Articles tagged “passenger experience”

This is a simple business. If you're an airline, you should send your planes to places where they make money. Delta is doing it right.

Road warriors have long suspected a systematic Wi-Fi problem on many United planes, but the airline has said little about it. Now, we know more about this issue. The good news? It will be fixed soon, according to United.

Seatback entertainment screens are so 2002. Airlines should remove them and focus on what their highest-value travelers actually want — fast, reliable Wi-Fi. Passengers who care about quality entertainment can load up their own devices with stuff they actually want to watch. Or they can stream from a server on the plane.

Airline in-flight entertainment systems never age well. They're expensive, and they're often heavy, so airlines burn more fuel having them on board. Why do they persist? Passengers — even those who bring their own devices — tend to like them. But can airlines keep installing these systems forever?

Singapore Airlines has created one of the world's most luxurious airline products. But is that enough to make the six-seat cabin profitable? Perhaps on a few routes. But we're skeptical about others.

We expect Singapore's new first-class suites will be considered among the world's best products. But the airline still faces intense competition from Gulf and Asian airlines. It's not clear how much this cabin update will help on that front.

Welcome to the very first Skift Airline Innovation Report. Be sure to subscribe so you can receive it every week in your inbox. We'll stay atop current industry trends, and have fun doing it.

We're excited to debut the Skift Airline Innovation Report. We hope it will become an essential tool in keeping abreast of and deciphering developments in the ever-changing global airline industry.

You can argue it's never been a better time to fly. Fares are cheap, and amenities like Wi-Fi and free snacks keep improving. Even better, airlines are updating their mobile apps, making it easier for passengers to rebook from delayed or canceled flights. But some people — at times, frequent flyers but mostly the infrequent ones — still view flying as a pain.

Did United Airlines promote its new Polaris cabin faster than was prudent? The answer is probably yes. But remember, in 2016, United was losing high-value customers to competitors. It likely wanted to make a splash by highlighting its future plans.