The Business of Passenger Experience
Some good news for Gogo and its 2Ku airline customers as it reaches closure on an outstanding maintenance issue. This should ease the backlog as additional aircraft can once again be installed for three airline customers.
Short on the heels of announcing its long-haul fleet is getting new and better inflight wifi service Norwegian is also upgrading the legacy installs with a new, faster offering, though higher speed options carry a charge.
Inflight wifi connectivity is now live on the Air France A320 family of aircraft. The service is delivered by Global Eagle with Orange acting as the integrator and ISP for the connection.
Millennials finally killed something they should have: The millennial-focused airline. Air France’s Joon brand is officially dead as the company agreed to fold it back into Air France operations.
Chalk up another kill shot for millennials. It seems that the demographic managed to kill off the airline marketed directly for it. Joon is to be no more if new Air France CEO Ben Smith gets his way.
A pair of recent earnings reports left open questions about just how many aircraft are generating how much inflight connectivity revenue. Both Gogo and Inmarsat clarified those positions, providing better context around their numbers.
The balance between crowded airport lounges and the incremental revenue realized from selling access reached a tipping point for Delta Air Lines. Effective immediately the carrier no longer sells single visit passes. Annual membership costs will also increase in 2019.
SkyTeam lost its largest mainland China airline this week. China Southern announced it will quit the alliance in 2019. The non-renewal of the membership contract will see the carrier transition out of its alliance relationships in the coming year. This is not a hard stop of relations; rather, the changes are likely to roll out over time. It is also not a surprise.
A pair of earnings reports last week left open questions about just how many aircraft are generating how much inflight connectivity revenue. Both Gogo and Inmarsat clarified those positions, providing better context around their numbers.
Global Eagle posted strong revenue numbers in Q3, with its content and aviation connectivity segments showing particular strength. The company also announced a couple "take away" deals that see it grabbing business from competitors. Those moves come at a cost, however, especially on the connectivity side. The increased revenue from these deals over the long term is welcome but a short term cash crunch could be bad for business.
