We've all got one. Some of us have more than one. And some of us are more attached to them than our spouses (you know who you are). Smartphones, tablets and other personal electronic devices are everywhere we look and increasingly part of everything we do. So, it's hardly surprising that pundits, techies, twentysomethings and newbie social media gurus predict that embedded in-flight entertainment systems and their eager salesmen are doomed in this highly connected world.
The argument seems completely logical. But naysayers have been banging this drum for years and IFE manufacturers have kept proving them wrong.
Embedded systems have staying power, because - with the exception of most ultra-low-cost carriers - installed IFE on long-haul flights has become the cost of doing business, including in economy class.
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It's simply no longer an option for airlines to corral world-weary travellers into ever-skinnier seats without providing a screen and content to help them forget that their feet are swelling and that their seatmate is smelly and has an overflowing belly. On 8-16h flights, IFE has become a bare necessity.
It's true that, as higher-bandwidth connectivity finally comes aboard aircraft cabins, the temperamental, low-end, legacy IFE systems built into temperamental, heavy seats will be marked for the scrapheap - especially when fuel emissions penalties start to bite. They will be replaced with more robust - but significantly lighter-weight - integrated IFE/seats that look, feel and act nothing like their predecessors.
IFE manufacturers are harnessing the power of connectivity to turn embedded systems into smart machines, capable of keeping passengers happily connected to the ground, while providing airlines will brand new, realisable ancillary revenue streams.
Significantly, should passengers want or need to use their own devices, those machines will be accommodated by embedded IFE systems.
Short- and medium-haul travel will be a different story. In that arena, it makes sense to only offer standalone cabin connectivity solutions, although carriers might not be able to charge for the pleasure.
Some ultra-low-cost airlines are also likely to get on board the standalone connectivity train.
One thing is patently clear: IFE manufacturers are not giving up on this market. They'll evolve, adapt, and stick around, even in an iPad world.
Source: Flight International
