Availability of in-flight entertainment (IFE) ranks among the top factors that influence the loyalty of passengers, who have become increasingly aware of their travel “experience.” Even on short- and medium-haul flights, customers have come to expect such conveniences as feature films, communications links and interactive services such as e-commerce or games, Embraer airline market senior product strategy manager Claudio Camelier told attendees at April’s meeting of ERA airline delegates in Lisbon.
Given IFE’s attractiveness to passengers, Camelier said, such equipment represents a potential source of direct revenue–which might cover the cost of the equipment. The Embraer official said U.S. discount-fare operator Frontier Airlines charges $5 for DirecTV access and $8 for pay per view. Australia’s Virgin Blue charges fees scaled to flight duration longer or shorter than three hours. In Canada, WestJet provides free “live” television but charges C$5 for pay-per-view. Of course, revenue from advertising sales could help defray costs, or conceivably support free IFE for passengers.
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