The Business of Passenger Experience
How much is too much for the 737 program in a single week? And is there an end in sight for the shifting of loyalty programs away from loyalty? Plus, inflight wifi and a premium play for mid-haul travel.
Get all the details on this week’s top PaxEx stories inside.
Go big or go home! United Airlines is launching its newly configured CRJ550 type on 15(!!) routes at the end of the month, with tickets on sale this weekend.
Yes, Vietnam Airlines (re)activated wifi on some of its A350s last week. No, it is not the high-speed offering many are claiming, even if that might be coming eventually.
Often when someone says something is not about the money there’s little doubt that it is entirely about the money. When it comes to delivering free WiFi for all of its passengers, however, Delta Air Lines’ CEO Ed Bastian is probably telling the truth. It is not the cost of the service, but making sure the network can handle the dramatic uptick in demand. For Gogo CEO Oakleigh Thorne the reality is far more nuanced than that, and suggests that it really is just a matter of when, not if, his company can support the load.
Jockeying for more access to Heathrow and more fast wifi flying lead this week’s PaxEx news, with a new livery and loyalty program buy-back also making waves.
AirAsia’s inflight wifi upgrade is finally underway. The first few planes are now flying with the Inmarsat GX Aviation kit on board. Fleet-wide rollout is expected in about a year.
When JSX (formerly JetSuiteX) CEO Alex Wilcox took the stage at APEX EXPO last week in Los Angeles and proclaimed his optimism about the carrier’s upcoming inflight wifi service it was not much of a surprise. That the service will not be live until Q1 2020 was a bit of a surprise, however, as the original announcement expected the offering online before the end of this year.
Trade shows usually make for great insight into the future of the industry. This week’s APEX EXPO brought some of that to the surface, with news about seats, entertainment, connectivity and more. Here are some highlights.
Airlines in China find themselves spoiled for choice when it comes to picking an inflight connectivity solutions provider. Gogo (re)joins that party with an announcement this week that it will partner with APT Mobile Satcom Limited (APSATCOM) in selling its 2Ku connectivity solution in the country.
The news was not particularly secret. Still, confirmation proved elusive until today. Air Canada now affirms its selection of Thales as the inflight wifi provider on its 737 MAX fleet.
