Delta Air Lines will offer free inflight entertainment on all of its two-class aircraft from 1 August, as US airlines increasingly compete for business travellers with improved product offerings.
Movies, television shows, audio and games in the Atlanta-based carrier’s Delta Studio entertainment suite will be free to all passengers on international flights, and to premium and premium economy cabin passengers on domestic flights, it says. Domestic economy passengers will have access to free live TV, music and games but will still have to pay for on-demand movies and television shows.
“Through the introduction of Delta Studio our customers have yet another reason to choose Delta and a different travel experience,” says Tim Mapes, senior vice-president of Marketing.
The announcement of free entertainment comes on the opening morning of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) annual convention in Los Angeles, where Delta chief executive Richard Anderson is scheduled to speak to this highly coveted segment of the market.
Delta increasingly competes for business travellers and corporate contracts based on its product offering, following the consolidation of the US industry into just four large carriers.
“There is no question, particularly on the international side of the business, that the investments in product have continued to rise across the industry,” said Ed Bastian, president of Delta, in June. “There are no longer optional investments – it’s part of the cost of doing business.”
Delta became the first mainline carrier to offer free food options on domestic flights in June, when it began providing free wraps and snacks to premium economy passengers on transcontinental flights between New York JFK and select west coast destinations.
Delta Studio is available through both seatback entertainment screens and streaming options on all wi-fi equipped aircraft.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
