Tagged With "inflight safety"
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Re: Delta Hangs Up on Inflight Calling
Delta just moved up on my list of preferred airlines! I can see it coming -- calling and non-calling sections in planes.
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Re: Delta Hangs Up on Inflight Calling
Times change and along the way, behavior once deemed unacceptable, often becomes the norm. I've noticed this principle at work especially where phones are concerned. I'm so pleased to see a CEO take a stand for simple courtesy, even when it seems to fly in the face of popular notions of what's acceptable. I hope now other airlines' managements have the gumption to follow Delta's lead.
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Re: Fast Start for New Inflight Device Rules
This is ironic. Electronic devices which, themselves, become rapidly obsolete are making videos about them obsolete simply by the popularity of the devices.
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Re: FAA close to new rules on inflight devices
About time, PHeymont! Thanks for getting this posted.
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Re: Delta: Cheap inflight WiFi for Smartphones
It seems to me the smart thing for all the airlines to do would be to offer free wifi for any device, any flight, any distance. Southwest has stood out from the crowd by continuing to offer a free checked bag when others haven't and have gained loyalty as a result. May it continue. I understand that baggage fees have added a huge amount to the bottom lines but brand loyalty is worth a lot too. By giving away a $2 item and thereby correcting the notion, to a certain degree, that airlines mean...
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Re: Delta: Cheap inflight WiFi for Smartphones
I do think currently there are some band-width limitations to the wi-fi on planes. For example, there's not enough capability to support 200 people being on their mobile devices at any given time (remember this requires two way connectivity). So the cost may be just a barrier to limit access to the technology. But I like the idea. Costs will come down, technology will improve bandwidth, and offering it free will be a perk that may help people favor one airline over another.
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Re: Delta: Cheap inflight WiFi for Smartphones
Originally Posted by DrFumblefinger: "... Costs will come down, technology will improve bandwidth, and offering it free will be a perk that may help people favor one airline over another." Indeed. As we know, with airlines as with travel in general, where there's a will there's a way.
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Re: Delta: Cheap inflight WiFi for Smartphones
Actually, the new technology that we've reported earlier here, and which is being implemented by most carriers, vastly increases both speed and bandwidth. I suspect offering a bit of it like this will help them sell what had previously been a fairly unsatisfactory commodity...
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SKY2BUY takes a swing at SkyMall's old audience
With SkyMall out of the sky and its name sold in bankruptcy court, the way is open for others to try selling to passengers inflight (SkyMall had exclusive deals with the airlines), and SKY2BUY, owned by an investment capital firm and ScotteVest, a...
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In-flight movies meet the airline censors
I've often wondered about some of the movies and videos I've seen: "How would that play out on a plane...especially not knowing who might be sitting next to my "private" seatback screen. So it was interesting to learn from Megan Snedden's blog ...
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Can 'smart' seats make crowding bearable?
That's sort of the idea behind some new design initiatives for airline seating. Panasonic, and some others, are betting that by designing all the elements of a seat together (seat, inflight entertainment screen, power outlets and more) the elements...
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Inflight products can be a lucky break for small suppliers
If you've wondered about the mints, chocolates, food specialties and more that pop up on airline menus and amenity kits—sometimes brands you've never heard of—it's not necessarily because the airline's going with the lowest bidder. As this...
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Not just passengers want free WiFi...ask Spirit!
Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant are U.S. ultra-low-cost carriers famous for wanting a nickel for everything they don't charge a dime for—and they're also among the very few U.S. carriers not offering WiFi. If you've wondered why,...
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When the safety video becomes inflight entertainment
Be honest: How many of you keep on reading while the flight attendants give you the required safety briefing and show the video? (in the interests of honest disclosure, I plead guilty). But in recent years, there have been a number of attempts...
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Inflight entertainment may soon watch you!
Thales' mock-up of what the system might look like. Just like Santa Claus, your seatback screen may soon "know when you are sleeping, and know when you're awake," according to Japanese inflight entertainment maker Thales. At the...
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Star Wars World Premiere: Now boarding at gate...
In a coup that's sure to excite envy among both frequent fliers and Star Wars fanatics, Air France has scored a coup: a deal to show the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens on four U.S.-to-Paris flights on Dec. 15, days before the theatre release. ...
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AT&T aims to compete with GoGo for inflight
GoGo has sewn up most of the installed inflight WiFi in the U.S. and has aims on the rest of the world, but AT&T Wireless has now announced it will go into the market next year with a different technology. GoGo uses plane-based antennas to communicate with satellites for WiFi service; AT&T, which owns a dense ground-based cellphone network, plans to use ground-based antennas and to use 4G LTE rather than WiFi. DETAILS from Bloomberg News. TG note : AT&T...
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Delta Hangs Up on Inflight Calling
Now that you can keep your devices on gate-to-gate, attention has turned to inflight calling. Since the FCC announced it's getting ready to legalize inflight calls there's been a storm of controversy, with many saying they don't want to spend 8 hours...
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FAA close to new rules on inflight devices
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/23/technology/faa-nears-new-rules-on-devices.html
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American follows Delta with free entertainment
American is making all its inflight entertainment free, following Delta's lead. But when will we get free Wi-Fi?
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Air New Zealand does it to Hollywood
Air New Zealand's mini-movies draw on Hollywood cliches to present the required safety info.
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Fast Start for New Inflight Device Rules
Apparently anticipating yesterday's FAA announcement of new rules for inflight electronics, Delta and JetBlue had already submitted their compliance documents to the FAA, and may begin the new rules as early as today or tomorrow (Nov. 1-2). American...
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Delta: Cheap inflight WiFi for Smartphones
You can't make a call...but now you can text, check mail and browse the internet inflight on your smartphone for less. Delta has introduced $1.95 WiFi passes for cellphones, and others are sure to follow. DETAILS
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Onboard WiFi Sky-High? Suit blames GoGo's size
A Federal judge has allowed a class-action lawsuit against GoGo Inflight over their near-monopoly of WiFi service on U.S. airlines, and the resulting prices. GoGo presently has 85% of the market; they're only missing Southwest and part of ...
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Gate announcements: Gone with the future
You may not even have noticed, but those long strings of gate and connection announcements just before landing have quietly ended.
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Flier survey: Bytes beat bites
Turns out that today's travelers want consistent, fast connections, and that more than half would pick that over inflight meals.
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Delta makes the entertainment a freebie
Delta's gift to economy passengers: its whole suite of movies, TV, music and games will now be free to all passengers.
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Look, Ma! The pretzels are back at American Airlines!
American Airlines announces some inflight upgrades, including more entertainment choices, meals on Texas-Hawaii flights, and The Pretzels Are Back!
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Re: Flier survey: Bytes beat bites
Flying any distance does give people some time to catch up with things like reading or editing photos. But if the connection were good and free or not too expensive, I think a lot of people would use the time to go on line and take care of business there. I probably would, too, although flying is one of the few times I'm actually "free" of the wired and wireless world.
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Re: Flier survey: Bytes beat bites
This survey must have been among frequent fliers, which skews heavily to business travelers. Personally I have never used wi-fi on a plane, and I don't plan to. My ipod, kindle and whatever movies they have are fine for me.
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Re: Star Wars World Premiere: Now boarding at gate...
Good promotional idea for Air France, and there will surely be some people who get on those flights just to see the premier. But the idea of seeing a Star Wars movie on a 6 inch screen does little to excite me. I'll wait for big screen release, thanks!
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Re: Star Wars World Premiere: Now boarding at gate...
I'm sure that for only a few thousand more, you can get upgraded to a first-class screen....
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Re: Look, Ma! The pretzels are back at American Airlines!
Nice to hear that American is doing something to improve the experience of its economy customers. Now if only they got rid of that annoying checked bag fee.
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Re: Look, Ma! The pretzels are back at American Airlines!
Regarding "that annoying checked bag fee", the problem is not the fee, it's that you aren't going far enough. Fly internationally and don't pay a fee. Or is that not true between Canada & the US?
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Re: Look, Ma! The pretzels are back at American Airlines!
Baggage fees apply for most airlines flying between Canada and the USA. The 'free bag' is for intercontinental flights, so far as I can tell.
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Re: Look, Ma! The pretzels are back at American Airlines!
American Airlines have been giving excellent service since their merger. I've only flown UK to US and back but their cabin staff have been courteous and charming. Must mention Bernie by name - what a wonderful charming man. Not so young, but he came back later into the flight to thank me for complimenting the crew. No charges for luggage - free drinks AND ice cream. I'm flying with them again in 10 days. Then Frontier to Miami. Am I in for a shock ?
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Re: Look, Ma! The pretzels are back at American Airlines!
Yes, Garry. I expect the last leg of your flight will be somewhat of a shock after your American pampering.
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Re: Look, Ma! The pretzels are back at American Airlines!
It's only 3 hours but I guess I'll be hammered for my luggage !
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Re: Look, Ma! The pretzels are back at American Airlines!
Most of my flights on American have been international, and the crews have been excellent (and you get snacks as well as meals.) On domestic flights, they've been just as nice, and usually my credit card has waived the baggage fee. That's never what I hear from people flying Frontier! By the way, one AA oddity: there's no free baggage on some international flights; Mexico City is international, but Cancun is domestic for baggage purposes. Caught me blinking on that one!
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Reality not to your liking? Qantas offers VR headsets
Qantas, which has some of the world's longest routes because it's, well, far away, is about to pioneer a new inflight entertainment on selected flights—Virtual Reality headsets which will, among other things, let you "be" in other places besides...