In-flight wireless Internet access isn't catching on with passengers like the airlines had hoped, but I think the technical capability for intra-flight communications suggests a cool experiment.I'm not surprised that fliers aren't thrilled by the idea of activating their digital yokes at 30,000 feet.
A plane in the air is one of the few "dead zones" for wireless communication, whether by design or circumstance, which means it's also a place where you can do things you can't do most everywhere else, like think, for starters. Ponder. Catch up on reading. Sleep. Passengers are more than capable of writing emails while wedged into their seats. They just can't send them until they're back on the ground.Who's asking for in-flight connectivity? Perhaps a small cadre of digital addicts, or simply the hope for incremental revenue. AirTran and Virgin America have enabled all of their planes, and Delta and American have converted a few hundred. Southwest plans to change its entire fleet, and Alaska is testing the hotspots.
Here's the rub: not many people want to pay for the privilege. Alaska has tried to charge as little as $1, and few fliers want to ante up. The airlines seem undaunted, though, and report that folks might be inhibited by the lack of power sources at their seats. More conversions are on the way.I think they should stop thinking about connectivity with the ground, and envision communities in the air. Why not make every flight an experiment in social media?Already a community: Arguably, passengers who share the same plane also share the same experiences and fate, for good or bad.
They already self-organize into groups, as evidenced when flights are repeatedly delayed and they threaten to storm the gate, or as they patiently wait for turns visiting the micro-lavatory. These default communities take on characters determined by unplanned, external circumstances, so why not acknowledge this fact, and plan for it?Anoint the members: Would anybody use in-flight IM that linked them with everyone on the same plane? Perhaps passengers could get issued unique IDs for each flight, filling out their profiles prior to departure (if they chose). How about an in-flight gaming platform that let passengers compete by row, or a pre-flight iPhone game app?
The airlines could incentivize these behaviors with rewards (drink coupons, frequent-flier miles, seat upgrades). Passengers could rate one another for various qualities, and this information could be available when booking your next trip (i.e. avoid the overly-talkative flier, or the passenger who likes to remove her nail polish over Chicago).Get down to business: What if every flight represented a business opportunity?
Again, this is already a fact, at least somewhat, as even the ever-curmudgeonly Yours Truly as traded a card or two with a seat mate. Formalizing this behavior could enhance the experience; companies (or individuals) could commit to some special offer that will only be available in-air; perhaps people could trade with one another, even going so far as planning flights based on the quality/number of business opportunities.
Imagine if Amercian Airlines could advertise itself as "the airline that gets the most business done." Talk about inventing a brand benefit that was tangibly real. Who'd need wireless connectivity to the ground, if all the action was taking place in the air?
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