A long flight would feel incomplete to most of us without an inflight entertainment system. What we would do for those 6+ hours? For those who have trouble sleeping on flights, aren’t big readers, and who can only listen to music so long, an inflight entertainment system is key to getting through these kinds of flights with most of their sanity intact. Thanks to the genius of in flight entertainment systems manufacturers, we’re able to spend our time in planes very comfortably (and catch up on all those movies we’ve been meaning to watch!) In flight entertainment is also a way for certain airlines to entice customers, depending on the range of services they offer and what the price might be for certain additional in flight entertainment options. But who are the people behind the inflight entertainment systems?
How Many People Are Availing Themselves of These Services?
Considering that about 8 million people take to the air daily and that in 2013, the number of passengers on planes went over 3 billion for the first time, it’s safe to say that plenty of people are using and enjoying inflight entertainment systems. It can often be the quickest way to get somewhere domestically and if you’re going somewhere internationally, flying is the only option that really makes sense to the modern traveler. And despite the complaints about flight delays, baggage checks, and security, it seems that more and more people use flight to get around. Research done into flight spending broke it down into the following categories: the average for domestic and international travelers in the United States per day was $2.5 billion, almost $106 million every hour, almost $2 million a minute, and almost $30,000 a second! In 2014, flight spending on trips for pleasure was just short of $645 billion.
When Did Inflight Entertainment Start?
Forms of inflight entertainment started as early as the 1930s, although it might not be the kind of inflight entertainment system that we would think of today! It was more social — think a lounge room, a dining room complete with a bar, and a smoking room — than individual. But then again, back in the early days of flying, only the fairly wealthy could afford to be on an airplane and they usually traveled together. Food and beverage service and movies took off after WWII and noise canceling earphones were introduced in the late 80s. Better IFE systems changed the way the interior of a plane’s cabin looked. Today, almost all planes that go long distances are equipped with IFE televisions, each with a personalized screen so that passengers can watch whatever content they please. However, with the birth of WiFi on planes and more people having access to their own portable devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.,) IFE is advancing as it thinks about ways to let people plug in to the airline’s multimedia content, using their own devices.
What Amenities Are In Flight Entertainment Companies Offering Today?
If you look at general statistics of what airline passengers prefer to do on a sleep, it breaks down into a little over 40% preferring to watch movies, a little over 20% preferring to read, and under 20% preferring to sleep, although most passengers most likely do combinations of all three on a flight. However, given the preference for movies, like stated before, most airplanes that travel long distances have personalized television screens where passengers can check a live map of where their flight is (and where they’ve come from), watch movies or TV shows, and even listen to a pre-selected range of music.
Most airlines also offer (at minimum) a light snack and beverages on shorter flights and meals and alcoholic beverages on longer ones. Naturally, more options are available to first class members as well.
The more an airline has to offer, the more competitive it usually is with other airlines that typically cover the same route. The challenge remains keeping prices down low enough to still be attractive to customers, while also providing the amenities they expect. The next decade is sure to see more changes in inflight entertainment systems, as tablets and smartphones increase in public possession.
