Air India, which was acquired by the Tata Group in 2022, has faced criticism on a number of fronts, from delays to in-flight issues, with passengers increasingly complaining about the quality of their cabins and glitches in their in-flight entertainment (IFE).
However, the IFE area is expected to change soon.
In recent days, travelers have reported seeing instructions on how to connect to “Vista in-flight entertainment,” instructing users to turn on airplane mode, turn on their device’s WiFi, and visit a URL to connect to the internet.
Air India will partner with Blue Box, a leading streaming in-flight entertainment (IFE) solutions company that has been running Vistara’s ‘Vistara World’ application since 2018. Vistara is set to merge with Air India in the coming months. The move comes after the airline was criticised for non-functioning IFE on its older aircraft.
Related Article | Air India Express launches six new daily flights. Read more
What is Bluebox WOW?
Bluebox WOW creates a captive wireless network and is installed in two to six locations depending on the aircraft type to ensure better coverage throughout the cabin. It is in operation with multiple airlines including Vistara, helping with cabin-to-cabin streaming and providing the ability to store up to 1.6 terabytes of movies, TV, audio, games and other digital content. The boxes are safely stored in overhead bins and each box’s single replaceable rechargeable battery provides up to 15 hours of simultaneously streamed video content. Vistara launched the app-free experience within a year of operation, allowing passengers to experience the content by visiting “VistaraWorld.com” on their personal electronic devices. Air India will also be offering a live app-free experience.
The boxes are lightweight, so airlines don’t need to invest in heavy screens or IFE boxes that take up a lot of space on board. This also reduces repair and maintenance costs for the screens on the back of each seat to almost zero. Since airlines don’t distribute headsets, passengers can enjoy streaming on their own headsets, thus reducing costs.
Differentiating a full-service experience
Air India is currently retrofitting its fleet with a three-class configuration, several of which are already in service. All but 10 of Vistara’s aircraft will also be configured with three-class, helping to standardize service following the merger. The retrofitting has allowed Air India to increase capacity even after adding another class of service, which it has achieved by reducing seat pitch.
Seatback IFE was made popular in India by Kingfisher Airlines, with Jet Airways soon following suit. While Kingfisher Airlines went bankrupt, Jet Airways appears to have switched to only operating screens with content on international flights, as the content is paid for by the user. So while airlines were shouldering the IFE burden, uptake was limited.
IndiGo is piloting an IFE solution, also introducing a business class cabin this year and working on a loyalty program. This puts IndiGo and Air India on an equal footing. Before privatisation and after the demise of Jet Airways, Vistara and Air India were the two full service carriers. So what is Air India’s differentiator?
Tail Note
Air India had previously said that the retrofit of its wide-body aircraft would begin in the second half of 2024. Various media reports have suggested a delay, but the airline has not announced a new timeline so far. The decision to introduce the blue boxes is likely due to the prolonged delays so far. The retrofitted aircraft, especially the wide-body aircraft, do not require blue boxes. But if the aircraft retrofit was not in sight and the complaints were glaring, what was really preventing Air India from introducing this solution? It could well be due to supply chain constraints and the inability of service providers to make as many boxes available to be deployed on board. A seemingly simple solution could have been introduced sooner.
Next time you travel with Air India, you might suddenly notice a blue box fastened to the overhead bin, offering you the joy of streaming on your personal devices while on board.
Check out all the Business News, Corporate News, Latest News Events and Breaking News on Live Mint. Download the Mint News App to get daily market updates.
HomeCompanyNewsAir India finds solution to in-flight entertainment woes, takes a leaf out of Vistara’s book
Source link