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#PaxEx Podcast: Fierce Competition and Blind Recognition

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Welcome to Episode 16 of the #PaxEx Podcast. Our guest for this episode is Ryan Ghee, editor and event strategy manager at Future Travel Experience.

In this episode we discuss how Delta, American, JetBlue, United, Southwest and Alaska are battling head-to-head to deliver the best inflight entertainment (IFE) in US skies, and how this competition is good news for passengers as well as a solid business strategy for the airlines. We also reveal which media site attracts the most traffic in-flight when broadband connectivity is available to passengers.

Additionally, co-host Max Flight and I receive an in-depth update from Ryan about the adoption of “common-use” check-in space at airports, and we look specifically at Halifax Stanfield’s new bag drop system, which required close collaboration between the airport and key airline partners. Their collaboration was facilitated by a conference platform that prompts airline attendees to think outside the box and about the future.

Last but not least, a really important development has occurred in the world of IFE. Emirates has become the first airline to offer IFE for the visually impaired through a partnership with Disney. We discuss what Emirates has done, highlight Air Canada’s own accessibility innovation on the 787, and learn whether other carriers are following suit. Plus we consider this achievement in the broader context of improving accessibility of IFE and aural announcements for all, including the deaf and hard of hearing.