airport dining experience for travelers, customers can now order their meals using tablets secured at tables, bars and terminals – one tablet per seat – lending a new meaning to the concept of self-serve.

The iPad menu system allows clients to personalize their orders, make requests, browse the web and social media outlets, and check on real-time flight status using OTG’s custom operating system, Flo. You can even order a magazine or headphones from onsite retail locations to be delivered right to your

Dine and Dash

Discover the art of satisfying travelers` wishes.

Besides offering tasty meals, exciting equipment, smart logistics and innovative retail concepts, LSG Sky Chefs also provides valuable consumer insight based on thorough studies about global food trends and lifestyles. Discover our advanced approach to creating in-ight concepts that truly meet your passengers` individual needs and explore smart ideas about how to satisfy them.

e WTCE h t t a s u it Vis , 2 015 April 14 -16 4D30 d n a t S / 4 Hall A

The new math…

+ for Interactive ‘Geotainment’ moving map Want to Elevate your In-flight Experience?

Contact us www.FlightPath3D.com info@FlightPath3D.com

Honeywell

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Ahead by a Century Honeywell was founded before airplanes or computers existed, but as pioneers and early adopters of new technologies, 130 years out, the company’s still not showing its age.

photo: Christopher Barr

by Katie Sehl

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 2

55

ZODIAC INFLIGHT INNOVATIONS AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS Entertainment & Seat Technologies

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

I

n a small boardroom at Honeywell Flight Test Operations in Phoenix, Arizona, Jim Fusaro, the company’s vice-president of marketing and product management for mechanical sub systems, poses a rhetorical challenge: “Can you name how many companies have been in business for more than 100 years?” The answer? Not many. In the United States, maybe 500. One hundred years ago, the average lifespan of a company on the S&P Index was 67 years. Now, it’s 18.

It’s no coincidence that in 2014, Honeywell marked its hundredth year in the aerospace industry alongside the University of Michigan and MIT – both celebrating the centennial anniversaries of their respective aerospace programs. The year 2014 also marked the 111th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight; 100 years since Lawrence Sperry flew over the Seine – standing in the cockpit with both arms waving at the crowds – demonstrating the first aircraft autopilot; and the 100-year anniversary of commercial aviation. Needless to say, 1914 was a pretty important year.

Another important year for aerospace was 1946, the year the computer was invented.

While introduced almost 50 years after aviation’s milestone year of 1914, computer technology quickly made its way onto airplanes – and has been a crucial component

apex experience

Honeywell

of aerospace engineering since. It’s not by chance that a number of Honeywell’s employees have backgrounds in both fields.

Joe Duval, chief test pilot at the company’s Sky Harbor Flight Test Operations, completed his software engineering degree before joining the Air Force and launching an impressive career as a pilot. Conversely, Dean Wilkens, senior chief engineer of Flight Controls, has clocked over 1,000 hours as a flight test engineer, has had his pilot’s license since 1976, and has even owned his own plane.

According to Wilkens, aspiring aerospace engineers should “Learn to fly. It’s the best way to understand airplanes.”

when computers fly In the 1980s, new aircraft designs were still largely being realized in two dimensions, sketched with ink on large sheets of mylar.

Boeing engineers were searching for a new design to fill the size and range gap left between the mid- to large-sized 767-300ER twin-engine airliner and the jumbo 747-400.

They floated proposals for a larger version of the 767, the 767X, but the design fell short of market needs for a jetliner with lower operating costs that could offer intercontinental range capability with a wider and more flexible cabin.

Boeing engineers needed more than just a clean sheet of mylar: They needed a computer. >

photos: Christopher Barr

From left to right: Dean Wilkens, senior chief engineer, Flight Controls; Lauren Nickle, director of Marketing and Product Management, Cockpit Systems; John Hillier, senior chief engineer, Flight Management Systems; Mark Anderson, chief engineer, Air Transport Integrated Avionics Systems; Mark O’Bryant, project engineer.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 2

57

Honeywell

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

aiming for the top Much like our own brains, the aircraft’s brains – computers, that is – have evolved to become highly efficient and much more compact: The biggest computer in the world 50 years ago had less power than what we carry in our briefcases today. Honeywell’s Airplane Information Management System (AIMS) forms the largest central computer on the 777, consisting of 613,000 lines of software code and accounting for almost 25 percent of the Triple Seven’s 2.6 million lines of code (compared with only 400,000 lines total on the Boeing 747-400).

Like the human brain, AIMS sends electrical signals throughout the aircraft, 58

volume 5, edition 2

controlling crucial functions such as flight management (helping pilots determine their route), displays, aircraft condition monitoring and central maintenance. Before AIMS, each one of these functions resided in its own box with its own computing brain, power supply, and input and output systems. These individual boxes added up fast, numbering into the hundreds, each one adding weight to the aircraft and requiring its own share of power.

The clean slate to work with on the 777, along with recent developments in microprocessor and computer memory technology, meant that Honeywell engineers could set out to make a single, highly integrated and advanced airplane information control center. “This was kind of a revolutionary concept,” explains Mark Anderson, the company’s chief engineer of Air Transport Integrated Avionics Systems.

And in 1990, it was no small order.

Designed to keep duplicated resources to a tidy minimum, each function in AIMS’ dual cabinet system shares a common processor, power supply, input and output ports and operating system – rather than having its own. As a result, the new system is dramatically smaller, weighing 25 percent less than its predecessor.

Though dramatically smaller, the system

“All these airplanes are really flown on software.

It didn’t used to be that way.”

Mark Anderson Airline Passenger Experience Association

illustration: marcelo cáceres

Launched October 1990, the 777 program was unprecedented in many ways. It was the first jetliner to be completely designed on a computer, without a single paper-made blueprint. It would also be the first commercial transport manufactured by Boeing that employed a digital fly-by-wire primary flight control system, exchanging mechanic cable controls with electronic computers and transducers. To provide the Triple Seven, as it is often called, with the “best brains” in the industry, Boeing turned to Honeywell to develop the first-ever fully integrated modular avionics system for air transport.

Photos; Christopher Barr

AIMS Baseline Architecture

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Honeywell’s 777 Validation Facility is equipped with a full cab, allowing engineers to test hardware and software systems developed for the full avionics suite. Pictured left is one cabinet of the dual cabinet Airplane Information Management System.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

still maintains a tremendous level of redundancy. The right and left cabinets are essentially the same, and within each one, additional layers of redundancy are built into the system, because, as Anderson explains, “Things do break.” But, designed to have a reliability of at least 50,000 hours – roughly 10 years in the commercial aviation industry – they don’t break often.

When they do, though, the built-in redundancy measures turn what might have been a safety issue into a quick and easy maintenance operation. The simplicity of the system – requiring fewer hardware units and parts – and its efficiencies have played a large role in helping the 777 to

Honeywell

achieve the industry’s highest twin-aisle dispatch-reliability rate of 99.3 percent. “In fact, they can even dispatch the airplane with equipment failure. That’s how much availability and redundancy there is,” Anderson says.

The success of the Triple Seven was as much a feat in computer science as it was in aeronautical engineering. Standing in Honeywell’s 777 Validation Facility in Deer Valley, where new software and hardware are continually being developed and tested on a full cab model, Anderson marvels: “All these airplanes are really flown on software. … The whole world is software these days. It didn’t used to be that way.” >

volume 5, edition 2

59

Honeywell

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Read more about Honeywell’s 757 flying testbed at > apex.aero/testbed

Joe Duval, chief test pilot at Honeywell Flight Test Operations at Sky Harbor, has piloted flight tests on the Boeing 720, Boeing 757 and Convair 580.

cloud computing A crucial component of any AIMS is the flight management system (FMS), which helps pilots determine their flight path. But development of the first digital FMS was already underway a full decade before the development of AIMS and the 777. The fuel crisis in the 1970s put pressure on the industry to optimize its navigation capabilities, and for Honeywell, that meant out with the papers and in with the computers.

“In the old days,” explains John Hillier, Honeywell’s senior chief engineer of flight management systems, “it was all in paper charts, and you had to look them up. … The flight engineer would map the route, keep track of fuel [and so on].” So, when the engineers at Sperry Flight Systems (now Honeywell) invented the first digital FMS, the flight engineer was no longer needed in the cockpit. “Lots of people don’t know that old story,” Hillier says with a wink.

The first FMS was unveiled and certified in 1984. The system could accurately calculate the aircraft’s position, automatically compute and fly full 3-D flight trajectories, and incorporate the unique aerodynamic characteristics of the airframe and engines 60

volume 5, edition 2

to try to provide the most fuel-efficient route possible. “The whole world is stored in the database, all the routes you can fly,” Hillier adds. For the display and entry of the FMS alphanumeric data, Honeywell engineers developed a new interface called the Control and Display Unit, which Honeywell claims as “the first true computer terminal in an air transport aircraft.” Undoubtedly, 1984 proved to be another very important year.

advancing technology When the electronics industrialist, Mark C. Honeywell founded Honeywell Heating Specialty Co. 109 years ago, planes could not fly, computers didn’t exist and weather was an unmanageable thing controlled by divine forces. Could he have imagined how much technology and his company would change?

Definitely not. But as Anderson points out, “It all starts with an idea.” And like most ideas, “You can’t do it without technology and innovation,” adds Fusaro. “We’ve got 22,000 technologists globally, and that’s really the backbone of the entire organization. And we’re going to continue to invest heavily on research and development because that is the key differentiator.”

With its Deer Valley facility for avionics, Honeywell Aerospace Engines Facility (where its industryrenowned auxiliary power units are produced) and its headquarters all located in Phoenix, Arizona, it’s also a prime place for Honeywell’s Flight Test Operations team. Except for all that good weather. Why would that be bad? Well, among many other things, the 757 flight test team are a bunch of storm chasers of sorts. “Hey, we’re uh, we’re experimental,” says flight test engineer Ian Bell, coyly.

Carrying a third engine on the right side of its forward fuselage, the operations team takes advantage of every test flight to trial engines and other Honeywell avionics and weather radar products. The flying testbed also allows Honeywell to demonstrate its products for its customers – which is way cooler than showing up with a one-sheet with specs on it. “It does have a cool factor, I’m not going to deny that,” admits chief test pilot Joe Duval.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Photos; honeywell

Flight of the Engineers

Q&A

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

“

Online or offline, it all comes down to storytelling. And what’s better than storytelling?

”

62

volume 5, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Q&A

> Fast Facts Favorite Airport:

Jay Heinrichs

DAL

Favorite Airport Restaurant:

Legal C Bar, BOS

Favorite Hotel:

Le Méridien Dallas, The Stoneleigh

Brand of Suitcase:

Tumi

Editorial Director, Southwest: The Magazine Pace Communications

photo: Rob Strong

Jay is the founding editor of US Airways Attaché, deputy editor of Outside Magazine, vice-president of content at SiteShell, editorial director at Rodale. In addition to his editorial work, he is also the author of the best-selling book Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion.

To read Jay’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > apex.aero/ JayHeinrichs

Airline Passenger Experience Association

W

hat are the challenges with being a content producer for an airline?

What are some of the highlights?

Producing an in-flight magazine means I get to work in a hugely popular – and still popular – medium. Independent research shows that 3.6 million passengers a month read our issues, spending an average of half an hour. The problem is, advertisers are now used to seeing instant data on user behavior, and obviously, we can’t provide that. So increasingly, we have to put the magazine in the center of a content ecosystem that includes an increasingly large online component. Fortunately, our agency, Pace Communications, is a leader in content. Which means I get to work with a hugely talented staff in both the magazine and state-of-the-art media. Online or offline, it all comes down to storytelling. And what’s better than storytelling?

If a plane were a time machine, when would you go?

I’d fly to the mid-sixties when I’d suddenly find myself in a jacket and tie, with “stewardesses” bringing me a scotch and soda. We’d fly to Philadelphia (PHL) where I’d hop on a local train to my childhood home, head up to my bedroom, and smack my young self on the side of the head, saying, “Stop playing with your army men and comic books and study, you little punk!”

What are your ritual travel habits?

The moment I get onboard, I put on my headphones and plug into the Naturespace app on my smartphone. This app plays the best ambient sounds from natural settings around the world, from a northern lake to a surf break. Then I get right to work. As soon as I check into a hotel, I unpack, even if it’s a one-night stay. It makes me feel more at home.

Something that never ceases to amaze you in your industry?

The astonishing complexity of running a major airline – I’ll never get tired of watching its many moving parts. And I’m equally impressed with the level of talent among the people I work with in content.

Did you choose the airline industry or did it choose you?

I was working at a college when I got a call from Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, owner of Pace Communications. She asked to meet me at her club in Manhattan where she said she’d like me to relaunch an in-flight magazine. I knew nothing about the industry, and had never launched a magazine.

How do you waste time at work?

As someone who writes a lot professionally, I get to say that playing computer pinball and staring out the window count as “subconscious creation time.”

volume 5, edition 2

63

Streaming

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

High-Speed Entertainment In-flight connectivity improvements may soon satisfy passengers’ growing appetite for streaming content.

by Marisa Garcia illustration Clara prieto

T

here’s a new dynamic in the entertainment world: High-bandwidth connections have allowed viewers to cut the cord of traditional entertainment outlets, binge-watch shows and enjoy movies on-demand at their convenience.

Technical challenges, existing models for content distribution, piracy concerns and the limited bandwidth of in-flight connectivity (IFC) restrict the evolution of this new model in the air, but that’s changing.

As bandwidth and passengers’ use of personal electronic devices (PEDs) increase, the industry is evaluating how to accommodate these new viewing habits.

in it for the long haul Jamie Perry, director of product development at JetBlue, explains why the airline abandoned the Wi-Fi product it first introduced in 2007, with the debut of Apple’s iPhone. “Personal devices were about to change in such a way that our system was almost rendered obsolete before it got to operate,” he says.

“There was little point taking the time to roll out a product which would be out of date almost from the beginning.”

64

volume 5, edition 2

To avoid this obsolescence, the airline searched for a solution that would “allow customers to experience the Internet onboard the way they experience it on the ground.” Ultimately, JetBlue found its answer in ViaSat’s Exede Internet service and introduced Fly-Fi. Perry sees the delayed debut caused by this search as an advantage. “We feel that we are well set for the next 10 or so years, given the infrastructure we have in place.”

Though the airline offers a wide range of live and exclusive content on its embedded in-flight entertainment (IFE), Perry says the infrastructure of its IFC is tailor-made to support growing passenger demand for content streaming. “We’ve moved from a world of hits, top TV shows, top records, top movies, where essentially the industry curated a selection of successful items for you around watching that stuff, to a world where we can all watch anything,” he points out. “The world of IFE has grown greatly over the last decade or so, but you’re still limited to a set of movies and TV content that is curated for you by the airline or content service provider.” > Airline Passenger Experience Association

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Airline Passenger Experience Association

apex experience

Streaming

volume 5, edition 2

65

Improve your flight experience‌ Rate your travel experience! By filling out the Passenger Choice Awards survey, www.passengerchoiceawards.com, travelers can now provide direct feedback on every aspect of flying, including the inflight publications, connectivity and communications, food and beverage, informational videos and entertainment, cabin ambiance, and pre-departure experience.

www.passengerchoiceawards.com For helpful travel tips, become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PassengerChoiceAwards

Streaming

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

the best of both worlds Early Window Content

“For us, there are a lot of opportunities out there,” says Amir Samnani, senior vicepresident of content services at Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE). “We are bringing these viewing trends into the embedded systems in a curated programming format.

There is a lot of programming given in the embedded system, and also on the streaming service.”

“People are used to taking their content with them in a roaming mode, because their devices are always connected and have large enough storage,” says Robin Cole, GEE’s vice-president of Global Business Development. “It absolutely makes sense that they would get on an airplane and expect to either be able to watch their own

The viewer habit of streaming touches on one of the pillars of airlines’ in-flight entertainment product differentiation: early window content. At present, no amount of streaming capacity can make up for the availability of exclusive films, not yet distributed beyond the cinemas or available on cable. To furnish passengers with this content, airlines pay a premium and have built strong relationships with studios. As Netflix, and others like it, blur the lines between distribution and production, releasing films immediately to a global audience, the relevance of early window releases comes into question.

The Fastest Wi-Fi 100%

88.9%

Top 5 Cities with the Best Hotel Wi-Fi

84.4%

81.9%

77.5% 69%

50%

0% Stockholm Sweden

89.5%

Budapest Hungary

Tokyo Japan

75.8%

51.2%

Dublin Ireland

Montreal Canada

72.3%

85.8%

content or, if they forgot, to be able to tap in to something that’s being offered by the airline.”

Southwest Airlines, a GEE customer, satisfies its passengers’ appetite for content with live TV channels and on-demand content delivered to their PEDs. The airline ensures the availability of bandwidth by limiting passengers’ access to data-hungry applications and websites, such as Netflix and HBO GO.

the hybrid model Jon Cobin, executive vice-president of Gogo’s global airline business group, sees these evolving technologies as complementary.

“Airlines are clearly trying to deliver more, and we are trying to work with them to enable that through the IFE – call it a hybrid,” he says.

“We’re bringing more connectivity and more bandwidth to the sky at a very rapid rate,” Cobin adds. Gogo’s technological developments will “enable greater flexibility to offer a range of experiences to the passenger, whether it’s full Internet connectivity to the ground or content that is stored, as is the case with Delta Vision. We continue to expand the range of offerings in entertainment so that people have greater selection and variety.”

But Cobin believes the hybrid model has a long shelf life. “The reality is that some amount of content can come through the Internet connection and some can be resident on the airplane. It’s definitely the case at present, and for the foreseeable future, that’s probably the way it will continue to go.” >

% of Hotels with Free Wi-Fi

About 80% of the top 50 most frequently tested countries have better-quality Wi-Fi than the US.

Top 5 US Airports 4.63 Mbps Detroit Metropolitan Airport, MI

1. SOUTH KOREA 92% 2. JAPAN 84.9%

4.33 Mbps Denver International Airport, CO

3.09 Mbps Washington Dulles International Airport, VA

40. US 35.9%

Top 5 Hotels

Portland (Oregon) is the US city with the best hotel Wi-Fi (66.7%). 86.7% of the hotels in Albuquerque (New Mexico) and Austin (Texas) offer free Wi-Fi access.

4.34 3.29 Mbps Los Angeles International Airport, CA

Albuquerque and Austin

Portland

66.7%

86.7%

5 Mbps

4 Mbps

3 Mbps

RED ROOF INNS

4.14 3.74 Mbps Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, FL

Sleep Inn 3.69

RAMADA

3.68

HOLIDAY INN

3.66 4 Mbps

SOURCE: Hotelwifitest, Wefi

Airline Passenger Experience Association

BEST WESTERN 3 Mbps

SOURCE: Skift, Marketwired

volume 5, edition 2

67

Streaming

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

on the ground and in the air

International Ranking for Public Wi-Fi Average Upload

Average Download A download speed of 3 Mbps (the Netflix recommendation for SD-quality streaming)

0 Mbps

20 Mbps

1. LITHUANIA 2. ESTONIA 15 Mbps

3. IRELAND

1

4. ROMANIA

5 Mbps

18 17 16

5. UK 6. DENMARK 2

15 14 13 12 11

7. HUNGARY 8. BELGIUM

10 9

9. BULGARIA

10 Mbps

10 Mbps

8 7 6 5 4 3

10. SINGAPORE 15

11. FINLAND

13

12. SWITZERLAND 13. LATVIA

4 9 11 6 10 5

5 Mbps

14. GERMANY 2

15. SWEDEN 3 18

15 Mbps

16. PORTUGAL 7 12

17 8

1

17. CANADA 14

16

An upload speed of 500 Kbps (the Skype recommendation for high-quality non-HD video calling)

18. USA 0 Mbps

20 Mbps

60%

39%

57%

50%

60% of respondents cannot go one full day without Wi-Fi access.

39% of respondents would give up coffee for Wi-Fi connectivity.

57% of respondents would give up Twitter for a month for Wi-Fi connectivity.

50% of respondents would give up Facebook for a month for Wi-Fi connectivity.

3/10 3 in 10 respondents cannot go one full hour without a Wi-Fi connection.

For the skies, technology will continue to be a limiting factor. For perspective on trends on the ground and in the air, we spoke with Don Buchman, vice-president of ViaSat’s Exede Mobility. Because ViaSat offers broadband connectivity to clients on the ground as well as in the air, he could share his views on the impact of the larger trend of consumer viewing habits on broadband services in general.

“Right now there’s a lot of disruption happening of the traditional distribution market, that is being driven by video and Internet,” he tells us. “In the US, Netflix and YouTube are 50 percent of peak Internet traffic … HBO and CBS have broken the bounds of the cable companies, the content bundles, so now the cord-cutters can pick and choose à la carte what they want. That’s what’s driving demand. It’s what we see with our residential customers and our airborne customers.” This increased demand poses a challenge to broadband networks that have to effectively distribute the available supply. “That’s a demand we want to keep up with. We can also compete with a lot of the structural services well,” he adds.

As Buchman sees it, “Each market is going to be different, based on the maturity of each industry. As an Internet provider, ViaSat has seen an exponential growth in traffic by people using the Internet; video data demand is going up by approximately 15 percent a year. That growth boils down to economics and technology.” >

SOURCE: Broadcom

Disney Dynasty “Allowing high-bandwidth streaming from services originating outside the airline cabin has both technology and branding strategy constraints,” says Ruth Walker, vice-president, non-theatrical, at Disney Studios Non Theatrical.

She suggests how airlines’ content streaming fits their brand strategy, and how needs might differ by route: “Ultimately, we as a studio have a myriad of ways to license content,” she says. “So long as the service is a legitimate commercial partner, then the studio’s copyrights and revenues are maintained.”

Would studios perhaps find value in data gathered through audience testing in content streaming? Walker notes that the value of audience testing depends on the speed with which airlines can help gather that data.

“We’ve had great success working with airlines

68

volume 5, edition 2

on promotional programs for upcoming and current releases, and there’s an understood benefit of speaking to an airline passenger demographic within a captive environment,” Walker says. “However, the long lead times for loading content makes it challenging to fit into the cadence required for pre-release testing that can influence decision-making. Also, the airline would need to have an IFE system with [that capability], and [the airline’s] own willingness to share the data – both of which are not necessarily in place.”

Mark Arana, executive director, technology for The Walt Disney Studios, addresses security considerations for streaming content to passengers’ personal electronic devices.

“Each studio will have specific requirements to secure streamed content to passenger devices.

In general, studios balance a good consumer experience with requiring the necessary protections for their content. There are several considerations that will affect the security requirements for any title – window, resolution, format, territory, consumer device and business model are just a few.”

Embedded IFE, Arana believes, still has an important role to play. “Studios have been working closely with hardware manufacturers and service providers to put the necessary security measures in place. IFE continues to evolve and innovate at a rapid pace,” he says.

“It is advised that IFE creators get feedback from studios early in the design phase of IFE systems to properly address studio requirements. This will help minimize any compromises to the consumer experience.”

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Smarter magnetic jacks for the ultimate in-flight experience.

Triangle cut-out

Square cut-out

Uninterrupted passenger entertainment >

Headphone cable pin breakage is a thing of the past.

>

Headphone plugs are automatically released when passengers pull their headphone cord with force (7N or more).

Obround cut-out

Replacement insert module

Unique design for seamless system integration >

Compatible with all headphone types due to our patented plug-type detection and switching technology.

>

Integrate with all IFE systems.

>

Available in a variety of shapes for in-arm and seat-back chassis installation.

To discover more, email info@phitek.com or visit phitek.com

Seat back display

Significant cost savings >

10x more connection cycles compared with standard aircraft audio jacks.

>

The longest-lasting magnetic jacks in the aviation industry.

Streaming

apex experience

Buchman explains this demand is currently managed by what is “effectively a gigabyte cap, to keep video demand low because video can congest your network.” But ViaSat is motivated to remove those data caps, launching additional high-capacity satellites that would allow it to meet growing demand both on the ground and in the air. “For an airplane, it’s not about gigabyte caps. It’s about how many passengers can I serve at any one time,” he says. “We’re putting a lot of technology into the ability to move video much more efficiently.”

the risks Bandwidth is not the only technological factor limiting the adoption of streaming entertainment. There are vital considerations of security, and copyright protection and regional licensing must also be taken into account.

“Airlines are in a tough spot of negotiating and trying to decide how they will solve these licensing issues,” says GEE’s Samnani.

“There’s a huge interest from the content

owners, as well as some of the major Hollywood studios. But they want to make sure that if there is anything that passengers are streaming, there are restrictions on the type of content. Right now there are airlines for which the windows are much shorter for the rich content on the embedded system versus the content that’s going to go out as streaming … Each studio works differently, each has its own security in place.” Samnani believes that streaming will be adopted down the road, but it’s going to take time.

Robin Cole believes part of the answer to the security dilemma could lie in music, specifically using the example of GEE’s coordination with Beats Music to offer the music service on Southwest Airlines. “We worked closely with Beats Music to make sure that we at GEE had the security in place,” she says. “You’ve got to make sure you’ve got the content licensing side in place and that you’ve got that secure connection.”

It’s worth noting that the original on-demand entertainment was introduced

Visit us at apex.aero

“Airlines are in a tough spot of negotiating how they will solve these licensing issues.”

Amir Samnani

by the aviation industry, through embedded IFE. Aviation has been on the cutting-edge and can be again, with evolving technology already in place to support it. Viewers, both on the ground and in the air, want selection.

Whether it comes through embedded IFE or is streamed to PEDs, or both, audiences applaud variety.

The Netflix Revolution On the ground, change comes far more quickly, and that change goes beyond delivery of entertainment to production. Netflix is not the only streaming service feeding the viewer’s need to binge-watch, but it is definitely an industry disruptor.

Engadget reported last October that the streaming service had amassed 53 million customers around the world, and plans to continue aggressive growth: “Netflix is no longer an upand-comer; it’s a giant, pushing out well-regarded original content – in 4K, even – and consistently expanding its reach,” Engadget writer Richard Lawler stated in the story.

This expanded reach includes evolving from delivery of content to creating original content, and from those exclusive series to films. In late 2014, the company announced that, with help from Harvey Weinstein, it will finance movies to debut simultaneously in theaters and on its streaming video service. These include a planned sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), produced by the Weinstein Company, and an exclusive deal with Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions for four movies.

This evolution from Netflix and competitors could mean that consumers increasingly expect entertainment to be available. To supply that need, connectivity will be essential. The company has already stated that it will not support offline viewing of its content. Cliff Edwards, Netflix’s director of corporate communications and technology, told TechRadar last December: “It’s never going to happen.”

In an article for Forbes magazine last August, Forbes contributor Schuyler Moore predicted that Netflix’s disruption will be both global and profound. “When Netflix is done, people in every part of the world will be its customers. This trend corresponds to the shrinking of the piracy window (the time between the theatrical window and the home video window), so by the time Netflix has a worldwide reach, it will also probably be available day and date with the theatrical release.”

Moore suggests that “Netflix may be a vibrant, important source of new financing that disrupts the studio system and bypasses standard distribution channels.”

See our list of bingeworthy TV shows at > Apex.aero/binge

70

volume 5, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Application development specialists for in-flight entertainment and communications systems.

Our software is installed on hundreds of aircraft and used by thousands of passengers every day in every corner of the world all in their own languages.

Applications we have developed allow passengers to view their location on the map, watch on-demand video & audio, play games, go shopping, reserve a hotel, car or just browse for information all from 30,000ft.

Established in 1998 with development facilities in Chichester, UK and Lake Forest, CA and a team of over 40 experienced developers we provide unrivalled expertise in the IFEC industry.

Go where your imagination takes you Our documentaries will be your guide

Deutsche Welle | 53110 Bonn | Germany sales@dw.de

RZ_Anz_Apex210x144.indd 1

www.dw-transtel.de

20.02.15 13:30

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Drones

Listen to the UAV podcast at > theUAVdigest.com

Ground Control

Interest in drones – both for personal and commercial purposes – is on the rise, and the FAA is under pressure to deliver clear legislation to ensure the safety of civilians on the ground and onboard commercial aircraft.

by Max Flight | illustration Ricardo Polo

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 2

73

Drones

apex experience

C

ommercial aviation is in a period of rapid change. New aircraft offer significant reductions in fuel burn and environmental footprint. In-flight connectivity and entertainment systems provide increased passenger enjoyment.

New technologies are emerging in materials, engines, communications and control systems. There is also a surge in interest for the type of aircraft often called drones.

Visit us at apex.aero

How will these drones and manned aircraft sense and avoid each other?

the drone society Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), are being used for aerial photography, agricultural surveys, disaster response, law enforcement, search and rescue, structure inspections and even package delivery.

In some regions, drones are being flown with the approval of the regulatory agency. In other places, commercial use of drones is prohibited until regulations are established, but unmanned aircraft are operated nevertheless.

Before civil drones can safely fly in the National Airspace System, a number of questions have to be answered, including: How will these drones and manned aircraft sense and avoid each other? How do we ensure that civil drone pilots are sufficiently proficient? How should personal drones be certified as flightworthy? The FAA has been authorizing law enforcement and military drones since 1990, but with the rise of personal and civil drones, new regulations are needed to answer these questions.

faa’s airspace plan Under the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, the FAA is directed to integrate civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System. The 74

volume 5, edition 2

Act requires the FAA to deliver a plan no later than September 30, 2015, that includes rulemaking, enabling technologies, certification, flight standards and even incorporation of the plan into the NextGen air traffic control system.

In response, the FAA created a five-year UAS Roadmap in 2013 “to outline, within a broad timeline, the tasks and considerations needed to enable UAS integration into the National Airspace System for the planning purposes of the broader UAS community.”

The FAA then chose six UAS test-site operators to research system safety, aircraft certification, command and control links, control station layout and certification, ground and airborne sense-and-avoid, and environmental impacts. These sites are to develop technologies and generate the hard data needed to create regulations.

In particular, autonomous “sense and avoid” technology is a key enabler for safely integrating UAS into the National Airspace System. Manned aircraft have systems onboard, on the ground and in orbit that allow aircraft to know where other aircraft are located. Most drones have no such capability, and many are too small to carry the same systems used by manned aircraft.

license and registration In manned aviation, pilots are licensed to operate certain aircraft after receiving the requisite training, meeting testing requirements and obtaining a medical certificate. Regulations for drone-pilot proficiency do not yet exist in the US or many other places and agencies like the FAA have yet to establish license requirements for commercial drone pilots. > Airline Passenger Experience Association

Drones

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Scaling the Skies Whether for military or civilian use, the range in size of unmanned aerial vehicles is vast. They can be remote controlled from a pilot on the ground, or fly autonomously according to a programmed flight plan.

Sentinel

nEUROn Mantis

X47C

Global Hawk

Soaring Dragon

Avenger

Eitan Herti

Hummingbird

Rustom I

Shadow

Fire Scout

Barracuda Scan Eagle

76

volume 5, edition 2

Harpy

Killer Bee

Airline Passenger Experience Association

For the recreational drone pilot, the Academy of Model Aeronautics has a safety code that provides sufficient guidance. Drone pilot proficiency becomes critical when the aircraft is larger, flown at greater altitudes beyond lineof-sight, or deployed for commercial purposes.

The reliability of drone hardware and software has safety implications as well.

Manned commercial and general aviation aircraft are issued airworthiness certificates by the regulatory agency; even experimental aircraft (including “homebuilt” aircraft in the US) receive airworthiness certificates.

Clearly, unmanned aircraft above the “toy” level need a certification process to ensure they are airworthy and do not represent a hazard to other aircraft in the air or people on the ground. Drones that are not autonomous need reliable communications and a safe response to a dropped control or navigation link.

The FAA had intended to issue proposed regulations for small UAS by the end of 2014, but did not. To the FAA, getting the regulations right the first time is more important than meeting a deadline. With the release of the FAA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the public will have its first opportunity to examine the proposed

regulations and provide comments to the Agency over the following months. The entire process of creating the regulations could take one or two years to complete. And this is just for small drones under 55 pounds.

regulations, now Many drone operators will not wait a year or two until the regulations are in place. Tim Trott, author of The Droner’s Guide, says, “The danger is that in waiting to get it all right, the FAA risks letting it all go wrong.”

The recent spate of drones being flown into airspace in and around airports is an example of how wrong it can go. This has become such a problem around New York airports that US Senator Chuck Schumer has asked the FAA to speed up the rulemaking process. “Get these rules out and get them out quickly,” Schumer implored. “We need them, drone users want them, flyers want them, average people want them.”

As an interim solution, Section 333 of the 2012 Modernization and Reform Act does allow exemptions for “commercial operations in low-risk, controlled environments.” In September 2014, the FAA granted regulatory exemptions to six movie and television production companies; in December, to four

FAA’s Guidelines The latest rules from the Academy of Model Aeronautics and the FAA’s Know Before You Fly program apply to any model aircraft that does not carry humans, and can sustain flight in the atmosphere.

Aircraft will not be flown in a careless or reckless manner, devices should stay below 400 feet and/or remain below surrounding obstacles within five miles of an airport, the airport operator or control tower must be notified in advance of operation.

Source: AMA Safety Code

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Drones

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

model pilots will:

>> Not interfere with operations and traffic patterns at any airport, heliport or seaplane base

>> Remain 25 feet away from individuals and vulnerable property >> Not operate in adverse weather conditions

>> Avoid flying over unprotected persons or moving vehicles >> Not operate model aircraft while under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Terri Smith @Prognosticus Sooner or later someone is going to fly a #drone into a jet airline’s intake. It’s gonna all drop in the pot after.

sadrack herve @Sadrackherve A mystery drone nearly collided with a commercial airline at Heathrow Airport yesterday.

Thompsons Granton @GrantonBranch Chad Colbu “Canada Drone Regulations 2-3 years ahead of the USA #aupupdate

John Robb @johnrobb If the #FAA is paralyzed over drones >> should drone regulations be left up to the states? Yes.

companies engaged in aerial surveying, construction-site monitoring and oil-rig flare stack inspections; and in January 2015, to a company creating aerial real-estate videos and another for agricultural crop monitoring.

But this case-by-case approach will not sustain an industry with a US economic impact of $13.6 billion in the first three years after integration.

the question of autopilot

>> Always yield the right of way to human-carrying aircraft >> See and avoid all aircraft, using a spotter if needed

On the Twitterbox

For a link to the full list of hobbyist regulations, visit > APEX.AERO/UAV

Some imagine a future where airline flights won’t have pilots onboard. During a panel discussion on the future of aerospace at MIT’s AeroAstro Centennial Symposium in October 2014, Jeff Katz, founding CEO and chairman of travel-booking company, Orbitz, suggests that having fewer pilots per airplane is “on the minds of airline executives today, but [it is] not much talked about.” He predicts that we could see commercial auto-piloting as soon as our children’s generation. But according to Les Dorr, media spokesperson for the FAA, “No one is seriously discussing remotely piloted passenger aircraft at this time.” > volume 5, edition 2

77

Drones

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Popular Opinion A recent survey of 2,405 Americans unearthed the following sentiments regarding the use of drones: Source: Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Think private drone ownership is fine.

Are unsure about private drone ownership.

Wholly oppose private ownership and think they should be for experts only.

49%

46%

Think parents should be able to use drones to monitor their children.

Don’t want news organizations using drones to gather news.

73%

Want regulations for remote-control aerial vehicles.

Before pilotless commercial flights can take off, many issues need to be resolved, such as regulations that ensure flight safety, an overhaul of aircraft design philosophy and unmanned aircraft certification. “There’s a lot of things that would have to change on an airplane to be able to do that … The philosophy that the pilot still has a final say and is in command is still how we’re building airplanes,” explains Dean Wilkens, senior chief engineer of Flight Controls at Honeywell.

73% of Americans surveyed want regulations for remote-control aerial vehicles.

78

volume 5, edition 2

42%

public skepticism Another hurdle to overcome is the public acceptance of autonomous commercial aircraft. Interestingly, the automotive industry also faces the same problem.

Sam Abuelsamid, senior analyst for smart transportation with Navigant Research, points out that “pretty much every automaker and lots of suppliers and universities are involved in exactly this sort of research and have been for some time.

A major component of getting people to accept self-driving cars is to get them to trust the technology.”

Even though people might prefer situations where humans are in control, and fear situations where people are controlled by machines and computers, the fact is that with each passing year there is less human control.

This creeping automation is accepted because the change is incremental and confidence develops in the safety of the systems.

If, instead, human control is reduced in a step-change, the emotional resistance can be

FAA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking On February 15, 2015, the FAA announced its much anticipated proposal for rules governing commercial use of small UAS that weigh less than 55 pounds. The proposed regulations do not apply to recreational use of small UAS. Under the proposal, operators would be required to pass an aeronautical knowledge test and obtain an unmanned aircraft operator certificate with a small UAS rating.

Unmanned aircraft must be operated within visual line of sight, under 500 feet AGL, and during daytime hours only. Operation via video link (first person view) would not qualify as a method for visual control. Flying over people would be prohibited.

The FAA proposal contains no requirement for FAA airworthiness certification of the UAS, but registration and marking of the aircraft would be mandatory. The operator would be required to perform a preflight inspection and maintain the UAS in a safe condition.

Publication of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking initiates a 60-day period for public comments. These can be made online at the Regulations.gov website referencing Docket FAA-2015-0150.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

illustration: Clara Prieto

28%

30%

impossible to manage. Airlines couldn’t take the pilots out of airplanes in the near future because the public wouldn’t stand for it.

Richard Aboulafia, vice-president of analysis at Teal Group says, “It’s just a terrible idea.

Passengers would hate it.”

If autonomous automobiles become accepted by the public because they are perceived as safe and effective, and if drones enter into the airspace in large numbers with superb safety records, the public may then be ready for unmanned passenger flight.

However, Aboulafia raises an economic point when he notes, “Pilot salaries are an insignificant part of an airline’s total cost structure. Added equipment costs, and probably added insurance costs, would wipe away most of the savings, if there were any.”

Nevertheless, if by 2025 we have autonomous buses and unmanned cargo airplanes with safety records no worse than their manned counterparts, the flying public might then consider purchasing an airline ticket for a flight in a drone.

US AT ND SEE A E M O C

OOTH EXPO B

3C2ZO0NE IFE

Reliable Airborne Power

Applications for Pascall Power Solutions

High Power USB Satcom DBS TV Seat Actuation Pascall Electronics Limited Tel: +44 (0)1983 817300 Email: enquiries@pascall.co.uk

www.pascall.co.uk

Seat Displays Media Servers Cellular Comms Cabin Lighting AS9100 : REV C ISO9001 : 2008 ISO14001 : 2004

Q&A

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

“

All major industries have shifted to the personal device, and the entertainment industry is more affected than any other.

�

80

volume 5, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Q&A

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

> Fast Facts Location:

ORY

Now Reading:

Jenny Delcambre

The Last Samurai, Helen DeWitt Favorite Hotel:

The New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel, Honolulu

Brand of Suitcase:

La Bagagerie

Head of Global Travel Distribution Euronews

photo: Courtesy of Jenny delcambre

Jenny joined Euronews five years ago to launch the Travel Distribution of the channel and, in particular, to develop its presence aboard airlines.

Before that, she worked as regional director at Orbitz – the online travel company originally created by several major airlines. She holds an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and is living in Paris, France.

To read Jenny’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > apex.aero/ JennyDelcambre

Airline Passenger Experience Association

W

e often ask where the airline industry is headed, but where do you see the entertainment industry headed in one year? Five years?

In 2010, when I moved from the online travel industry to broadcast media, there were quite distinct patterns in travelers’ consumption – whether it came to booking a flight on a website, or to watching a movie on the in-seat screen on a plane. Five years later, it’s amazing to see the mobile phone become the central item of our life.

Through mobile apps, we book flights, check-in online, read news and watch movies while traveling. All major industries have shifted to the personal device, and the entertainment industry is more affected than any other. Our viewers want to decide for themselves, which content to watch, when and where – on mobile phones, in social networks, or on home TVs. And our job in the next five years will be to continue to deliver them the right content, on any media platform, at any time.

Something that never ceases to amaze you in your industry?

I think television today is less and less associated with the TV set in the living room. It is literally everywhere. It is amazing to see TV channels like Euronews being transformed into multimedia hubs, supplying

content in a multitude of formats: live streaming, video on demand, RSS feeds...

The broadcast media has never been as inventive as today, being pushed by an increasing demand from the consumer to be informed and entertained. It is an exciting period to be working in this industry.

The scariest situation you’ve ever been in?

It was while traveling in the French West Indies. To go from one island to another, there is a local “sea shuttle,” which is in reality a small open boat with around 10 passengers onboard, mainly locals. And it’s terrifying. The boat goes at 20, 25 knots and you just dig into your seat so not to be thrown overboard.

I was paralyzed by fear during the entire journey – one-and-a-half hours long! There is a saying among sailors about seasickness at storm: “At first you are afraid to die. Then you are afraid not to die.” That’s exactly how I felt!

Most memorable flight you’ve ever had?

It was in 2010 onboard a brand new A380. I was on a night flight to South Africa with Air France going to Johannesburg to finalize some deals before the FIFA World Cup. I remember this totally new feeling of magic from the first minute I stepped onboard. Everything looked different – even the cabin lights! The captain was excited to announce the plane’s first flight. The older man sitting next to me told his wife: “It looks like a spaceship.” volume 5, edition 2

81

Enabling the Connected Cabin

Connect with us at Aircraft Interiors 2D30, Hall B2

www.CarlisleIT.com

Roundtable

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Socially Savvy In the age of the connected traveler, social media has become integral to the passenger experience.

We checked in with four social media-savvy member companies to learn how they connect with their customers and manage the growing appetite for engagement within the industry.

by Jessica Sammut

Airline Passenger Experience Association

> Tony Amrich Social Media Manager

> Jonathan Pierce Director, Social Media

> Estel Carbo Marketing Communications

Virgin America @virginamerica

American Airlines @americanair

Panasonic Avionics @PanasonicAero

> Scott Carmichael Manager, Social Media and Online Communities

> Brian Bardwell Corporate Communications Manager

Gogo @gogo

Panasonic Avionics @PanasonicAero

volume 5, edition 2

83

I

n the years following the launch of Facebook in 2004 and Twitter in 2006, many labeled the social media sites as fads. With an estimated 2.078 billion social accounts registered across all the major platforms, it’s clear that social media is no passing trend. In fact, social media officially surpassed e-mail as the top Internet activity in 2014, and has become a powerful marketing tool that not even the Pope could ignore (he joined Twitter in 2012).

“I think it’s funny when you see articles pop up that say ‘Facebook is dead,’ or ‘Twitter is over.’ We definitely don’t see that. We continue to have a huge amount of growth in all [our social] channels, and really, what has changed is how and where people consume the channels,” says Scott Carmichael, manager of social media and online communities at Gogo.

And growth has been the trend across the entire airline industry. With continued innovations in mobile and social-networking technology serving as a major catalyst, travel brands are investing in social media for its increasing customer service and brand-enhancing value. The social media teams at American Airlines, Gogo, Panasonic Avionics and Virgin America discuss with us what technologies they use to manage and interact with their online communities.

the connected passenger With the emerging technology of connected flights, social engagement with passengers is no longer restricted to the ground. The in-flight experience has become a new touchpoint for brands to engage their customers online, and many are doing so via social media. According to Carmichael, “Social media is one of the top things people do when they’re connected to Gogo.”

Panasonic Avionics jumped on the opportunity to connect with its customers in-flight when launching its Twitter account in 2010. In 2013, the company took advantage of the platform by launching a campaign called #High5Live. “We conducted 84

volume 5, edition 2

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

“In-flight Wi-Fi has been and continues to be game-changing.”

Tony Amrich, Virgin America

the first-ever global in-flight Tweetathon, connecting passengers over five continents via Twitter,” says Brian Bardwell, the company’s corporate communications manager. “Passengers used [smartphones] and tablets to access in-flight high-speed wireless broadband via our eXConnect system, sharing updates and photos to chart their journeys.” Four million views and a 930,000 user-reach later, Panasonic saw a 50 percent increase in its Twitter followers.

Aircraft connectivity has also offered airlines the opportunity to provide new insights into their products and services. “[In-flight Wi-Fi] has been and continues to be game-changing – in that we’re engaging with folks in real time while they’re experiencing the product,” says Tony Amrich, social media manager for Virgin America.

Jonathan Pierce, director, social media, American Airlines, adds that “Being connected throughout the journey gives us the ability to help customers with connections and wayfinding in airports. It also reinforces the importance of our 24/7 social media team.” And for American, the people behind the social media accounts have extensive training in solving customer issues. “The folks who are responding to you day in and day out have a wealth of knowledge and have worked in many [capacities],” says Pierce, who adds that most staff on the social media and customer service team have an average of 18 years seniority with the airline.

[ABOVE] Gogo’s social command center tracks the hashtag #gogoinflight.

[RIGHT] American Airlines has a 24/7 social media team monitoring passenger feedback.

PHOTOS: Jessica Sammut; Courtesy of American Airlines

Roundtable

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

apex experience

tools of the trade Every brand has unique social media goals it aims to accomplish across channels; however, there is a lot of overlap in the types of social media management tools being used to achieve these goals. “We use a combination of free and paid tools that help us manage our social media efforts,” explains Estel Carbo, marketing communications at Panasonic Avionics.

“Listening tools like Hootsuite help us monitor conversations, and other tools help evaluate our monthly activities and get really good insights into our online activity and social media performance.”

For a company like Gogo, which manages hundreds of social interactions on a daily Airline Passenger Experience Association

Roundtable

basis, fielding customer requests as efficiently as it does is made possible

by Sparkcentral, a software application designed specifically for social media customer care. The program uses advanced automation technology to prioritize high volumes of customer requests across all channels. They also use Hootsuite Command Center for “customer sentiment monitoring,” a service that tracks keywords used in association with the brand. “The numberone metric for [us] is customer sentiment,” says Carmichael. “Is there something people are concerned with? If so, we can look into that and help fix it.” With these tools, Gogo has a global picture of trending customer sentiment at any given time. > volume 5, edition 2

85

apex experience

[CLOCKWISE FROM TOP] Gogo’s creative team meets at their Itasca, IL headquarters; customer sentiment is tracked through the social media command center; old school communication tech decorates Scott Carmichael’s desk.

[RIGHT] Keyword poetry abounds at Virgin America’s head office.

86

volume 5, edition 2

Visit us at apex.aero

Find APEX members on social media at > APEX.AERO/ APEXSOCIAL

Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTOs: Jessica Sammut

Roundtable

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Social media is a powerful space for companies to reinforce their personalities and brand values.

analytics. And for an airline that currently manages approximately 240 tweets per hour, SNAP100 has proven to be a valuable tool, helping the airline achieve its current 12-minute average response time on Twitter.

branded culture Social media is also a powerful space for companies to reinforce their personalities and brand values. “[Virgin America’s] brand is accessible and focused on wowing travelers as a truly different kind of airline experience in the US, but it is also provocative and a bit cheeky – so all of those things work really well in the social space,” says Amrich. And some of Virgin America’s “cheeky” campaigns have done much more than work really well in the social space. Many of them have gone viral, including the airline’s very popular song-anddance-themed safety video. Launched in 2013, the video campaign currently has over 10 million views on YouTube.

Although technology is the catalyst powering the growth across social

Roundtable

media channels, human connection and relationships remain at the core of every company we spoke with. “Employees are at the heart of our brand. One of our goals on social media is to humanize [the American Airlines] brand,” states Pierce.

For Panasonic Avionics, the human factor translates into the very close relationships the company builds with its airline clients. “As we evolve with the way people communicate, the relationship with our airline customers remains at the core,” says Bardwell.

At Gogo, a major part of customer care training involves learning how to use a tone of voice that reflects the bright, playful nature of the brand. “People will never look at our tweets and say ‘Oh, that’s automated.’

For example, [our customer care team] sign off with their initials. It’s the little things like that that make it very clear to people that they are dealing with a human being, that they are allowed to show emotion,” says Carmichael. “There’s nothing wrong with being human out there.”

PHOTO: Courtesy of Virgin America

For American Airlines, customer care is managed through SNAP, a tool designed in-house by the airline. “SNAP is the result of a collaboration between our IT and social media teams, and was built because… there were no tools at the time that fit our requirements for a scalable, flexible, integrated social solution,” says Pierce. He explains that although the tool is used mainly for customer care, the software offers multiple functions, including

apex experience

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 2

87

ors, 4c10 i r e t Int s stand f a r Airc l Collin t a el us See , Rockw ril p A 6

14-1

Š 2014 Rockwell Collins. All rights reserved.

rockwellcollins.com

ti l

es

2.5

qu in

on li

t by

o

IoT

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

ta are cre ated e ver yd f da

90% of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone

ay

The Big

Deal About

375 megabytes of data are consumed by households each day

Big Data Computer systems, buildings, aircrafts and even mobile phones are data collectors, and are all part of the Internet of Things. When this data is strategically harnessed and analyzed, the possibilities are endless.

by Jenn Wint

Airline Passenger Experience Association

2.9 million e-mails are sent every second

in 2014, 109 million wearable devices generated 15 petabytes of monthly traffic

volume 5, edition 2

89

IoT

apex experience

a Boeing 737 will generate 240 terabytes of flight data during a single flight across the US 8 Bits > 1 Byte 1024 Bytes > 1 Kilobyte 1024 Kilobytes > 1 Megabyte 1024 Megabytes > 1 Gigabyte 1024 Gigabytes > 1 Terabyte 1024 Terabytes > 1 Petabyte *For virtual storage

24 petabytes of data is processed by google daily

F

or centuries, businesses have been collecting data, transcribing the data, analyzing it and then using it to make decisions. Data collection is not new. What is new is the amalgamation of data across various systems, the speed with which data is collected, the analysis of data through technology and the ability to apply findings in real time. The amount of data collected has expanded exponentially, generated not only by humans, but also by the growing Internet of Things network, a myriad of connected objects and devices worldwide.

airline opportunity Dave O’Flanagan, CEO of Boxever, a master data management system, believes airlines have a huge opportunity to integrate data they have been historically collecting in silos to enhance passenger experience.

“Airline website activity has always been tracked,” O’Flanagan explains. “E-mail systems, mobile systems, booking systems, transactions databases, et cetera, are all collecting customer information but much of it gets thrown away.” When an airline is utilizing this big data in real time they can personalize a website landing page in milliseconds, based on either a customer login or past activity on the website. “There is an enormous opportunity for airlines to use big data to understand customers and 90

volume 5, edition 2

Visit us at apex.aero

Internet of Things Explained The Internet of Things (IoT) describes intelligence sensors placed in everyday objects to gather data, provide feedback and learn about the behaviors of their users. The IoT consists of mobile phones and computers but also wearables, appliances, homes, offices, cars and beyond, all connected to other objects as well as the Internet. Objects with wireless connectivity are commonly referred to as “smart.”

then use the rich data they’re collecting to communicate with those customers.

Opportunities extend from booking to retail to in-flight. New technology requires a new set of [skills resulting in] remarkable humanto-human [customer service] experiences.”

power of suggestion Big data is used, for example, if a passenger has booked a ski holiday with another adult: An airline website can automatically generate the suggestion of a small, trendy vehicle with snow tires, different from what it would generate from a booking for two adults with two children, or if the holiday were to a beach resort. In addition, if the snow is not looking as good as expected as the holiday approaches, perhaps the passenger receives an e-mail with some suggestions for other activities at their destination.

Personalized service continues so that once the passenger’s mobile phone geo-locator has indicated their arrival at the airport, the offer of a nearby airport restaurant special is delivered to the phone. After check-in, the passenger will be able to track his or her own baggage, gaining the peace of mind that it’s on the correct flight. The airline can continue this tailored service in-flight through retail offerings relevant to the passenger, who likely has similar needs to other passengers on the flight who may also be heading to the same

By 2019, more than half of all devices connected to the mobile network will be “smart”

ski destination. These offers or travel tips could be generated through the personalized in-flight entertainment system so the passenger can browse them at their leisure.

Big data connects the passenger, the airline and the aircraft, resulting in an exceptional passenger experience and customer loyalty.

data mining Collecting personalized data about individual customers allows airlines the opportunity to provide a unique and human experience when faced with issues. If a passenger has missed a connection or lost their luggage, in-flight staff can be alerted quickly to proactively deal with the customer; a poor experience can swiftly transition to a positive one. Big data also provides tools for tactical marketing campaigns such as choosing passengers with influential socialmedia profiles and offering them exclusive experiences. Airlines can track how a customer shares the brand over social media and that information joins the database of big data to be analyzed. >

Airlines can offer tailored service in flight.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Content marketers for the world’s top aviation brands.

As the global go-to specialists for in-flight entertainment, custom publishing, advertising sales and digital and social media marketing, Spafax creates engaging content for over 60 clients worldwide, and provides unrivalled access to consumers-in-transit throughout their entire journey.

With a new technical production facility in the heart of Hollywood and a recently-launched public relations and events division, our full-service team is equipped to bring best-in-class experiences to life.

spafax.com London

|

Santiago | New York | Montreal | Toronto | California | Miami Dubai | Singapore | Kuala Lumpur | Frankfurt | Madrid | Lima

|

Atlanta

IoT

apex experience

“Big data helps airlines understand the value of a customer,” says Helen Porter, vicepresident, Portfolio Management, Passenger Solution Line for SITA. She explains that airlines determine value differently from one another. Some airlines place emphasis on spend while others focus on travel frequency or most recent service. Having this data allows airlines to prioritize valued customers should there be a service disruption, and to offer customers of varying value recommendations at different levels for retail purchases, future travel and other resources.

“Everybody wants to talk about data but many people don’t know how to use it,” says Porter. “We’re now unleashing the power of data that’s been there all along.” SITA specializes in air transport communications and information technology and the introduction of big data has seen their teams analyzing data that has existed in silos for many years. The recognition of big data, and shifting the way it is managed, takes advantage of historic information stored on servers. It allows companies to present their data in a way that is understandable and translatable for business leaders, allowing them to access these insights from anywhere and ultimately make more informed decisions.

flow management Airports are also playing a role in the big data shift. They are using data collected by mobile geo-locators to determine where bottlenecks are occurring as passengers make their way to their gates. They can make key decisions about where to add staff, open retail opportunities or provide additional services based on actual data being produced by the flow of passengers and analyzed in close to real time, if not immediately.

By unlocking and understanding the mountains of data compiled through the booking process and as passengers move through the airport, airlines can be well informed on passenger habits, preferences and even personal details like birthdays. But how do airlines utilize this data to delight passengers, rather than sparking the Big Brother effect?

– IBM

“Everybody wants to talk about data but many people don’t know how to use it. We’re now unleashing the power of data that’s been there all along.”

Helen Porter

comfort zones “To find out if you’re using big data correctly you can actually return to big data,” explains Porter. “Through social media [data], if someone has felt uncomfortable, you’ll hear about it. It’s all about being in touch with your customers. The way you use data should enhance a passenger’s experience, not detract from it.”

What is Big Data?

“Every day, we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data – so much that 90 percent of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone. This data comes from everywhere: sensors used to gather climate information, posts to social media sites, digital pictures and videos, purchase transaction records and cell phone GPS signals, to name a few. This data is big data.”

Visit us at apex.aero

by 2020, there will be 50 billion things connected to the internet.

“Trust is a big thing,” acknowledges O’Flanagan, “and this is where brand plays a strong role. Many passengers are happy to share data in exchange for a personalized experience, particularly younger generations.

We are willing to share information with companies that we trust and a lot of airlines have high brand equity. So it is up to airlines to use this information correctly to entice customers, as opposed to drive them away.”

The application of big data has potential to result in a smoother travel experience from booking to destination by giving airlines tools to build relationships with passengers.

Networked systems and the growing data collection within the Internet of Things can unearth patterns and inefficiencies.

“Ultimately,” says O’Flanagan, “airlines using big data should be a win-win. It should result in customers getting fewer [spam] e-mails and more targeted, personalized information and experiences. Big data compiles the tools that allow airlines to be proactive, moving away from the one-size-fits-all model of travel and creating unique and delightful travel experiences for each passenger.”

Sources: IBM, Cisco, mongoDB

92

volume 5, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Portable digEplayer NV Modern, functional and affordable next gen portable IFE

digEcor...

we’re so much more!

Interested?

Meet with the digEcor team a stand 2C30 at AIX Hamburg

SALES@DIGECOR.COM

Q&A

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

“

Growing up in the Seattle area with Boeing in my backyard, airplanes got into my blood.

�

94

volume 5, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Q&A

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

> Fast Facts

Kevin Bremer

Favorite Aircraft:

777

Frequent Flight:

SEA-SNA

Best airline industry acronym:

FUBAR

Passport stamp you wish you had:

Antarctica

Airplane Systems Senior Skill and Strategy Leader Boeing Commercial Airplanes

photo: boeing commercial airplanes

Kevin has been at Boeing Commercial Airplanes since 1996. He has served in many roles managing, developing and integrating new IFE, Connectivity and Cabin Services Systems onto all Boeing production airplanes. He currently serves on the APEX Board of Directors and is co-chair of the Education Committee.

To read Kevin’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > apex.aero/ kevinbremer

Airline Passenger Experience Association

S

omething that never ceases to amaze you in your industry?

I am always amazed by how we can install and integrate upwards of 400 monitors, over 200 line-replaceable units (seat boxes, head end controllers, etc.) loaded with unique software, with miles of wiring connecting them together into an airplane, and it works right the first time it’s turned on. That doesn’t happen with one TV at my house!

The career path you considered but never followed?

I wanted to be a doctor, my heart was actually set on it when I was a kid. All that went out the window when I figured out I was red/green color-blind. I turned to math and engineering. In the end, I have an electrical engineering degree from a small school in Washington State.

Describe your next holiday.

I have been fortunate to travel the world, although it has been mostly for work so I have never been able to take my family abroad. The world has become a small place and I want my kids to experience more culture than what one can gain from traveling through the US. In 2013, I took my son to Dubai, Johannesburg and Cape Town. We flew Emirates and he was able to experience the amazing 777 first-class suites and business-class seating. We had an awesome time and I knew we would do another one soon. This July I am going to take the whole family on a European vacation. We

will visit Paris, Nice, Rome and Amsterdam.

This will be the first time we are all together outside of North America.

Secret tip to save time at the airport?

I am not sure I could live without my TSA PreCheck and Global Entry. I can’t tell you how many flights I would have missed without these. Another is to pack smart. How many times have you been behind someone with water bottles in their luggage?

You wouldn’t be where you are today without: Airplanes! Growing up in the Seattle area with Boeing in my backyard, airplanes got into my blood. There was always a relative or family friend who worked here and you heard about them being around the airplanes and working on new designs. Being fortunate enough to work here after I graduated has been a great experience.

The game you’re best at?

Texas Hold’em is my favorite, but I have been on a Candy Crush kick for a few weeks now. My kids just crack up at me. Last week I was on a flight and almost everyone in first class was playing it on their device, I just had to laugh…

Favorite APEX conference of all time?

My first conference was in Brisbane in 2001 and I haven’t missed one since. Toronto and Miami are on my shortlist; they both were at a time when our industry was rebuilding and connectivity was on the rise. volume 5, edition 2

95

Payment

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Smart Card Soon, all US merchants – including airlines – will be required to accept credit cards with embedded microchips. We look at the upcoming challenges faced by upgrading to “smarter” payment technology.

by Michael Planey | illustration María Corte

96

volume 5, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

apex experience

Payment

For updates on payment technology, visit > ApEx.aero/payment

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 2

97

WWW.VIDEOTECHNOLOGYSERVICES.COM

SKY SEAT INTEGRATED SYSTEM TM

View Content on PED’s Latest Entertainment Flight Tracker Play Games

Latest Music

Magazines

Stay Entertained

Long flight?

Stay entertained with a touch of a fingertip or swipe of a screen with VTS’ Sky SiS System.

Embeded HD displays with user friendly Interface

VIDEO TECHNOLOGY SERVICES I TEL: 516-937-9700 I FAX:I 516-937-9704

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

I

n the 1930s, the airline industry developed the world’s first credit card.

Within 10 years, all 17 major American airlines adopted the Air Travel Card, now known as UATP, which was later adopted worldwide. Nearly 30 years later, the airline industry created the world’s first digital commerce programs with the advent of computerized reservation systems. Today, however, the airline industry is struggling to adapt to the next generation of payment technology advances.

credit compliance Beginning in October 2015, the EMVCo (comprising American Express, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, UnionPay and Visa) is requiring merchants in the United States to accept new, more secure credit cards for payment. Known as “smart cards,” they contain an embedded microchip that enables greater security protocols to reduce the risk of fraudulent purchases when the card is presented for payment. If the merchants don’t comply, the liability for fraudulent transactions with non-compliant cards will shift away from the issuing banks and onto the merchants – in this case, the airlines.

Other countries have been using smart card technology for more than a decade.

So why has the US been slow to adopt this more secure technology? The simple answer is cost. There are hundreds of millions of credit card accounts in the US alone. The average cardholder has about four cards. The transitional costs to smart cards have been estimated to run into the billions of dollars for banks and retailers. The recent widescale data-security failures of large retailers such as Target, Home Depot and Neiman Marcus makes the investment in new cards begin to make sense.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Payment

apex experience

changeover challenges For the airline industry, these new liability rules and new technologies pose significant challenges for the in-flight environment.

While the handheld terminals used by many cabin crews are easily replaceable, airlines still incur substantial charges for back-office development and employee training. The greater concern, however, is magnetic-stripe readers embedded in seatback in-flight entertainment (IFE) monitors. Those devices are an integral part of the overall IFE system design at both the hardware and software levels. Airlines will find replacing those systems a far more complex and costly undertaking.

As the changeover deadline rapidly approaches, it would appear that the airlines are stuck. The majority of vendors providing embedded IFE hardware don’t have new solutions readily available, though some companies have announced new products are in development. While in-flight revenues are a small fraction of the overall ancillary fees generated by airlines today, the lack of a secure payment system will limit the airlines’ ability to offer higher-value goods and services aloft in the future.

Why has the US been slow to adpot this more secure technology?

wireless payment Further complicating the decision process is the fact that multiple competing methods for new payment systems are emerging.

The EMVCo specifications for physical smart cards have been well established, but many of the EMVCo’s members are also pushing for the increased use of contactless forms of payment. Contactless systems use near-field communication (NFC) chips to create a secure wireless communications session. These NFC chips may be present in some smart cards and are the basis of smartphone-based payment systems such as Google Wallet and ApplePay. >

volume 5, edition 2

99

Payment

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

So what is a smart card and how does it work?

A smart card is a credit or debit card that contains an embedded microchip and memory. The “smart” features enable the card to intelligently and securely interact with a terminal by contact, allowing the exchange of identification, encryption and authentication data. Some smart cards also use a unique personal identification number (PIN) to create a second method of authentication. This is commonly known as a chip-and-pIN card.

Smart cards also can be used for loyalty and affinity programs, stored-value financial services and biometric authentication systems.

What are “contactless” systems and how do they work?

Contactless systems rely upon a secure near-field communications chip and a micro antenna embedded into a small device to securely transfer data to a reader. In some cases, smart cards also have contactless technology built into them. Because a contactless unit draws its power from the reader, it is inactive until it is in very close proximity to the reader. Also, since it does not have to be inserted into the reader, the unit does not have to conform to the typical dimensions of a credit card. The contactless unit can be a keychain tag, a wearable fob or part of a smartphone or other electronic device. The owner can simply wave his device over the reader and the transaction begins in less than a second.

Because there is no identity authentication with this system, units are usually limited to a set number of transactions in amounts under $25 per day to limit fraudulent use.

100

volume 5, edition 2

Vueling, a Barcelona-based budget carrier, was the world’s first airline to introduce NFC and scanning payment system in December 2014. Using Vueling’s mobile app, passengers with Apple iOS and Android OS devices can input their data into secure platforms, enabling them to make a contactless payment with their credit card and the airline’s enabled terminal. This April, JetBlue announced that it would start offering ApplePay on its flights, becoming the first carrier to do so. The option is only currently compatible with iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices, and will soon support payments with Apple Watches. Google Wallet will only be supported “down the road,” Rachel McCarthy, JetBlue vice-president for inflight experience, explains in a company release.

Around 3,500 iPad Minis with NFC-enabled cases will replace the airline’s old mobile payment terminals.

InFlight Peripherals has released a certified battery-operated NFC terminal that can supplement other manufacturers’ existing IFE systems or be embedded into a seat on a standalone basis. Panasonic Avionics has also

committed to making an EMVCo-compliant NFC option available to airlines in 2015. But neither product will accept the full range of smart cards that will be issued this year.

personalized payment Any delay in accepting smart cards also means that the airlines will not be able to take advantage of the most promising features of the technology: delivering a more personalized experience to their passengers through their airline-branded credit cards.

These are some of the most highly valued cards issued by banks, because free travel rewards are a powerful incentive to use the cards more often. With smart cards, the secure communications and on-card memory can enable coupons, upgrades and frequent flyer miles to be redeemed as a part of the purchase or issued as a reward immediately afterwards. Additionally, the transaction data could allow the airline to store customer preferences locally and provide the airline a more detailed understanding of its customers’ behaviors while in flight.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

“The younger generation, especially, is focused on mobile devices.”

option assessment Ron Freer, senior manager Cabin Services Strategic Planning and Projects at Southwest Airlines, points out that “We only accept credit cards for purchases of alcoholic beverages onboard, and the risk of fraud is low on a $5 purchase.” Southwest cabin

Airline Passenger Experience Association

younger generation, especially, is focused on mobile devices, and we want to support their choice of device.”

working group

Ron Freer

So what is an airline to do? For some, the answer is, nothing. The purchases made in flight are of such a low value that accepting the risk of fraudulent charges makes more economic sense than trying to replace hundreds or thousands of monitors.

Payment

apex experience

crews use mobile credit card readers provided by Toronto-based GuestLogix, a company that has a new EMVCo-compliant product available today. But that doesn’t mean Southwest will replace its current units immediately. “GuestLogix and other vendors have products we can use now, but choosing and implementing a new device to roll out across the fleet takes a long time,” says Freer.

Southwest would also like to have greater flexibility in choosing the types of payments accepted in-flight. “Ideally, we would have a product that allows our customers to choose how they would like to pay,” says Freer. “The

For the other airlines, the APEX Technology Committee has formed a working group to address this topic. The group will provide a forum to discuss ways of mitigating the impending liability shift and educating the APEX membership on the array of new technology soon becoming available.

Experts agree that over the next decade, technology will drive an evolution in merchant payments, rivaling the changes prompted by the introduction of electronic terminals 30 years ago. But the time is right for airlines to embrace the enhanced security, lower fees and greater personalization offered by this new technology and take in-flight services to a new level of innovation.

volume 5, edition 2

101

Going wireless IFE? Unfortunately, everything is not wireless

Brand New PES/PSS + P System Full PSS Reading/Call Light functionality Full PES Audio Channel/Volume selection Full +P 2.1amps USB Power Port availability Full Key Pad Icon Back-Lighting bright and dim Full and Complete Seat and Aircraft System Only PCU shown Full Certified Flying and Operational

See our videos

4650 Côte Vertu, St.Laurent, Québec, Canada H4S 1C7 Phone: 514.331.9771 • Fax: 514.331.9990 • www.inflightcanada.com

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Turbulence

Altitude Adjustment Occurrences of extreme turbulence are becoming less and less common thanks to advancements in predictive weather forecasting, wing configuration capabilities and research into the nuances of bird flight.

by Brett Snyder | illustration Manuel C贸rdova

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 2

103

Turbulence

apex experience

W

e see the news reports at least a few times a year: A commercial flight finds itself hitting severe or extreme turbulence and anyone who isn’t belted down ends up getting hurt. The airplane diverts to the nearest airport, and video of the chaotic cabin instantly makes its way around the Internet. The media portrays the event with shock and dismay, demanding to know why nothing can be done to prevent it.

Though these types of incidents are rare, light and moderate turbulence is very common, occurring on thousands of flights every day. Most of the time, the worst thing that happens is your ginger ale spills. But turbulence also causes frayed nerves and restricts passenger movement around the cabin. In addition, it can send aircraft off the flight path or make them change altitudes, lengthening flight times and increasing emissions. It’s enough of an issue that plenty of research has been and will continue to be done to help mitigate the impact of turbulence. Is it possible that flights will be turbulence-free in the future? Yes it is.

rock and roll Turbulence occurs when an aircraft passes through unstable air. More often than not, it’s merely the result of weather patterns.

Gusty winds, nearby thunderstorms and passing fronts can all cause a little rocking and rolling at altitude. Turbulence can also be caused by other aircraft in the vicinity that disturb the air (wake turbulence). Regardless of how it’s caused, the result is the same. The airplane starts to move around, which is at best inconvenient and at worst, dangerous.

Throughout most of the history of aviation, the proactive response to turbulence has been to try to avoid it. Pilots study weather maps and look for ways to predict what lies ahead. They rely on ride reports from fellow pilots aloft, and they alter their courses as needed based on that subjective information.

Some airlines have prioritized avoiding areas of turbulence. Northwest Airlines (now merged into Delta Air Lines) was one of those airlines. Its Turbulence Plots were famous for helping aviators avoid rough weather.

Visit us at apex.aero

Turbulence Plots were famous for helping aviators avoid rough weather. forecasting turbulence More sophisticated technology has been rolled out by weather radar companies who are helping aircraft get a better vision of what lies ahead in real time. If they see turbulence, they can avoid it. Airlines and manufacturers are getting into the act as well. Delta recently partnered with Boeing on its ecoDemonstrator aircraft to try a new forecasting technology. According to Delta spokesperson Kate Modolo, the technology is only being tested, but Delta is hoping to be able to incorporate it in the future. >

Shakes on a Plane We break down some of the most common types of turbulence.

104

Clear Air

Wind Shear

Mechanical

Wake

Thermal

Thunderstorms

Known in the industry as CAT, this type of turbulence occurs most often at higher altitudes and is caused when the surface of a cold front encounters warmer air in its path.

As it’s not associated with clouds, CAT is not visible to the human eye or conventional weather radar, and as a result it’s difficult to predict.

Wind shear, a large change in wind speed or direction over short distances, can occur at all altitudes and can be either horizontal or vertical. It produces eddies and swirls in the air that cause turbulence. Microbursts, winds that shoot down from rain showers or thunderstorms, are a type of wind shear.

Terrain features such as mountains – and even tall buildings – can disrupt smooth wind currents and create eddies. Much like a wave breaking in the ocean, friction slows down the winds closest to the surface, which then interact with the faster-moving winds above them, creating a chaos of rolling winds and swirling vortices.

As an aircraft’s wings slice through the air, spinning vortices can form off the wing tips. These vortices, combined with jetwash – the moving gases that are expelled from the aircraft’s engine - can train off for miles behind and below the aircraft, posing a potential hazard for following aircraft that may inadvertently fly into the wake.

Typically occurring on warm summer days, thermal turbulence is the result of warm air thermals rising and interacting with the prevailing winds aloft. Much like the obstructions faced in mechanical turbulence, warm air thermals force prevailing winds to deviate, creating turbulent eddies – leading to a bumpy ride.

Thunderstorms cause currents to rise and fall both suddenly and dramatically. This type of turbulence can be very dangerous, which is why all pilots are trained to avoid thunderstorms wherever possible.

For more on weather detection and radar technology, see our Radar Report on page 107.

volume 5, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Turbulence

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

By studying birds, scientists can get a more complete understanding of how wings can handle turbulent airflow.

This technology is encouraging, but what if it was unnecessary? Instead of working on ways to avoid turbulence, some are looking at ways to simply eliminate the effects of it.

birds of a feather For many years, researchers have been fascinated by bird movements. By studying birds, scientists can get a more complete understanding of how wings can better handle turbulent airflow. After all, birds can fly steadily in the harshest of windy conditions without fail. If some of the principles birds use to fly can be translated to aircraft, then turbulence reduction can be achieved in a dramatic fashion.

Professor Simon Watkins has been supervising research in this area for the Unmanned Systems Research Team at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Watkins notes that while “current aircraft sense the effect of the disturbance and then apply opposing control,” birds operate differently.

Birds begin to “feel the effect of the disturbance early” through the movement of feathers and “sensory parts of the wing.”

That allows the birds to adjust their wing configuration quickly, before turbulence is even felt.

For birds, all this is as natural as flight itself, so it’s a tall task to try to incorporate these types of animal instincts into a man-made object. Boeing, however, has already started.

sensory detection The 787 is built with what Boeing spokesperson Bret Jensen calls a “unique system of sensors [that] scan the air in front of the airplane and anticipate possible turbulence.”

When that information has been received, computers can interpret the expected movements and tell the airplane to compensate by manipulating the control surfaces. According to Jensen, “Passengers have reported an overall smoother ride than other types of airplanes.”

106

volume 5, edition 2

Boeing considers its technology to be proprietary and won’t share additional details, but Watkins is more than happy to discuss his group’s research.

The challenge for Watkins is greater than for Boeing since his focus is on smaller, lighter airplanes. Smaller airplanes with smaller control surfaces are more prone to heavy, turbulence-related upsets than large commercial aircraft. In other words, the most difficult challenge is being tackled first, so that the application to larger aircraft becomes simpler.

Today, the research team has affixed carbon fiber sensors all over the wings.

Additional sensors were placed further forward on the aircraft, some reaching out, in order to achieve the goal of measuring relevant turbulence as early as possible.

These sensors created not only an awkward look for the airplane, but a potential hazard for people walking around the aircraft on the ground. But they are extremely light, and weight is important. The eventual goal is to find a way to use LIDAR-based sensors, allowing lasers to be used to detect changes in airflow instead of physical sensors. According to Watkins, however, “they’re quite massive,” so they aren’t ready for use in this environment just yet.

Ultimately, LIDAR would allow the sensors to move a bit further forward, giving a split second of additional time to prepare the counteracting measures.

Once an upset is detected, commands are sent to the wing surfaces to make adjustments as needed. But are the current wing surfaces enough to be able to adequately control the movements?

Shape Shifting reduced air pressure

constant air pressure airflow reduced air pressure

constant air pressure airflow

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Turbulence

apex experience

Radar Report While researchers work to find ways to eliminate the effects of turbulence, the best way to handle it today is to simply steer clear.

These enhancements in weather radar have made that much easier to do over the last few years.

view every altitude

detecting the unseen

In most aircraft, pilots manually point the weather radar in the direction they want to see. Now, however, there are systems available that scan all altitudes to give the big picture. They can also look further ahead than ever before, scanning hundreds of nautical miles.

Lacking visual cues and detectable water droplets, clear air turbulence – caused by collisions of large air masses moving at different speeds – is very difficult for conventional radar to identify.

Researchers are experimenting with LIDAR, a promising technology that uses lasers to detect air molecule movement.

fluid dynamics Systems have now been developed that allow radar to measure the movement of water droplets in the air. Those measurements can be translated into a metric for evaluating turbulence intensity, which helps pilots assess if they should fly around it.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Until airplanes can be designed to fly through areas of turbulence without moving around too much, weather radar will remain the most important tool in helping pilots to avoid bumps in the air.

The goal is to allow lasers to be used to detect changes in airflow instead of physical sensors. wing theory You may be envisioning the need for large flapping wings as we saw on some earlyera aircraft experiments, but that’s not what needs to happen here. In fact, while birds have incredibly flexible wings, our technology is nowhere near allowing that effect to be produced for aircraft. Besides, it’s likely unnecessary for this application.

Birds need flexible wings in order to remain steady while hovering, but for simply smoothing a ride, not much needs to change from what we see on airplanes today.

Watkins believes that “if you take a standard wing with large and powerful ailerons, there’s more than enough control authority.” The key here is that you don’t need big swooping movements. You just need “small deflections” as long as you know what’s coming in advance.

So far, the research has produced successful tests. While the impact of turbulence will still be felt for years to come, we’ve already seen manufacturers successfully implement turbulence reduction technology. Companies like FlexSys have successfully implemented one-piece, shape-shifting wings on aircraft.

These models could potentially replace the traditional flaps on current wing designs, allowing for a significant improvement in the passenger experience and hopefully, the eventual elimination of the impact of turbulence altogether. volume 5, edition 2

107

Q&A

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

“

Airlines are competing like never before... they’re all trying to outdo each other, and that’s a good thing for the passenger.

”

108

volume 5, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Q&A

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

> Fast Facts Frequent Flight:

DOH-DXB

Now Watching:

House of Cards Best airlineindustry acronym:

IATA (I like the way they make you say it: EYEAAA-TA!)

Kamahl Santamaria

Favorite hotel:

Hyatt Regency London, The Churchill

Broadcast journalist Al Jazeera

photo: Venerando Devi

Kamahl is an anchor for international news channel Al Jazeera English. Born in New Zealand, he has lived in Doha, Qatar for nine years, and occasionally reports on aviation for his business and economics program Counting the Cost.

To read Kamahl’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > apex.aero/ kamahlsantamaria

Airline Passenger Experience Association

W

hat was the most enjoyable airport experience you’ve ever had?

Meeting the woman who later became my wife in the departure lounge of JFK Airport.

It was the day of a plane crash (two months after 9/11) so it was the silver lining on that very sad day.

If you could change one thing about the airline industry or the passenger experience, what would it be?

Security checks are the thing I most dread when traveling. They’re obviously important, but the way they bottleneck and slow down the entire airport experience is a constant battle.

What do you think the airline industry is doing particularly well right now?

Airlines are competing like never before. In premium cabins especially, they’re all trying to outdo each other, and that’s a good thing for the passenger.

Favorite airline?

Call me parochial, but it’s Qatar Airways. Nine years of flying with them regularly has shown me how far they, and the other Gulf airlines, are ahead of the legacy carriers. Some [legacy carriers] don’t even come close.

Best way to stay entertained during your journey?

Watching reruns of old sitcoms, and episodes of shows that you wouldn’t want anyone to know you actually watch. For example, I sometimes watch The Big Bang Theory on flights… I don’t want anyone to know that… oh wait, I just told everyone.

That was stupid.

If you could have three things, services or experiences on your next flight, what would they be?

A quick ride through security… not getting called to the gate ridiculously early… and a good meal!

The game you’re best at?

Guess Who? – I will destroy you at that game every time. Even if you’re six years old, I will take no mercy.

How you waste time at work: Twitter, Amazon, talking to people who’ve probably got lots of work to do.

The achievement you’re most proud of?

Cracking the TV journalism industry aged 18, and never looking back or believing that I couldn’t do it. Sixteen years later, I’m still here. volume 5, edition 2

109

At STG Aerospace, we see cabin lighting with a bright new future.

It’s a perspective and a passion that’s already helped us develop safTglo® and safTsign™ – technologies found in a third of the world’s aircraft.

And, more recently, it’s resulted in liTeMood®: an LED cabin lighting system that’s incredibly beautiful to look at, and amazingly cost-effective to retrofit.

Proof that high flying bright ideas come from down-to-earth innovative design.

Find out more at stgaerospace.com Vision beyond.

WWW.AIRC RAFTINT ERIOR SEXPO .C OM

Visit us at Stand 6B41

from

Tablets

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Attendant Devices

Follow the author on Twitter

> @HowardSlutsken

Many cabin crews are now toting an array of smart devices to assist with managing the on-board environment and the passengers within it. We talk to some of the airlines that have made the switch to digital over paper, and how it’s both saving them time and boosting productivity.

photo: british airways

by Howard Slutsken

British Airways’ iPad 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 2

111

Tablets

I

t looks like Star Trek got it right, again.

Long before we had tablet computers, the crew of the Enterprise “D” could be seen running to Captain Picard with devices that looked suspiciously like an iPad or Galaxy Tab. The captain would examine the starship’s latest status report, a plan to deal with the Borg, or maybe just the lunch menu at Ten Forward. He’d touch a few buttons on the screen, hand the device back and say, “Make it so.”

Now, in our timeline, on mere jet-powered aircraft, cabin crews are using this Star Trek-esque technology as a new way to connect with their passengers. Faster than you can say “Engage!” airlines are equipping their crews with tablets, smartphones and in-between phablets. In-flight, there’s already a myriad of devices and software that mirrors the diversity in the consumer marketplace.

apex experience

the next generation American Airlines (AA) decided that (a smaller) size matters, and has equipped its crews with the Samsung Galaxy Note phablet. Charles Sucur, AA’s senior manager, Flight Service and Onboard Products Technology, says, “Our flight attendants felt that it was easy to handle and store, while providing great readability.

The Galaxy Note also fits nicely in the palm of the hand.” The Note has an e-version of AA’s in-flight crew manual, reflecting the airline’s goal to be paperless. Traditional paper-based passenger manifests and catering papers for in-flight food and beverage are the next targets to be “e-converted.”

AA flight attendants must carry a Galaxy Note as “required equipment,” and each device is equipped with a custom-designed

Visit us at apex.aero

credit-card-reader case. The Galaxy Note is “used for in-flight sales, and enables enhanced customer service by providing [the crew with] real-time access to seat assignments, special services, premiumclass food and beverage options, loyalty-program status and connecting gate information,” says Sucur.

Other applications in AA’s Galaxy Note include mobile crew check-in, corporate e-mail, data-content management, an in-flight reference library, video clips and, what might be the most useful app, Google Translate. With the merger still in progress, legacy US Airways crews will be receiving their tablets through to March 2015, and AA will upgrade to the Galaxy Note 3 starting this year. >

early adopters The first generation of Apple’s iPad was introduced in 2010, and Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) was an early adopter of in-cabin tablet technology. ANA rolled out 6,000 iPads beginning late 2011, initially as a cabin-crew training device that held ANA’s operational manuals. Since then, ANA has added videos that showcase duty-free merchandise to passengers, along with crew-use-only videos that demonstrates in-flight meal presentation. ANA cabin crew also use their iPads to write administrative reports, which are downloaded as soon as the flight arrives.

112

volume 5, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Tablets

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

passengers’ points, and a customer’s profile information and preferences are also updated on the tablet. Griffiths says, “Customer information is presented in easy snapshots, so pursers know if it’s someone’s birthday, or what a passenger prefers to eat or drink.” The tablet replaces traditional paper processes with apps for all post-flight reporting and cabin-crew performance reviews.

Griffiths says that Emirates chose the ElitePad tablet “because it’s a sleek device that is rugged enough to stand up to in-flight use. Being a global airline, we also liked that HP offers worldwide hardware delivery, service and support.”

custom service British Airways’ (BA) senior cabin crew are equipped with iPad 2s that are refreshed just prior to departure with an up-to-the-minute passenger and preference list. According to the airline, “The iPads enable cabin crew to have prior awareness of customer preferences and a greater understanding of each customer’s previous travel arrangements, allowing them to offer a bespoke, personalized service.” And, really, what would BA be without “bespoke” service!

Similar to other airlines’ implementations, BA’s applications include seat maps, passengers’ Executive Club status and meal requests, and a library of timetables, safety manuals and customer service updates.

From wearable tech to portable tablets, smart devices are helping airline crew around the world to connect with passengers.

purser pads

photos: virgin atlantic; american airlines; Malaysia Airlines

Emirates has equipped the purser on each of its flights with the HP ElitePad 900 tablet, running Windows 8 and the airline’s Knowledge-Driven In-flight Service (KIS) System application. “Pursers and cabin crews are much more efficient in delivering the best in-flight experience, and the use of the tablet enhances on-board teamwork,” according to Kevin Griffiths, Emirates’ senior vice-president, Service Delivery Support.

“Before each scheduled departure, pursers must familiarize themselves with the 16 to 24 crew members from different parts of the world. With KIS, pursers can look at their team ahead of time and learn about their skills, languages they speak, and their experience,” he adds.

The KIS app gives pursers the ability to expedite in-flight upgrades based on

Airline Passenger Experience Association

minted minis Since fall 2014, in-flight lead crewmembers on JetBlue’s transcontinental Mint-equipped A321s have been using iPad Minis, the first step in a system-wide deployment that will be complete by summer 2015. Shane Bennett, JetBlue’s manager, Customer Experience Solutions, says, “Since we started flying 15 years ago, we’ve always had a focus on innovation, like personalscreen satellite television. It’s not just innovation for innovation’s sake, though. The purpose of those innovations, as always, has been to provide our passengers with a great experience.”

JetBlue formed a working committee of in-flight crewmembers to assess the hardware and software options, and tested several devices on various operating platforms. “One of the biggest benefits of transitioning to a tablet is the ability to regularly update software as improvements are rolled out by developers,” says Bennett. >

volume 5, edition 2

113

Tablets

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

“CrewTablet personalizes the passenger experience with passenger information.”

Ian Dawkins

Collaborating with baggage experts, SITA developed a tablet app that alows airline agents to proactively manage baggage claims.

The iPad Minis run JetBlue’s Inflight Service Assistant (IfSA), a purpose-built application and crew portal. IfSA is used for in-flight pointof-sale processing of products and services; gives the crew an interactive passenger manifest; has crew pairing, flight, hotel and transportation info, along with a mobile crew check-in app; includes a 20-language Google translation app; and replaces JetBlue’s paper, 300-page flight attendant manual with an e-document. JetBlue still uses paper in the cabin, but according to Bennett, it’s just “for a handful of regulatory-required documents.

However, we expect to eventually be completely paperless.”

SITA OnAir’s CrewTablet is now flying with Etihad, Aeroflot, Air Caraïbes and Malaysia Airlines. Through a mix of application modules, CrewTablet “personalizes the passenger experience with passenger information,” says Ian Dawkins, OnAir’s CEO. Thanks to its standard and open architecture, CrewTablet can run on iOS, Android and Windows devices, and is designed to integrate with various back-end IT systems.

“SITA OnAir is able to customize CrewTablet to adapt it to the unique IT environment of each airline,” adds Dawkins.

As well as providing crews with seat- map-based passenger information, on-board 114

volume 5, edition 2

retail processing, crew training documents, airline reports and flight information, one of the CrewTablet modules can download last-minute baggage information. “If a bag does not make it onto a flight, the affected passenger can fill out lost-bag forms on the tablet, which get passed on to baggage tracing upon arrival,” says Dawkins.

SITA OnAir estimates that, on average, CrewTablet digitizes around 15 paper reports per flight, as well as replacing upward of 30 pounds (14 kilograms) of paper manuals. And, in step with the company’s development of the “connected aircraft,” it’s exploring how to connect CrewTablet to an airline’s operations

center through OnAir Plug, SITA OnAir’s secure, dedicated wireless network providing in-flight Internet access for crew and aircraft operators. Dawkins says, “Connectivity opens up an array of new functions, such as live retail payments, and telemedicine for passengers taken ill.”

So, years back, Star Trek communicators became our cell phones. Now we have tablets. With the strides being made in 3-D printing, is a replicator galley far off?

Or perhaps holographic in-flight entertainment systems will be next. How about a transporter? Wouldn’t that change the game!

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: sita; Getty images; SITA

walking on air

SKYfi club – Your mobile theatre Staying in touch and streaming content via smartphones, tablets and laptops are now top wishes for air travellers.

And SKYfi is one of the most advanced and cost-effective ways to meet these demands – for satisfied passengers who keep coming back. Plus, SKYfi club lets you create personalised entertainment and information programmes streamed directly to passengers’ devices – for the ultimate in in-flight customisation.

KID-Systeme GmbH Lüneburger Schanze 30, D-21614 Buxtehude Phone +49 40 743 716 33 Fax +49 40 743 838 29 E-Mail info@kid-systeme.com

www.kid-systeme.com

with us, the sky has no limits

in-flight connectivity– powered by deutsche telekom Deutsche Telekom is one of the biggest telecommunications providers in the world. We manage more than 50,000 HotSpots around the globe, and now we provide unsurpassed high-speed Wi-Fi services in-flight, too.

Accessible on international flights every day via credit card, vouchers or roaming with one of our many partners. Let your customers become part of our idea of innovation and grow your business - with us, without limitations.

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

apex experience

Travelogue

Here Goes the Future APEX contributor Jordan Yerman finds himself lost in the crowds at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, tasked with identifying the best new technology while trying to stay grounded in a bustling, future-forward environment.

by Jordan Yerman | illustration Gonzalo MartĂ­nez

volume 5, edition 2

117

Travelogue

L

ove it or hate it, McCarran International Airport nails that elusive sense of place for which all airports strive: When you land in Vegas, among slot machines with plinking sounds and blinking lights, there’s no mistaking where you are. Following the trail of bewildered business travelers to the International CES 2015 registration booth, I was met with even more slot machines, as well as glacial queues for taxis: The entire tech world had arrived.

bearing witness to tomorrow Nowhere in a convention center is close to anywhere else; all walks take longer than they reasonably should. People will stop at random in the middle of a crowded thoroughfare, causing a series of mild collisions and muttered apologies.

Convention-hall food is a well-worn joke.

Most of all, though, FOMO (fear of missing out) has dire professional connotations: If sent on assignment to find cool stuff, you damned well better find cool stuff.

CES is comprised of 2.2 million square feet of exhibition space and crammed with over 170,000 people. As the singular reporter on scene for APEX, I found that simultaneously 118

volume 5, edition 2

apex experience

taking photos, writing notes and recording audio is quite the challenge with only two arms. While typing an e-mail with one hand and jotting down a note with the other, I missed spotting music legend Neil Young, who brushed right past me. FOMO realized.

you can (and must) take it with you Never have I been happier to be a light packer. Since vacancies are in short supply during CES, I keeled over at a different hotel each night. This meant I had to carry everything around with me during the conference. A digital hobo, covering several miles of garishly carpeted floor each day.

Not a problem – my ruthless packing regime allowed for only a laptop, phone, small camera, toiletries, spare shirt and clean underwear. Everything fit into my bike messenger bag. Even a few years ago, this would have been impossible.

humans, being While sniffing out cool products to cover, I also watched the other attendees, who were just as fascinating as the smartwatches they tried on and tapped. It was easy to suss out the office politics of a clutch of

Visit us at apex.aero

middle-management types, or to invent meet-cute stories about those two harried industry affiliates forced to share the only open spot at the bar. You must keep your brain agile at trade shows – otherwise, you end up fixating only on the new toys. Everything seems so cool, and then nothing does. “Wow” precipitously plummets to “meh.”

That jadedness is compounded by loneliness in Vegas, a symptom I noticed in others as well. Bar conversations aside, the solo writer spends a considerable amount of time in silence, even when typing up a thousand words or so – a human island in a sea of others, or isolated in a dark hotel room, cross-legged with laptop in the center of a king-size bed. >

The Internet of Things meets the Quantified Self, each informing the other.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Travelogue

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

making and breaking promises In scouring CES for APEX, I was attracted to wearables, video displays and streaming technologies. The Internet of Things meets the Quantified Self, each informing the other.

I was also keenly aware of the gap between promise and delivery of these technologies, particularly in terms of passenger experience.

The future of the airline industry may well be here, but it’s cobbled together and unevenly distributed. Just like in Star Wars: Darth Vader’s fleet was slick and new, while Chewbacca had to pound the dashboard and howl if he wanted to get a burst of lightspeed. So it goes here on Earth: Jetliners are not easily (or cheaply) upgraded, and the airlines themselves have to spend their dollars very wisely, so perhaps those smart seats with mood lighting may not hit coach class as soon as we might like.

watching it all change Whenever I fly, I notice the hiccups in the user-experience design of an airport or cabin. Signs that should be present but aren’t. Coach class toilet ergonomics.

Automated check-in terminals with missing or poorly-mapped touchscreen buttons. The fact that conveyor-belt sushi was invented in the 1950s, yet airports still cannot get those moving sidewalks to realize their true potential by going around corners.

The paperless journey has yet to properly materialize. Calendar apps struggle with the notion of shifting time zones. Phones got smarter, but have lost their stamina, hence those people napping on the concourse floor while their tablets suck juice from a power outlet.

The future of the airline industry may well be here, but it’s cobbled together.

120

volume 5, edition 2

Since I began writing for Experience, that PaxEx-sense has only grown more sensitive.

After roaming the floors of CES, even more so. This must be how a dog experiences the whine of a vacuum cleaner. Therefore, the paper notebooks I’ve carried with me for decades are as useful as ever. No matter what gets unveiled at CES – this year or next – the notebook will never be replaced... and you should see how many pens I have.

In the same vein, my own personal tech naturally fell under the introspect-oscope as I left Vegas. My phone felt old and run-down – though, to be fair, the back panel is held together with super glue. There are too many wires, too much weight: This much became apparent over three days of concourse trudging. The automatic ticket kiosk with the stubborn touchscreen and passiveaggressive messaging? I was this close to physically shaking it. Breathe, wait, walk a mile in the robot’s shoes. Try again.

when tomorrow comes Flying up and away, I reflected on the shiny and new, as well as the banged-up and outmoded. As we ponder concepts such as the mixed-mode reality offered by Oculus, the quantification of self brought about through wearables and the already-present Internet of Things, remember that what seems clunky and hard to understand today may well feel commonplace – or even boring – tomorrow.

Much of this technology will inevitably find its way into the cruising-altitude world, but its path is not always smooth, and the reasons for this must be constantly re-evaluated. Over the decades, the industry has changed – sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse – but the thrill of change remains.

That change is a gift that keeps on giving, as air travel becomes easier for more people. That, in itself, is a promise: the promise of adventure.

The thrill of new places, new friends and new experiences. After all, isn’t that why we’re here?

Airline Passenger Experience Association

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Upcoming APEX Events

4

4

> apex.aero

2

apex middle east conference 24-25 March 2015 Abu Dhabi, UAE #APEXUAE

3 6 apex multimedia market 20-22 April 2015 Prague, Czech Republic #APEXMarket

3

For the most up-to-date event calendar visit

apex tec conference 12-13 May 2015 Universal City, CA USA #APEXTEC

5

expo 28 Sept. - 1 Oct. 2015 Portland, OR USA #APEXIFSAEXPO

6

apex asia conference Nov. 2015 Singapore #APEXAsia apex tec conference 17-18 Nov. 2015 Newport Beach, CA USA #APEXTEC

1 5

2016-2018 EXPO Dates: 2016 – Singapore 24-27 October 2017 – Long Beach, CA USA 25-28 September

Tweeting from one of our upcoming events? Be sure to use the designated hashtag so other members can join the conversation!

2018 – Boston, MA USA 24-27 September

next up: The Culture Issue 2015: volume 5, edition 3

122

volume 5, edition 2

illustration: freevectormap

When it comes to the airline industry, there’s no shortage of niche topics for the avgeeks to dig their teeth into. Our May-June edition of Experience explores unique airport sounds, a game show that takes place on an aircraft, why flying is so funny, and even the weird world of “baggists” – those who collect airsickness bags (“If you’re gonna spew, spew into this.”) You’ll also find coverage and photos from our APEX Middle East and MultiMedia Market conferences.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Start Promoting!

Read more about Passenger Choice Awards at > PASSENGERCHOICEAWARDS.COM

Virgin America took home several prizes at the 2014 Passenger Choice Awards.

photo: amy graves

The voting cycle for the Passenger Choice Awards kicks off 1 May and will remain open until 30 June, 2015. That means the time to promote your airline and send passengers to passengerchoiceawards.com is now!

condensed cycle and new voting procedures

enjoy promotional materials on us!

Unlike in previous cycles when passengers could vote year-round, this year’s program is open only during the months of May and June. The reason behind the change was to help airlines hone their marketing and promotions during this shortened awards period. Additionally, the winners will no longer be chosen by passengers alone; rather, passenger votes will determine the finalists and airline members will vote for the winners via online ballot, à la the Oscars!

APEX has made it as easy as possible for individual airlines to promote the awards program and drive passenger traffic to passengerchoiceawards.com. Print and digital ads are available at apex.aero in 13 languages, as well as general messaging and a pre-written press release for your airline. The promotional material is available to use as you like, and we encourage airlines to contact APEX staff at info@apex.aero with any requests.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

about the passenger choice awards program The Passenger Choice Awards were created

by APEX in 2010 to give passengers a direct way to communicate with airlines and show the passenger experience industry what passengers like best. Categories cover the ground experience, cabin comfort, entertainment options, connectivity and general services. Winners are honored yearly at the APEX Awards Ceremony at the APEX/ IFSA EXPO – this year to be held in Portland, Oregon, US. While the voting window is May through June, passengers can rate any trip they have taken in the last year. The survey is available at passengerchoiceawards.com.

volume 5, edition 2

123

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

New APEX Website Launches

Visit the new website at > APEX.AERO

A number of important factors were considered when designing the new APEX website. After listening to member feedback, we began this extensive project with the following goals in mind:

and insight. By enriching both the scope and quantity of our online activity, we’re creating an online library of information for APEX members to access as well as becoming a destination for your daily news.

ease of navigation

seamless branding throughout all media channels

Members need to be able to find desired content in an intuitive and efficient manner. We trialed a number of membership management platforms before settling on YourMembership, which has a number of key features to benefit the association, such as an advanced member search and a more accessible profile management tool. We hope you’ll find all of the web pages easier to navigate to obtain important information on APEX events, resources and news.

position apex as the industry news hub As many of you have seen, we’ve ramped up our social media initiatives and daily online news production (previously within the APEX Blog pages) to reach a wider audience and allow for magazine readers to connect in a different way with the publication’s content. This online expansion supports APEX outreach initiatives and positions the association as a leader in industry news

124

volume 5, edition 2

With the redesign of the APEX Experience print magazine, we wanted to create a coherent link between our member publication and our web presence. The new site is more reflective of the magazine’s clean aesthetic, and enables us to readily showcase original feature content alongside member news and upcoming events.

The website was designed within the parameters of the print publication, maintaining strict consistency in typographic style, illustration and graphic standards, and other graphic elements.

If you have any feedback on your new member tools or need troubleshooting assistance, please contact: info@apex.aero.

For comments on news and media content, contact: editor@apex.aero.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

apex experience

MultiMedia Market Anticipates Impressive Turnout in Prague

photos: peter gallina

The in-flight entertainment experience is changing, and APEX is adapting alongside it. The popular APEX TV Market Conference this month will relaunch as the MultiMedia Market – taking place 20-22 April in Prague.

By popular demand, the event was restructured to be more inclusive and of greater value to attendees. When it first launched, the TV Market Conference was exclusive to TV and short subject content providers, content service providers and airlines. The new MultiMedia Market has evolved to include movie distributors, GUI creators, in-flight games companies, audio content providers and app developers – as well as key airline decision makers and CSPs. While the attendance of the MultiMedia Market will be broader than at the previous event, the favorites of the TV Market Conference will remain. The event will continue to feature contentfocused educational sessions, invaluable one-on-one appointments, networking opportunities – including offsite mingling at Prague’s historic Municipal House and the popular MultiMedia Quiz.

For content providers and distributors, the MultiMedia Market is the best opportunity to make valuable business connections with buyers and improve the onboard entertainment experience for passengers.

The MultiMedia Market is APEX’s second largest event (following the EXPO), and there is no other event that rivals the IFE content market like this one.

Booth availability and registration information is available at apex.aero, and questions should be directed to Dana O’Donnell at dodonnell@kellencompany.com.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Read more about MultiMedia Market at > APEX.AERO

[FROM TOP] 2014 event highlights: Delegates pack the Guinness Storehouse for the Networking Event and Quiz Night; appointment sessions underway at the Convention Centre Dublin; France Capor and Richard Ashton play quiz masters.

volume 5, edition 2

125

IFSA

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

IFSA President’s Letter conference. Since 1965, IFSA has helped our members to continue to grow, evolve and deliver the best airline passenger experience possible. This is also the sixth year that we will be colocating with APEX. The various industries represented at our colocated EXPO continue to work in tandem with each other, and for this reason we continue to enjoy our alliance with APEX. This year’s event will be 28 September – 1 October at the Portland Convention Center in Portland, Oregon.

As part of our quest for innovation, IFSA’s conference will feature a new and improved agenda and schedule.

Additionally, the Onboard Innovation Pavilion will return as an opportunity for innovative service and technology providers to showcase.

I want to thank all our committee leaders and members for all their hard work this year and I look forward to seeing you all in Portland this September.

“Technological innovation is forever reshaping the onboard service industry.”

Sincerely,

> Pam Suder-Smith President International Flight Services Association

photos: IFSA

Technological innovation is forever reshaping the onboard services industry. It allows us to provide more options for passengers, in addition to making it easier for purchases, orders and meeting regulations.

In the spirit of innovation in our industry and for our membership, in 2015, IFSA completed the rebranding of our logo and relaunched our website ifsanet.com.

The new logo reflects our mission to lead the international onboard services industry in innovation, communication and education. Our website redesign features a fresh, clean layout and vastly improved user experience. IFSA’s content is more accessible than ever, as the new design can be easily viewed on mobile devices. Members will enjoy our new forums where they can directly interact with each other, the new and improved membership directory, and our new calendar of events.

Members can now update their own contact information to make sure they stay connected.

I encourage you to visit the website often, as we continue to update it with valuable industry information.

This year we will also be celebrating IFSA’s 50th anniversary at the annual

126

volume 5, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

IFSA

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

50th IFSA Annual Conference & EXPO

Members of the on-board services industry are invited to celebrate IFSA’s 50th Annual Conference with us 28 September – 1 October at the Portland Convention Center in Oregon. This year features a new and improved agenda and schedule. Exhibition hours have been scheduled to maximize booth traffic and educational sessions have been shifted to the morning of exhibition days, before the floor opens. Registration will launch in early June, so be sure to check for updates at ifsanet.com.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

For information on sponsorships, contact Hope Felshaw, IFSA executive director, at T 1 678 303 3019 or hfelshaw@kellencompany.com.

To book IFSA booth space, contact Kristi Johnson, IFSA/EXPO manager, at T 1 678 303 3009 or kjohnson@kellencompany.com.

Onboard Innovation Pavilion Survey In January, IFSA sent a survey to the airline members of the association asking them “What would your airline like to see in the Onboard Innovation Pavilion this year?”

The responses are being used to provide IFSA with insight and direction for the Onboard Innovation Pavilion at the IFSA conference, September 2015, in Portland, Oregon. IFSA’s Ideation Task Force and Planning Committee would like to thank members that participated in the survey.

volume 5, edition 2

127

Entertainment so immersive, you’ll feel like you’re there.

ife

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

What to look for in the months ahead

Coming Attractions w

5 Flights Up

Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton star as a married couple trying to decide whether to sell their longtime Brooklyn home. During the course of one crazy weekend, they discover that finding a new apartment is not about winding down, but starting a new adventure.

Distributor: Jaguar Distribution Corp.

Contact: Peter George * excluding US

A Nightingale Falling w

Directors: Garret Daly, Martina McGlynn Cast: Tara Breathnach, Muireann Bird, Gerard McCarthy, Brian Fortune Set in Ireland during the War of Independence, two sisters’ lives are changed forever as they care for a wounded soldier in their home. What transpires is a tragic love story of an Anglo-Irish household and its inhabitants, caught in the crucible of deep dark secrets.

Distributor: Encore Inflight Limited Contact: Edwin Cheung

w

American Sniper

Director: Clint Eastwood Cast: Bradley Cooper, Cory Hardrict, Navid Negahban, Eric Close, Eric Ladin, Reynaldo Gallegos An autobiography of SEAL Chief Chris Kyle, who is the record-holding sniper in US military history. Kyle has more than 150 officially confirmed kills (the previous American record was 109), though the Pentagon has not made his full career total public.

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Contact: Jeff Crawford

w

Blackhat

Director: Michael Mann Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis, Wei Tang After a Hong Kong nuclear plant and Chicago’s Mercantile Trade Exchange are hacked by unknown perpetrators, a federal agent proposes that the FBI work with China to find the cybercriminals. As they chase their quarry, it becomes evident that the hackers have a sinister motive.

Distributor: Universal Contact: Phyllis Bagdadi * excluding People’s Republic Of China

* excluding North America

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

128

volume 5, edition 2

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: © 2014 Myriad Pictures; A Nightingale Falling Mixed Bag Media Production © 2014; © 2015 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved; © 2015 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved

Director: Richard Loncraine Cast: Diane Keaton, Morgan Freeman, Cynthia Nixon

That’s the Interact difference!

The Boy Next Door w

Director: Rob Cohen Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman, Kristin Chenoweth

photos: © 2015 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved; Penny Black Media; © 2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc.; Emphasis Video Entertainment Limited

When a handsome teenager moves in next door to a newly separated high-school teacher, she encourages his friendship and engages in a bit of harmless – or so she thinks – flirtation. One night, she gives in to temptation – but when she tries to end the relationship, he turns violent.

w

Cake

w

Director: Daniel Barnz Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Sam Worthington, Anna Kendrick, William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, Mamie Gummer As she grapples with her own personal tragedy, Claire initiates a dubious relationship with a widower while confronting fantastical hallucinations of his deceased wife.

Distributor: Penny Black Media Contact: Cathie Trotta

Cinderella

Director: Kenneth Branagh Cast: Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden, Helena Bonham Carter A live-action feature inspired by the classic fairy tale, Cinderella brings Disney’s timeless, 1950 animated masterpiece to life with fully realized characters in a visually dazzling spectacle.

Distributor: Disney Studios Non-Theatrical Contact: Ruth Walker

* excluding US

Distributor: Universal Contact: Phyllis Bagdadi

w

ife

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

The Crossing 1

Director: John Woo Cast: Huang Xiaoming, Song Hye-kyo, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Ziyi, Tong Dawei, Masami Nagasawa After invading Japanese troops are defeated, life in China is peaceful. Later, as civil war looms, citizens try to escape advancing communist forces – not realizing the misfortune that lies ahead.

Distributor: Emphasis Video Entertainment Limited Contact: Grace Lau

n

Danny Collins

Director: Dan Fogelman Cast: Al Pacino, Jennifer Garner, Christopher Plummer, Annette Bening

* excluding China

Aging 1970s rocker Danny Collins can’t give up his hard-living ways. But when his manager uncovers a 40-year-old undelivered letter written to him by John Lennon, he changes course and embarks on a journey to rediscover his family, find true love and begin a second act.

Inspired by a true story.

Distributor: Terry Steiner International Contact: Nadja Rutkowski

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

Airline Passenger Experience Association

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

volume 5, edition 2

129

e Meet us at th ors Expo Aircraft Interi –16, 2015 from April 14 oth #2D70 in Hall B2, Bo

Entertainment so immersive, you will feel like you’re there. That’s the Interact difference!

ife

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

i

Dior and I

Director: Frédéric Tcheng Cast: Raf Simons, Marion Cotillard, Anna Wintour, Jennifer Lawrence, Sharon Stone

i

Dark Places

Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner Cast: Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Nicholas Hoult, Christina Hendricks

As the sole survivor of a home invasion where she witnessed the death of her mother and sisters, Libby lives with the knowledge that her testimony as a seven-year-old sentenced her brother to life in prison. When a group of truecrime enthusiasts convince her to re-examine the events, new memories surface.

In Dior and I, one enters the storied world that is the House of Christian Dior with a privileged, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Raf Simons’ highly anticipated first haute couture collection as the iconic brand’s new artistic director.

Distributor: Jaguar Distribution Corp.

Contact: Peter George

photos: Hopper Stone © Bleecker Street; © 2014 Dogwoof Ltd.; © Fidélité / Pascal Chantier; Encore Inflight Limited; © 2014 Myriad Pictures

Distributor: Jaguar Distribution Corp.

Contact: Peter George

Do Not Disturb (Une heure de tranquilité) w

Director: Patrice Leconte Cast: Christian Clavier, Carole Bouquet, Valérie Bonneton, Rossy de Palma, Stéphane de Groodt When Michel, a passionate jazz fan, finds a rare album at a flea market, he can’t wait to listen to it at home and on his own – but the whole world seems to be ganging up to prevent him from doing so.

Distributor: SKEYE Contact: Isabelle Bégin

w

Eden

i

Electric Slide

Director: Mia Hansen-Løve Cast: Félix de Givry, Pauline Étienne, Hugo Conzelmann, Roman Kolinka, Vincent Macaigne

Director: Tristan Patterson Cast: Jim Sturgess, Isabel Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Christopher Lambert, Patricia Arquette

In the exciting nightlife of Paris in the 1990s, Paul takes his first steps as a DJ, forming a duo called Cheers with his best friend. As he gets caught up in his euphoric and short-lived rise to fame, blinded by his passion, Paul overlooks his own life.

Los Angeles is full of beautiful girls, luxurious mansions and glamorous parties. When Eddie meets the cool and aloof Pauline, the attraction is instant. The two live out each other’s fastpaced fantasies until Eddie’s high-rolling life catches up with him and loan sharks start knocking on his door.

Distributor: Encore Inflight Limited Contact: Edwin Cheung * excluding France and all French Speaking Territories in Europe, Germany, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, North America, UK, Poland, Japan

Distributor: Jaguar Distribution Corp.

Contact: Peter George

* excluding Germany

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

Airline Passenger Experience Association

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

volume 5, edition 2

131

Entertainment solutions designed precisely for your airline. That’s the Interact difference!

w

apex experience

Everly

w

Director: Joe Lynch Cast: Salma Hayek, Togo Igawa, Hiroyuki Watanabe Salma Hayek takes no prisoners as a femme fatale in this action-packed thriller, unleashing the ultimate vengeance against a sadistic mob boss and his army of assassins.

Distributor: Paramount Contact: Mark Horton

Focus

Visit us at apex.aero

The Furthest End Awaits w

Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa Cast: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro, Gerald McRaney, Adrian Martinez, Robert Taylor A con man becomes romantically involved with a novice con artist only to break up with her when she gets too close. Three years later, he is thrown off his game when she shows up in Buenos Aires. To complicate matters, each of them is working separate – but equally elaborate – cons.

Director: Chiang Hsiu-Chiung Cast: Hiromi Nagasaku, Nozomi Sasaki, Hiyori Sakurada When her father disappears, Misaki is left with debt and an old family boathouse.

She transforms the boathouse into a small cafe, which becomes a beacon for her local community. In the process, she develops a deep, transforming friendship with her neighbor.

Distributor: Encore Inflight Limited Contact: Edwin Cheung

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Contact: Jeff Crawford

* excluding Japan

w

The Gunman

Director: Pierre Morel Cast: Sean Penn, Javier Bardem, Idris Elba, Ray Winstone, Jasmine Trinca An international spy must clear his name in order to save himself from the organization that he used to work for.

Distributor: Penny Black Media Contact: Cathie Trotta * excluding US

w

Home

Director: Tim Johnson Cast: Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Steve Martin

Based on the book The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex, in Home, an alien race invades Earth and uses it as a hideout from their mortal enemy. When one lowly alien accidentally notifies the enemies of his whereabouts, he is forced to go on the run with a teenage girl.

Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Contact: Julian Levin * excluding China, Korea

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

132

volume 5, edition 2

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: © Radius-TWC; © 2015 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved; © 2015 The Furthest End Awaits Film Partners; Penny Black Media; © 2014 DreamWorks Animation, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

ife

JEFF CRAWFORD

• jeff.crawford @ warnerbros.com

ANGELICA McCOY

• angelica.mccoy@warnerbros.com

wbnts.warnerbros.com © 2015 Warner Bros. Pictures. All rights reserved.

Entertainment so immersive, you will feel like you’re there. That’s the Interact difference!

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Infinitely Polar Bear *

Director: Maya Forbes Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Imogene Wolodarsky, Ashley Aufderheide, Beth Dixon, Keir Dullea

Hot Tub Time Machine 2 w

Director: Steve Pink Cast: Rob Corddry, Clark Duke, Adam Scott, Chevy Chase, Craig Robinson

Hot Tub Time Machine director Steve Pink returns to the helm for this sequel set 10 years in the future.

Distributor: Paramount Contact: Mark Horton

Based on a true story, Infinitely Polar Bear is a funny and heartbreaking portrait of the many unexpected ways in which parents and children save each other.

Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing Contact: Rana Matthes * Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Eastern Europe, Europe/German, Gibraltar, Ireland, Malta, Saba, Scandinavia, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Maarten, US, UK

w

Insurgent

w

Director: Robert Schwentke Cast: Shailene Woodley, Kate Winslet, Theo James, Octavia Spencer, Jai Courtney, Naomi Watts Tris and Four are now fugitives on the run, hunted by Jeanine, the leader of the powerhungry Erudite elite. They must find out what Tris’s family sacrificed their lives to protect, and why the Erudite leaders will do anything to stop them.

Distributor: Entertainment In Motion Contact: Bill Grant * excluding

Directors: Lana Wachowski, Andy Wachowski Cast: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Doona Bae From the streets of Chicago to the far-flung galaxies whirling through space, Jupiter Ascending tells the story of Jupiter Jones. Only when Caine, a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along.

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Contact: Jeff Crawford

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

134

volume 5, edition 2

Jupiter Ascending

N: North america

*

Lambert & Stamp

Director: James D. Cooper Cast: Chris Stamp, Kit Lambert, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Terence Stamp, Richard Barnes Lambert & Stamp tells the remarkable story of Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert, aspiring filmmakers from opposite sides of the tracks who set out to find a subject for their underground movie, leading them to discover, mentor and manage the iconic band that would become The Who. Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing Contact: Rana Matthes * Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, Eastern Europe, Far East, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Maarten, US

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: © Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved; Bobby Bukowski, Sony Pictures Classics; Lionsgate Films; © 2015 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved; Jones Colin Jones, Top Foto, The Image Works, Sony Pictures Classics

ife

B A S E D O N H I L A R Y M A N T E L’ S BESTSELLING NOVELS STARRING MARK RYLANCE AND DAMIAN LEWIS

“WOLF HALL COULD BE THE GREATEST PERIOD DRAMA EVER MADE” DAILY MAIL

“IT’S THE TV SHOW EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT” EVENING STANDARD

MAN PREYS UPON HIS FELLOW MAN

Available now

bbcworldwidesales.com bbcwwpartners.com/worldnews

Wolf Hall spec - 18 Feb deadline-v2.indd 1

20/02/2015 16:01

bloombergmedia.com

Television | Print | Digital | Mobile | Radio | Events

Entertainment solutions designed precisely for your airline. That’s the Interact difference!

w

Little Accidents

Director: Sara Colangelo Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Boyd Holbrook, Jacob Lofland, Josh Lucas When a teenage boy goes missing in a small town already devastated by a fatal mining accident, three strangers find themselves drawn together in a tangle of secrets, lies and the collective grief of the community. photos: LA5 LLC © 2014; © Open Road Films; © 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved; 2015 KAFilms. All Rights Reserved.; IM GLOBAL

ife

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

Distributor: Terry Steiner International Contact: Nadja Rutkowski

n

The Loft

w

Director: Erik Van Looy Cast: Karl Urban, James Marsden, Wentworth Miller, Eric Stonestreet, Matthias Schoenaerts For five men, the opportunity to share a penthouse in the city is a dream come true, until the dead body of an unknown woman turns up.

Realizing that her killer must be one of their group, the men are gripped by paranoia as each one suspects another.

Distributor: Paramount Contact: Mark Horton

* excluding US

The Longest Ride

Director: George Tillman Jr. Cast: Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson A strange occurrence unites two generations and their intertwining love stories. In one, an elderly man, drifting in and out of consciousness, reunites with his beloved wife who died years before; in the second, a man fighting to save his family’s ranch falls in love with a sophisticated young woman.

Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Contact: Julian Levin

* US only

Love & Selfies (Un amor en tiempos de selfies) w

Directors: Emilio Tamer, Federico Finkielstain Cast: Carlos Balá, Graciela Borges, Martín Bossi When Lucas, a comedian who teaches acting, falls in love with one of his students – who also happens to be an executive at a large computer company – their relationship goes viral!

w

Love on the Cloud

Director: Gu Changwei Cast: Angelababy, Chen He, Cao Lu, Zhang Luyi, Wang Ji, Jiang Wenli

Distributor: Entertainment In Motion Contact: Bill Grant

Distributor: BreakAway International Media Contact: Mehmet Gunduz

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

Airline Passenger Experience Association

A youthful story of discovery in an age of smartphone technology and social apps, three young adults struggle to chase their dreams, their love and their understanding of life in Beijing.

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

volume 5, edition 2

137

Entertainment so immersive, you will feel like you’re there. That’s the Interact difference!

ife

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

w

McFarland, USA

Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron w

Director: Joss Whedon Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner

w

Midnight Diner

Director: Joji Matsuoka Cast: Kaoru Kobayashi, Saki Takaoka, Tokio Emoto, Mikako Tabe, Kimiko Yo, Michitaka Tsutsui Someone has mysteriously left a funerary urn at the busy restaurant that Master runs. Through all of the small dramas that occur in the cozy eatery – the question of what to do with the urn remains unanswered.

Distributor: Emphasis Video Entertainment Limited Contact: Grace Lau

When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program things go awry and Earth’s mightiest heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance.

Based on a true story, McFarland, USA follows coach Jim White, whose job-hopping leads him to a predominantly Latino high school.

He struggles to find common ground until he notices his students’ exceptional running abilities. He forms a team of unlikely runners who bond to build an enduring legacy.

Distributor: Disney Studios Non-Theatrical Contact: Ruth Walker

Distributor: Disney Studios Non-Theatrical Contact: Ruth Walker

w

Messi

w

Director: Álex de la Iglesia Cast: Diego Armando Maradona, César Luis Menotti, Jorge Valdano, Johan Cruyff, Andrés Iniesta, Gerard Piqué, Javier Mascherano Messi brings us closer to this FC Barcelona genius through the views of great football legends, the people who have been with him throughout his career, archival photographs and previously unseen interviews and home videos – chronicling the meteoric rise of a boy who never stopped pursuing his dream.

* excluding Japan

Mortdecai

Director: David Koepp Cast: Johnny Depp, Ewan McGregor, Gwyneth Paltrow, Olivia Munn, Paul Bettany, Jeff Goldblum Juggling some angry Russians, the British Mi5, his wife, and an international terrorist, Charlie Mortdecai, debonair art dealer and part-time rogue, must traverse the globe armed only with his good looks and special charm in a race to recover a stolen painting.

Distributor: Entertainment In Motion Contact: Bill Grant

Distributor: Encore Inflight Limited Contact: Edwin Cheung * excluding North America, Latin America, Spain

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

138

volume 5, edition 2

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: © 2015 Marvel; © 2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc.; © 2015 Yaro Abe, Shogakukan/Shinyashokudo Film Partners; © 2014 Mediaproducción, S.L.U.; Lionsgate Films

Director: Niki Caro Cast: Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Morgan Saylor

Entertainment solutions designed precisely for your airline. That’s the Interact difference!

w

apex experience

Mudbloods

Director: Farzad Sangari Transforming Harry Potter’s fictional competition into a physically demanding, real-life sport, Quidditch has secured its place as one of the fastest growing collegiate club sports today.

Mudbloods follows the underdogs of the UCLA team as they make their way to the Fifth Annual Quidditch World Cup. Distributor: Terry Steiner International Contact: Nadja Rutkowski

w

Ode to my Father

Director: JK Youn Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Kim Yun-jin, Oh Dal-su Deok-su loses his father and sister during the Hungnam Evacuation of 1951. Remembering the promise he made to his father, he takes a job in Germany where he falls in love with a nurse and starts a family. Thirty years later, he sets out to reunite his family.

Distributor: Emphasis Video Entertainment Limited Contact: Grace Lau * excluding Korea

Visit us at apex.aero

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 w

Director: Andy Fickman Cast: Kevin James, Raini Rodriguez, Neal McDonough, Shirley Knight Paul Blart is headed to Las Vegas to attend a Security Guard Expo with his teenage daughter, Maya, before she departs for college. While at the convention, he inadvertently discovers an art heist – and when Maya unwittingly gets mixed up with the scheme’s mastermind, it’s up to Blart to rescue his daughter.

Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing Contact: Rana Matthes

w

Playing it Cool

Director: Justin Reardon Cast: Chris Evans, Michelle Monaghan, Ioan Gruffudd, Luke Wilson, Ashley Tisdale A writer is torn between writing action novels and meeting his publisher’s requests to write romance. The problem is, he doesn’t believe in love. But when he meets a woman, he falls for her, only to find out that she is already engaged.

Distributor: Entertainment In Motion Contact: Bill Grant

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

140

volume 5, edition 2

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: © Bond/360; Emphasis Video Entertainment Limited; © 2015 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.; Voltage Pictures

ife

Entertainment so immersive, you will feel like you’re there. That’s the Interact difference!

ife

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

The Price of Fame (La rançon de la gloire) w

Director: Xavier Beauvois Cast: Benoît Poelvoorde, Roschdy Zem, Séli Gmach On his release from prison, Eddy and his friend Osman make a deal: Osman will let Eddy stay with him and in exchange Eddy will take care of his daughter. When Charlie Chaplin’s death and the extent of his wealth is announced on the television, Eddy comes up with a crazy idea.

Distributor: SKEYE Contact: Isabelle Bégin

w

Project Almanac

Director: Dean Israelite Cast: Sam Lerner, Jonny Weston, Sofia Black D’elia, Amy Landecker Project Almanac is a fun coming-of-age tale in the vein of Back to the Future. A teenager prospers after using an Almanac when time traveling, but doesn’t understand the ramifications of what he’s done until it’s too late.

Distributor: Paramount Contact: Mark Horton

Queen and Country w

Director: John Boorman Cast: Callum Turner, Caleb Landry Jones, David Thewlis, Richard E. Grant, Vanessa Kirby, Tamsin Egerton In 1952 England, 18-year-old daydreamer Bill Rowan is called up for two years’ conscription in the army. During boot camp, he meets Percy, an amoral prankster, and the bonds of military training help them to forge a deep trust and friendship.

Distributor: Penny Black Media Contact: Cathie Trotta

w

The Queens

Director: Annie Yi Cast: Joe Chen, Vivian Wu, Annie Yi, Joseph Cheng, Shawn Dou, Hao Qin Love is a long journey. Three best girl friends have encountered many bad relationships, becoming more independent along the way.

Smart, strong and sexy – The Queens offers an interesting perspective on the realities of modern Chinese women.

Distributor: Encore Inflight Limited Contact: Edwin Cheung * excluding Mainland China

* excluding US, Bahamas, Bermuda

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

142

volume 5, edition 2

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: © Marie-Julie Maille / Why Not Production; © 2014 Paramount Pictures; Penny Black Media; © 2015 Desen International Media

* excluding France, Benelux, Switzerland, Canada

Entertainment solutions designed precisely for your airline. That’s the Interact difference!

The Salt of the Earth *

photos: Sebastião Salgado, © Sebastião Salgado / Amazonas Images / Sony Pictures Classics; © 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved; Penny Black Media; Pantelion

ife

apex experience

Follow us @theAPEXassoc

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel w

Directors: Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado Cast: Sebastião Salgado, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders For 40 years, photographer Sebastião Salgado has been traveling the continents and has witnessed major events of our recent history.

He now embarks on the discovery of pristine territories, wild fauna and flora, and grandiose landscapes as part of a photographic project that pays tribute to the planet’s beauty.

Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing Contact: Rana Matthes

Director: John Madden Cast: Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Richard Gere, Tamsin Greig, Ronald Pickup The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is the expansionist dream of Sonny, and it’s making more claims on his time than he has available, considering his imminent marriage to Sunaina.

As wedding demands threaten to engulf everyone, a way forward presents itself.

w

Son of a Gun

Director: Julius Avery Cast: Ewan McGregor, Brenton Thwaites, Alicia Vikander At the beginning of a six-month stint in prison, rookie criminal JR meets the smart and enigmatic Brendan Lynch, Australia’s public enemy number one. In exchange for protection on the inside, JR helps Brendan orchestrate a daring prison escape.

Distributor: Penny Black Media Contact: Cathie Trotta * excluding US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand

Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Contact: Julian Levin

* Bahamas, Bermuda, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Maarten, US

w

Spare Parts

Director: Sean McNamara Cast: George Lopez, Jamie Lee Curtis, Marisa Tomei, Alexa PenaVega, Esai Morales A true-life story about four Hispanic high school students who form a robotics club under the leadership of their school’s newest teacher.

With no experience, $800, used car parts and a dream, this rag tag team goes up against the country’s reigning robotics champion, MIT. Distributor: Entertainment In Motion Contact: Bill Grant

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

Airline Passenger Experience Association

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

volume 5, edition 2

145

Entertainment so immersive, you will feel like you’re there. That’s the Interact difference!

ife

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water w

SpongeBob SquarePants, the world’s favorite sea dwelling invertebrate, comes ashore to our world for his most super-heroic adventure yet.

Based on the series SpongeBob SquarePants, created by Stephen Hillenburg.

Distributor: Paramount Contact: Mark Horton

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast w

Director: Steve Loter Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Mae Whitman Join Tinker Bell and the Disney Fairies on an epic action adventure that’s full of heart and edgeof-your-seat suspense. Talented animal fairy Fawn befriends a huge and mysterious creature known as the NeverBeast, much to the dismay of the rest of Pixie Hollow.

Distributor: Disney Studios Non-Theatrical Contact: Ruth Walker

w

True Story

Director: Rupert Goold Cast: Jonah Hill, James Franco, Felicity Jones, Gretchen Mol When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel meets accused killer Christian Longo – who has taken on Finkel’s identity – his reporting job morphs into a game of cat-and-mouse. Based on actual events, Finkel’s relentless pursuit of Longo’s true story encompasses murder, love, deceit and redemption.

Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Contact: Julian Levin

Unfinished Business w

Director: Ken Scott Cast: Vince Vaughn, Tom Wilkinson, Dave Franco, Sienna Miller, Nick Frost, James Marsden A hard-working small business owner and his two associates travel to Europe to close the most important deal of their lives. But what begins as a routine business trip goes off the rails in every imaginable way, including unplanned stops at a massive sex fetish event and a global economic summit.

Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Contact: Julian Levin

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

146

volume 5, edition 2

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: © 2014 Paramount Pictures; ©2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc.; © 2014 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved; © 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Director: Paul Tibbitt Cast: Antonio Banderas, Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence

Entertainment solutions designed precisely for your airline. That’s the Interact difference!

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

The Vancouver Asahi

What we Do in the Shadows

While We’re Young

Director: Yûya Ishii Cast: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Kazuya Kamenashi, Ryô Katsuji , Yusuke Kamiji, Sôsuke Ikematsu

Directors: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi Cast: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonathan Brugh, Rhys Darby

Director: Noah Baumbach Cast: Ben Stiller, Amanda Seyfried, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver

Viago, Deacon and Vladislav are three flatmates who are just trying to get by and overcome life’s obstacles. Hundreds of years old, the vampires are finding that modern society has them struggling with the mundane like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel and overcoming flatmate conflicts.

Josh and Cornelia are a childless couple in their mid-forties. As their friends start having children, the couple gravitates toward a young hipster couple. The older couple enjoys the energy they feel hanging out with the younger generation, but eventually Josh suspects they might not be as trustworthy as he thought.

Distributor: Terry Steiner International Contact: Nadja Rutkowski

Distributor: Terry Steiner International Contact: Nadja Rutkowski

* excluding Canada, Australia, Japan, German speaking territories, Russia

* excluding Canada

w

The Vancouver Asahi baseball team consists of second-generation Japanese immigrants living in Canada. While struggling to fight against discrimination and poverty in their everyday lives, they play within a local amateur baseball league where they become popular for their fair-play spirit.

Distributor: Emphasis Video Entertainment Limited Contact: Grace Lau * excluding Japan

w

w

i

Wild Card

Director: Simon West Cast: Jason Statham, Michael Angarano, Sofia Vergara, Stanley Tucci, Milo Ventimiglia, Hope Davis Nick Wild is a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal professional skills and a personal gambling problem. When a friend is beaten by a sadistic thug, Nick strikes back, only to find out the thug is the son of a powerful mob boss.

Distributor: Jaguar Distribution Corp.

Contact: Peter Georgea

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

148

volume 5, edition 2

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: © 2014 The Vancouver Asahi Film Partners; 2014 Unison Films, Inc.; © 2014 InterActiveCorp Films, LLC.; © 2014 Sierra Affinity

ife

APEX: Your Industry News Hub Daily Daily Receive your daily dose of passenger news headlines delivered to your inbox by subscribing to the FREE email.

Daily news can also be found on the APEX Media website at blog.apex.aero and through our social media channels: @theAPEXassoc facebook.com/apex.aero @theAPEXassoc

This newsletter contains the week’s top industry news coverage along with APEX insights, trending topics, a tweet of the week, and original APEX content from Experience magazine and the web.

Join the Airline Passenger Experience group on LinkedIn! Your APEX Media team works in tandem across all of the APEX channels – magazine, newsletter, SmartBrief, website, and social – to provide you with the most current, insightful, and accurate news covering the airline passenger experience industry in the most appropriate forum.

20150121_emphasis_PrintAD(8.25Wx5.65Hin)_1_OP.pdf

Apex half_Page_02.indd 1

1

21/1/15

apex.aero | info@apex.aero

12:13 pm

17-12-14 12:20

Hotels

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Room and Board In this industry, we’re often on the go. Whether you’re traveling for a conference, business meeting or taking a break in between, here are our top hotel stays around the world.

Chicago, USA

ORD, O’Hare International Airport USD $

Calling code: +1

Commute time to airport: 0 mins

mary ’s boon beach plantation

michelberger Berlin, Germany

Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles

SXF, Berlin Schönefeld Airport Euro €

Calling code: +49

Commute time to airport: 30 mins

SXM, Princess Juliana International Airport Netherlands Antillean ƒ Guilder

Calling code: +1 721

Commute time to airport: 5 mins

why you’ll go

why you’ll go

why you’ll go

The headquarters for aviation giants Boeing, Gogo and United Airlines, ORD is an aviation hot spot you’re bound to pass through on business. As the only hotel conveniently located inside the airport terminal, the Hilton O’Hare is ideal for anyone with an early flight.

With four days between the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg and the APEX Multimedia Market in Prague, you’ll find Berlin perfect for a quick stopover. Located on the border of Kreuzberg, near the quays of Spree River and the East Side Gallery, Michelberger is ideally situated for a short trip.

Named for famous (and eccentric) pilot Mary Pomeroy, Mary’s Boon Beach Plantation Resort and Spa combines the beauty of an idyllic tropical getaway with the thrill of one of the Caribbean’s busiest airports. In operation since the 1970s, it is known as Sint Maarten’s “little secret.”

why you’ll stay

why you’ll stay

why you’ll stay

Located in a No-Fly Zone, the hotel offers Runway View rooms boasting soundproof windows. And with no commute to catch your flight, you’ll have plenty of time to dine at Rick Bayless’ award-winning Tortas Frontera, located in Terminals 1, 3 and 5.

With a variety of room options, including a gold-themed treasure room furnished with a dynasty fireplace, it will be hard to leave this hipster hot spot. When you do, cross the gothic Oberbaum Bridge and order a burger at local favorite Burgermeister.

You can sit on the beach and watch departing planes that bank starboard right over your head, or you can head down the road to Maho Beach to visit one of the most famous plane spotting sites in the world.

don’t forget to pack

don’t forget to pack

don’t forget to pack

Swimwear and flip-flops so you can enjoy the hotel sauna and steam room: Check your work and worries at the door.

Bring your comfortable shoes for the free, regularly scheduled walking tours offered

by Alternative Tour Berlin.

Sunscreen, sunglasses and your integrity (there’s a daytime honor bar at the hotel, where guests mix their own drinks).

fun fact

fun fact

fun fact

Access to downtown Chicago is at your doorstep – the hotel is right above the CTA rail service.

If you’re a fan of The Big Lebowski, you’ll appreciate that the movie plays on loop in the hotel hallways.

Mary Pomeroy took off in her new plane on June 5, 1990 (at 77 years old), and was never seen again.

150

volume 5, edition 3

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: 2015 Hilton Hotels & Resorts; michelberger hotel; MAry’s boon

hilton chicago o’hare airport

Reading List

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Editors’ Reading List

Read our extra picks at > APEX.AERO/BOOKS

Mind Change: How Digital Technologies Are Leaving Their Mark on Our Brains Susan Greenfield Neuroscientist Susan Greenfield explores how daily computer, smartphone and social media use is rewiring our brains, uncovering both the disadvantages and advantages to a life with digital technology. This book sets out to ensure that our relationship with technology fosters creative thinking, rather than impede it – and given that adults spend an average of 10 hours a day online, we most certainly need the advice. > Terri’s Pick

Geek Sublime: The Beauty of Code, the Code of Beauty Vikram Chandra In a genre-bending memoir/essay/treatise form, coder and novelist Chandra explores the intricacies of computer language and culture. In evaluating the aesthetic merits of whether code should be considered art, he ultimately concludes that it should not, but in the process, his eloquent penmanship might nearly be mistaken as making a case for the counterargument. > Katie’s Pick

Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World Haruki Murakami You don’t have to be a big sci-fi fan to be immersed in Murakami’s fantastical storytelling. Written in 1985, the story alternates between narratives of two future (and whacky) worlds, delving into societal mores associated with big data and biotechnology. Although the storylines are imagined and far-fetched, it’s fascinating to read the future as envisioned in the 1980s, much like the experience of watching Back to the Future (also 1985) is now. > Jessica’s Pick

152

volume 5, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

IRENE CASELLI, VENEZUELA

TOMI OLADIPO, NIGERIA

ORLA GUERIN, TURKEY

With journalists in more countries, we break stories from more places than any other international news broadcaster.

Breaking_News_1/2 APEX Ad.indd 1

airline passenger experience:

MEMBER ACCESS It is the APEX mission to offer members a wide range of opportunities to excel in the airline passenger experience industry by keeping them current with the latest industry news, trends and developments, and providing the means to foster a communicative relationship with clients and colleagues around the world.

23/02/2015 09:47

APEX EXPO This is the industry’s largest trade show, featuring 250 exhibitors and thousands of the latest in-flight products, systems and services.

MULTIMEDIA MARKET Attend the only global industry event focused specifically on bringing together in-flight content buyers and leading providers of short-subject programming, TV, movies, games, GUIs and apps.

REGIONAL CONFERENCES Participate in interactive sessions around the world, led by industry experts and early adopters as they share their knowledge on issues related to comprehensive, high-interest passenger experience-related topics.

TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCES Join industry leaders in creating quality and compatibility standards.

APEX.AERO The members-only section of the APEX website includes the Member Directory, a virtual “who’s who” of the airline passenger experience industry, as well as educational reference materials, research reports, event transcripts and video presentations.

APEX MEDIA In addition to the bimonthly publication of the magazine, APEX will be refocusing our online media presence in the coming months to provide members with a comprehensive platform on which to connect, interact and contribute.

For association and industry news, follow @theAPEXassoc on Twitter

Throwback

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

For more news on the Hexilator, visit > APEX.AERO/ HEXILATOR

Walk This Way The hallmark of every modern airport is the moving walkway.

In the 1900s, no metropolis of the future would have been complete without them. Now, opinion on the 122-year-old technology is mixed.

If you are an APEX member who is interested in contributing to the Throwback page, please submit your personal stories relating to the airline industry, or a moment or product in aviation history, to editor@apex.aero

154

volume 5, edition 2

In 1871, wine merchant and inventor Alfred Speer filed a patent for a system of moving sidewalks that would revolutionize pedestrian movement in New York City.

Meanwhile in France, an engineer named Eugene Henard proposed a similar moving platform system for the 1889 Paris Fair.

It wasn’t until 1893, at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, that the first moving sidewalk actually materialized.

For five cents, passengers arriving by steamboat could travel the 2,500 feet down the pier on the moving sidewalk – if it was working. At the 1900 Paris Exposition, another moving boardwalk was unveiled to great fanfare. Thomas Edison even sent a colleague to capture it with another new technology: film. The preoccupation with world wars left moving walkways largely forgotten until the late 1940s and ’50s, when Goodyear and writers such as Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke picked up the idea again.

Moving sidewalks didn’t find their way into airports until 1958, when Dallas’ Love Field opened on January 30. Costing a reported $234,704 and measuring approximately 1,400 feet, the mechanized sidewalk installed

by Hewitt-Robins traveled at a snail’s pace of 1.5 mph. Despite its slow speed, the modern convenience caused several accidents, including a dog suffering a broken leg, a skirt being pulled clean off and, tragically, a death.

Now common in most airports, with the longest ones ranging from 650-1,000 feet, moving sidewalks (or travelators, in British English) provide tired travelers with momentary respite. But contrary to common belief, they may not actually get you through the airport faster.

Studies have found that even on an empty walkway, passengers gain only a few seconds.

In the future, we may see high-speed “Hexilators” take shape: This vertical, flexible moving walkway technology could travel at speeds of up to 7.5 mph, or ascend one story every five seconds.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: afp; alamy

[LEFT] A wooden moving sidewalk garnered much fanfare at the Paris Exposition in 1900.

[ABOVE] Michael Hayden’s Sky’s the Limit light installation makes riding the walkway at ORD feel especially futuristic.