The Press Box

Why would your fleet dictate your passengers’ digital experience?
Hint: It shouldn’t.

Wireless in-flight entertainment (W-IFE) hardware might technically deliver the digital experience passengers have when they fly with your airline. But your passengers engage with that in-flight experience on their own devices – that’s all they need to see. So the flexibility and functionality of that digital experience is where you ought to be spending your decision making time and efforts. And yet, if you operate a mixed fleet with a varied route strategy, hardware decisions can take on a life of their own, can’t they? And not all W-IFE hardware is created equal.

The variety of aircraft age or type in your fleet shouldn’t be a barrier to providing an engaging and consistent digital experience for your passengers, across your fleet and route network – and it won’t be with Bluebox W-IFE.

From small regional airlines like Air Inuit, operating a mix of jet and turboprop aircraft with flexible passenger/cargo configurations, and Air Transat operating both single- and twin-aisle aircraft on a varied seasonal schedule, to Royal Jordanian, operating a mix of long- and short-haul routes with the same aircraft, and airlines such as QantasLink with larger mixed fleets.  Bluebox W-IFE has been deployed across the widest range of hardware platforms and aircraft types.

Depending on your requirements, options include: our award-winning battery-operated Bluebox Wow, offering the ultimate in portability across your fleet; our aircraft-powered version of Bluebox Wow which eliminates the battery logistics complexities that can build at scale; and linefit – from OEMs such as Airbus which, with Airbus OSP, is making the W-IFE deployment decision easier as your aircraft can come delivered with W-IFE hardware in place – just work with Bluebox on the configuration of the digital platform, and leave the hardware to Airbus.

In fact, the flexibility of Bluebox W-IFE goes far beyond the hardware platform it’s ported to – the range of services integrated into the platform and the customisation of your branded user experience are where your IFE strategy comes to the fore and where your focus should be. This is where Bluebox helps you add value well beyond some fancy kit.

Want to expand your food & beverage sales and enable ordering from seats? Need to optimise content licencing costs for aircraft flying both short- and long-haul services? Want to earn additional ancillary revenue and excite your passengers about their arrival by promoting the sale of destination experiences? The flexibility of Bluebox’s digital platform means it’s as simple as saying: it’s up to you.

Bluebox W-IFE is already delivering engaging digital services to passengers around the world – speak to us about what you’d like your digital experience on board to deliver for your passengers and your P&L, and we’ll work with you to deliver it across your fleet.

Still considering whether offering a digital passenger experience is right for your mixed fleet? Watch this to learn more about the ‘Power of Portable’

As part of Onboard Hospitality‘s ‘coffee break’ video series earlier this year, Deputy Editor April Waterston spoke with Bluebox CEO Kevin Clark about how W-IFE is helping airlines tap into the power of engaging with passengers via their own devices – as April calls it, ‘The Power of Portable’.

Introducing the concept of ‘BYOD’ – bring your own device – as a ‘topic of the moment’ – April speaks with Kevin about why airlines should invest in W-IFE. Kevin discusses the cost and flexibility advantages of W-IFE and offering passengers much more flexibility and choice of how to access services in an increasingly digital in-flight experience.