Let’s talk about inflight entertainment
By Bayram Annakov, CEO & Founder of LiFE in the Air
I remember as a child, flying in the 80’s was such an exciting adventure. From the moment I boarded the plane to the final feeling of landing in a new place. These adventures are what inspired me to join the travel industry. When reflecting on it, I often recall the in-flight experience being innovative (especially with the inflight big screen TVs we used to have). But the interesting thing is that while the world around us has become more digital and connected, the inflight experience hasn’t evolved. So I started to ask myself: why is that?
The reality is that in-flight entertainment (IFE) has always been a cost center with no clear value proposition in the past for the airline. The cost for airlines to implement any IFE is between $2–3M per aircraft. It’s outdated (or non-existent) because it’s expensive! Currently IFE’s are generally only available on 30% of aircrafts worldwide and many people fly short haul flights with no inflight digital experience at all. The post-pandemic travel experience has changed — compounding both challenges and opportunities. Inflight magazines are disappearing, getting rid of a revenue stream, and now more than ever, passengers desire a touchless cabin experience. Our team is solving these problems. We want the inflight experience to be safe, modern and profitable.
Introducing LiFE in the Air
LiFE in the Air was designed with the post-COVID traveler in mind. Our solution enables passengers to use their personal electronic devices to buy food, drinks and other products while in flight. Now airlines can continue to build passenger confidence in this new era of travel while also supplementing their declining ad revenue from inflight advertising. The platform provides a revenue generating e-commerce experience onboard that seamlessly integrates into any airline’s digital strategy.
Think of LiFE in the Air as a remote control to the inflight experience. For passengers, our platform is the entry point to access anything on the aircraft, and for airlines it’s the tool for monetization as a service on board. In a recent pilot with Flair Airlines, a low cost carrier in Canada, our platform helped the airline unlock an additional 30% in revenue per passenger. We’ve proven that inflight experiences can be modern, providing value to passengers while also creating a new revenue stream for airlines.
The world has changed. I no longer want to enter any aircraft and feel like I’m still experiencing the 80s inflight experience. It’s time for an inflight upgrade. It’s time for LiFE in the Air.
