A revolution in the air: Mary Kirby, Runway Girl Network
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Transcript of A revolution in the air: Mary Kirby, Runway Girl Network
Currently available:
Air-to-ground (ATG)-based inflight Wi-Fi in the United States; operated exclusively by Gogo
L-band satellite (Inmarsat SwiftBroadband service), which is billed as global except for the poles; offered by OnAir, Panasonic’s AeroMobile unit, and Rockwell Collins’ newly acquired Arinc business
Ku-band satellite connectivity - a patchwork quilt of Ku satellites with a few patches still yet to be filled; offered by Panasonic, Gogo and Global Eagle Entertainment
Regional Ka-band connectivity, which is now available in the United States, but coming soon to Europe; offered by ViaSat and LiveTV/Thales
Coming down the pike:
Regional Ka in Europe, and ultimately the Middle East
Inmarsat Global Xpress Ka-band constellation; global except for the poles
High Throughput Satellites in Ku-band
4G LTE ATG service to be operated by AT&T in the US
Inmarsat’s newly announced integrated ATG/satellite solution for Europe
Hybrid Ku/Ka solutions?
So, as satellite industry consultant Tim Farrar suggests, deployment is clearly accelerating…
Though revenue is still lacking…
Take rates for paid service:
Less than 7% on average
However, high-traffic routes like transcon US
see take rates as high as 30% for paid service
Take rates for free Wi-Fi are obviously much higher…
“On some of the transcon flying, we’ve had flights with excess of over 100 customers connected simultaneously.” JetBlue president Robin Hayes
Passengers share their speed tests and their experiences on social media (#PaxEx on Twitter)…
With few exceptions (high-capacity regional Ka), we’ve observed…
Most free Wi-Fi promos equate to a degradation in
service for the user
Most current Wi-Fi systems are capacity constrained
Even when passengers pay, there is no shortage of
complaints
Passengers are naming and shaming…
Sometimes they’re brutal…
They don’t discriminate…
MB data packages frustrate passengers accustomed to unfettered access on the ground…
“All of the ways that we have now become used
to navigating: leaving our Gmail, Twitter, or feed
readers open on auto-refresh, are not possible
unless you want to see your 20 bucks disappear
in the blink of an eye.” Enrique Dans, Professor
at IE Business School (Madrid, Spain)
IFE stalwarts like Panasonic are also fielding complaints about Wi-Fi reliability…
Being upfront about connectivity capabilities is key, as is good customer service…
Even though most inflight connectivity
systems cannot support the streaming of
Netflix and/or HBO GO, the ability – or
inability – to do so in the United States
could become the measure by which these
systems will be judged going forward. So
the pressure is on all providers to deliver
better, faster, cheaper.
Yet connectivity is clearly impacting booking decisions … and
some passengers can no longer afford to be disconnected for
long-haul flights, even if a service is imperfect.
“I have a ton of work to do
that requires Internet access
and am willing to take
whatever routing will
guarantee me Wi-Fi…”
Passengers don’t always know if
connectivity is available, though
services like Routehappy and
SeatGuru help….
The presence of connectivity is even factored into how a flight is rated…
Conditions for using inflight Wi-Fi are not always ideal…
Plenty of business travelers on a budget are flying in coach class, yet it’s very cramped for laptop use
In-seat power is not always available, which is cold comfort to passengers who have paid $20 for a session
Lack of power can mean carrying back-up power packs
To consider…
It’s clear that passengers crave heavy bandwidth functionality
(want an at-home Wi-Fi experience in the air)
Mobile, social passengers are growing increasingly vocal about their
experience; managing their expectations is crucial
As passengers grow accustomed to free Wi-Fi at airports, coffee
shops and restaurants, their expectations for free inflight Wi-Fi will
continue to grow
Most connectivity systems cannot support free Wi-Fi model at this
time
Clear opportunities on the wireless IFE front…
Pull eyeballs away from that precious inflight connectivity pipe
Simulate a Netflix-type experience onboard without using bandwidth
Allow passengers to personally tailor their experience
As airlines and passengers embrace the wireless cabin, the traditional embedded IFE business model is under threat…
Most widebody aircraft today are delivered with embedded IFE; airlines simply tick a box, and the selection is limited
Philippine Airlines’ decision to offer mobile and Wi-Fi service + wireless IFE via OnAir Play – on its Airbus A330 widebodies will serve as a tremendous test case. Will the success of this program prompt other legacy carriers to follow suit?
Already seeing clear interest for wireless IFE on aircraft that haven’t traditionally offered any IFE – Lufthansa, WestJet, Virgin Australia, Silk Air, etc… - as well as United Airlines’ latest decision to offer video streaming service
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Source: presentation of Mary Kirby, Runway Girl Network at the
2014 SITA Air Transport IT Summit, Brussels.
2014 Air Transport IT Summit
