APEX Experience – The Culture Issue by Spafax

airline passenger

volume 5, edition 3 | may - june 2015

The Culture Issue CONFLICT ZONES | WELL SPOKEN | BRANDING GAME FAD NAUSEAM | FLYING FUNNY | CULINARY CURIOSITY

official publication of the airline passenger experience association

Coming to Airlines August 2015

C o n t a c t : R u t h Wa l k e r

818-560-1345

n t . d i s n e y. c o m

ÂŠ2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Airbus Widebody Family

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airbus.com

Ad Index

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Advertiserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Directory Airborne Interactive ltd www.airborne.aero > See page 41 Airbus www.airbus.com > See page 4 Arinc (Rockwell Collins) www.rockwellcollins.com > See page 81 Astronics AEX www.astronics.com > See page 22 & 73

Disney Studios Non Theatrical www.ebvnt.disney.com > See gatefold cover Entertainment In Motion www.skyfilms.com > See page 111 General Dynamics www.gd-ots.com > See page 46 Geven www.geven.com > See page 27

Spafax www.spafax.com > See page 74

Long Prosper Enterprise Company www.longprosper.com > See page 13

Telefonix www.pdt.com > See page 54

Lumexis www.lumexis.com > See page 11

Video Technology Services www.videotechnologyservices.com > See page 42 & 79

OnAir www.onair.aero > See page 65

Warner Bros www.warnerbros.com > See page 101 Zodiac In-Flight Entertainment www.imsco-us.com > See page 49

Gogo LLC www.gogoair.com > See page 9

Panasonic Avionics Corporation www.panasonic.aero > See page 132

BAE Systems www.baesystems.com > See page 21

Inflight Canada www.inflightcanada.com > See page 113

Paramount Pictures www.paramount.com > See page 2 & 3

Betria Interactive LLC www.flightpath3d.com > See page 45

Inflight Entertainment Products www.ifeproducts.com > See p. 24 & insert

Pascall www.pascall.co.uk > See page 71

Carlisle Interconnect Technologies www.carlisleit.com > See page 28 CMI Media Management www.cinemagnetics.com > See page 58 DigEcor www.digecor.com > See page 63

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Interact www.interact.aero > See page 17 & IFE banners Jaguar Distribution Corporation www.jaguardc.com > See page 86 Kid Systems www.kid.com > See page 131

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Linstol www.linstol.com > See page 33

Avid Airline Productions www.avidproducts.com > See page 39

Bloomberg www.mediasource.bloomberg.com > See page 89

Visit us at apex.aero

Penny Black Media www.pennyblackmedia.com > See page 19 Phitek Systems Limited www.phitek.com > See page 84 & bellyband Skycast www.skycastsolutions.com > See page 36 Sony Pictures Releasing Corporation www.sonypicturesinflight.com > See page 105

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Connecting aviation from Earth to orbit PROVEN CONNECTIVITY

FLEETWIDE FLEXIBILITY

INTELLIGENT PLATFORM

Gogo is empowering the aviation industry with IFC solutions for any aircraft flying any mission, and our proven inflight broadband connectivity is the most widely deployed in the world. By tapping into our intelligent platform, you can customize new operational applications and services to fit the unique needs of your fleet. Find out what you can do with Gogo

Visit gogoair.com/airline ÂŠ2015 Gogo LLC. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contents

apex experience

The Culture Issue

Visit us at apex.aero

volume 5, edition 3 may - june 2015

From barf bag collectors to Airbus retirees, the airline industry has a culture that’s as quirky as it is vast. In this issue, we look at what it means to be an avgeek by delving into niche communities and exploring broader topics like why flying is so funny, faithbased IFE programming and negotiating safe airspace worldwide.

> In Profile

Conflict Zones

Well Spoken

Maintaining safe airspace over volatile regions requires strategic planning, strong systems of communication, and cooperation from airlines, airports, states and organizations.

Clever use of language transforms “passengers” into “guests” and “young adults” into “millennials.” Finetuned vocabularies also help airlines establish their unique brands of corporate culture.

Maryann Simson

Jenn Wint

59 Sporting Airlines

52 François Rodriguez Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, SITA OnAir

66 Ralph Wagner CEO, Axinom Aerospace

Gulf carriers Emirates, Qatar and Etihad are betting big on European football club sponsorships as a way to score points with the jet set.

Jessica Sammut

Fad Nauseam Airsickness bag collections chronicle the rise and fall of airline empires, style trends over the years, creative campaigns into unchartered territory as well as the bag’s demise into banality. Katie Sehl

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82 Mary Rogozinski Manager, Content Partnerships, Gogo

Airline Passenger Experience Association

illustrations: Julie Carles; Jorge de la Paz photos: nike; Sita on air; axinom aerospace; gogo

> Features

AN EYE TO THE

FUTURE LUMEXIS.COM

The Future of IFE

Contents

apex experience

Comfort & Ambience Entertainment & Connectivity Catering & Services

Visit us at apex.aero

volume 5, edition 3 may - june 2015

> Industry

25 Time Flies When you’re having fun at work, why leave? At Airbus, retirees stick around to guide tours. Maryann Simson

Faith-based IFE helps devout travelers worship on the fly. Tomás Romero

34 Pan Am Fan Clubs The legacy of Pan Am lives on in branded products, experiences and its nostalgic enthusiasts. Caroline Ku

29 Airport Sounds

> APEX

> Standbys

14 President’s Letter

16 Editor’s Letter

15 Board News

18 Featured Contributors

20 APEX in Action

34 Tear-Out Poster: Slow Tech

For locals and tourists, airport sounds provide a sense of place.

90 - 93

Jasmin Legatos

37 The Game Plane

APEX News

Alpine Labs’ travel-themed game show takes IFE to new heights.

Tomás Romero

30 Fly Me to My Room Airlines are bringing their airborne hospitality down to earth with new hotel initiatives. Jordan Yerman

IFSA News

16%

Jenn Wint

What’s funny about flying? Four experts in the funny business discuss. Hilarity ensues. Terri Potratz

The fast-paced rush to break headlines first means that media sometimes gets it wrong.

85 Travelogue: Culinary Curiosity

Brett Snyder

Air travel has made food tourism a reality, but to satisfy certain cravings, you may not have to fly as far as you’d think.

40 Fly It Forward Women help aspiring aviatrices beat gender-based obstacles with supportive organizations.

Jakub Stachurski

> Listings

96 Movie Listings Playful pranks are a trade secret in the industry, adding levity and boosting brand image.

Roundtable: Flying Funny

38 Race for Ratings

Kendall Green

32 Fool Me Once

5.8%

8.7%

43 Influential Neighbors Understanding how seatmates influence each other may be key to driving in-flight retail.

8 Advertisers’ Index

114 Throwback: Fair Flyers When man first took flight in the early 20th century, women were right there with them.

Jason Kessler

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Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: icelandair hotels; Pan Am Brands; Shiji Ulleri illustrations: Gonzalo MArtínez; Marcelo Cáceres; Francisco Olea; Olivier Balez; Óscar Chávez

26 Venerable Seatback

LPE-P16NC

Bluetooth BT-SF07NC

LPE-591C

INSERT-1023

BOING 747-8

AIRBUS A380-800

Surround Sound LPE-P6NC

INSERT-1025

F-35

President’s Letter

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Dear Fellow APEX Members, We’re halfway through an exciting year of change for APEX. In the last few months, we’ve launched the new apex.aero website, we’ve hosted some of our most successful events to date in Abu Dhabi, Prague and Los Angeles, we’re addressing industry challenges and opportunities through our Technical Committee and director, our newly re-vamped Passenger Choice Awards are well under way, we’ve initiated new market research that will be released late summer, and we’re well into our search to identify an APEX CEO. I would like to elaborate on the last point as it represents a positive new direction for our association. Our association has done a tremendous job of growing the APEX community and adding new programs and

“By investing in a CEO, our aim is to take APEX to the next level in terms of recognition and influence.” services to meet the needs of a diverse membership. Still, there is more we can do and more value we can bring to the industry. By investing in a CEO, our aim is to take APEX to the next level in terms of recognition and influence that will bring positive change for all of us. With a CEO to carry the APEX flag to senior airline and supplier executives around the world and to represent our interests before industry groups, governments

and the media, APEX will be positioned as the most influential value-driven membership organization in the industry. I will keep you informed as the selection process draws to a close this summer. As always, I welcome any member feedback regarding this process or any other APEX issue. You can find direct contact information for all of your Board members at apex.aero. All the best,

> Alfy Veretto apex president Virgin America

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Airline Passenger Experience Association

Board News

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Meet the Board The APEX Board of Directors is committed to keeping you informed about ongoing Board work and decisions. In addition to this dedicated space in every issue of Experience magazine, the Board sends e-mails after each quarterly Board meeting, provides updates in the APEXnews Daily SmartBrief, sends e-mails to the membership and, at many events, hosts “Ask the Board” panels to receive feedback from members. APEX is an association for the members, by the members, which is why it’s equally important for the Board to receive year-round communications from you. Should you want to reach out to a member of the Board, a complete contact list is available on apex.aero.

>> The Board thanks the members of the Education Committee and the MultiMedia Market Task Force for their hard work pulling off successful events in Abu Dhabi and Prague this spring! >> The APEX Passenger Choice Awards are now open! Voting continues until June 30, 2015. Help us generate the highest number of completed surveys to date by sharing with your colleagues and friends. And for airline members – let your passengers know their votes count. Encourage them to take the survey at passengerchoiceawards.com.

photos: Mehran torgoley

>> The election for the 2016 APEX Board of Directors will be held throughout the entire month of August. Visit apex.aero in July for candidate information. >> Mark your calendar for the APEX Technology Conference May 12–13 in Universal City, California and the APEX Asia Conference this November in Singapore. For the full events calendar, see page 90. >> Don’t miss your chance to have a booth at the 2016 EXPO in Singapore! Ensure your spot on the show floor at APEX’s premier Airline Passenger Experience Association

event by contacting Lisa Schwarz at lschwarz@kellencompany.com. >> The APEX Payment Technologies Working Group has contacted the four major credit card companies requesting a minimum two-year extension to the companies’ October 2015 deadline to shift liability for fraudulent magnetic card use from the credit card issuer to the merchant of record. >> Coming Soon: Insights from the 2015 Passenger Behavior Survey. This initiative, led by the APEX MarCom Committee, will give members invaluable data on how passengers view their in-flight experience. Members will be updated on important industry insights and trends in September at the 2015 APEX EXPO. >> The Board recently approved the new “Lessor” category for APEX membership. Be on the lookout for purple badges at EXPO, and welcome the newest members of the APEX community. >> Have you visited the new APEX website? This member resource and industry informational hub relaunched March 12 with a new layout and user-friendly navigation. Visit apex.aero.

> Alfy Veretto president Virgin America

> Joan Filippini treasurer Paramount Pictures

> Michael Childers Lufthansa Systems

> Mary Rogozinski

> Brian Richardson vice president American Airlines

> Patrick Brannelly immediate past president Emirates

> Éric Lauzon Air Canada

> Dominic Green secretary Thales Avionics

> Kevin Bremer Boeing Commercial Airplanes

> Luay Qunash Royal Jordanian Airlines

> Ingo Wuggetzer Airbus

Gogo

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Editor’s Letter

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Visit us at apex.aero

Global Greetings After a busy season of industry events, including the successful MultiMedia Market in Prague, we reflect not only on the trends that will shape the rest of the year ahead, but on the talented people around the world who are driving them.

When people ask us about the best part of our job, the answer usually has something to do with the fact that we get to work with people all around the world. (Unless it’s Bagel Friday at the Montreal office, in which case, it’s that.) Whether we’re interviewing an airline member several time zones ahead for a feature story, prepping for an APEX event by researching the Educational Sessions speaker lineup, or liaising with our colleagues in far-flung international offices, each day brings an exciting lesson that reaches well beyond our front doors. We’re extremely proud that our APEX Media team is based in Canada, Chile, the US and the UK – and being part of Spafax, we are further connected to colleagues in places like Germany, Singapore and the UAE, among others. Then there’s the APEX community itself. One can’t help but notice the international nature of the passenger experience industry when attending

one of our association’s events. Just a quick glance at attendee badges reveals a wide variety of nations. Beyond the cultural curiosities that are always fun to investigate, it’s also fair to say that the multicultural aspect of our industry presents some genuine business challenges, and that is what we explore in this issue of Experience. From the integration of a nation’s hospitality into the service experience, to the curation of religious content onboard, every decision made in today’s airline environment needs to take into account the needs of passengers from across the globe. From time to time we get an amusing airline-related tale about a cultural faux pas, but there is indeed serious competition for the world’s travelers, and for our members, these blunders are no laughing matter.

> Al St. Germain publisher

> Terri Potratz editor

volume 5, edition 3

illustration: mathias sielfeld

Terri and Al

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Contributors

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Visit us at apex.aero

Featured

See Matthias’ work on the cover.

Read Jessica’s work on page > 59

See Olivier’s work on page > 85

Matthias Sielfeld is a freelance illustrator living in Santiago where he enjoys parks, riding bicycles and walking his dog Bowie. He always carries a plug adapter while traveling, and his biggest culture shock came when visiting India and Nepal, where he discovered the complexities of the sociocultural contrast between those countries and the rest of the world.

Jessica Sammut is a material girl in a digital world with a serious case of wanderlust and #AvGeek fever – enough to know you should limit yourself to a carry-on whenever possible. Her most memorable culture-shock moment was navigating the hectic public transport system in Seoul, South Korea, where she lived (and bussed) for a year.

Olivier Balez is a French illustrator living in Chile who is set on enjoying the adventures of everyday life: meeting people, discovering new places and eating new dishes. His most memorable trip was on assignment, meeting and drawing famous athletes throughout several African countries.

APEX Experience Magazine 575 Anton Blvd, Ste 1020 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 +1 714 363 4900

Cover illustration by Matthias Sielfeld

> Publisher Al St. Germain al.stgermain@spafax.com

EDITORIAL

PRODUCTION

> Editor Terri Potratz terri.potratz@spafax.com

> Production Director Joelle Irvine > Acting Production Director Maureen Veilly

> Copy Editor Katie Sehl katie.sehl@spafax.com

> Production Manager Andréanne Lafond

> Community Manager Jessica Sammut jessica.sammut@spafax.com

> Assistant Copy Editors Diane Carlson Deanna Dority

> Copy Writer Caroline Ku caroline.ku@spafax.com

> Fact Checkers Tara Dupuis Leah Esau Daniel Viola

> Research Assistant Ella Ponomarov

> Proofreaders Katie Moore Robert Ronald

> Contributors Kendall Green, Jasmin Legatos, Tomás Romero, Maryann Simson, Jakub Stachurski, Jenn Wint, Jordan Yerman

ADVERTISING

ART > Art Director Nicolas Venturelli nicolas.venturelli@spafax.com

Jason Kessler is a freelance food and travel writer from Los Angeles whose love of airline food led him to create FlyandDine.com. When dining on the ground, he recommends you always order the chef’s favorite dish. Read Jason’s work on page > 43

volume 5, edition 3 may - june 2015

> Graphic Designer Eva Dorsch > Contributors Alexandre Affonso, Olivier Balez, Marcelo Cáceres, Julie Carles, Óscar Chávez, Jorge de la Paz, Hope Little, Gonzalo Martínez, Francisco Olea, Mathias Sielfeld

> Sales Director Steve O’connor steve.oconnor@spafax.com +44 207 906 2077 > Ad Production Manager Mary Shaw mary.shaw@spafax.com SPAFAX CONTENT MARKETING > President Raymond Girard > Senior Vice-President, Content Strategy Arjun Basu

content on the go

volume 5, edition 3

Airline Passenger Experience Association

QUALITY, INDEPENDENT FEATURE FILMS WWW.PENNYBLACKMEDIA.COM

CTROTTA@PENNYBLACKMEDIA.COM

Social

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Visit us at apex.aero

APEX in Action APEX Middle East took place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, March 24-25, 2015. Delegates were treated to a networking event at the luxurious Emirates Palace, sponsored by Panasonic Avionics.

See more photos from APEX Middle East > apex.aero/social

1. Roger Grange, GEE; Sylvia Arndt, Panasonic; Flavia Verano, GEE; Angela Jackson, GEE; Albert de Wet, GEE 2. Dieter Dhondt, Thales; Fabrice Tourain, Airbus 3. Eyas Ziadah, Onboard International; Marwan Rahbani, Rahbani Productions; Darine Awwad, Rahbani Productions; Haneen Hijazi, Rahbani Productions

4. Mario Poirier, Ensemble Media; Vanessa Dayde, Thales 5. Michael Earley, Qatar; Claire Gombault, Thales; Steve Harvey, GEE 6. Philip Dahm, Rohi Textiles; Bulent Tekin, Turkish Airlines; Umit Erdogan, Turkish Airlines; Ingo Wuggetzer, Airbus 7. Guests enjoyed the evening beach-front ambience

Do you have social photos that are fit to print? E-mail submissions to 6

volume 5, edition 3

> editor@apex.aero

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: Shiji Ulleri

WELCOME TO THE INTELLICABIN FAMILY. ®

Our wireless IFE system gives Vistara passengers the entertainment choices they want – from the latest movie releases, to the most popular games, to the newest TV shows and music – everyone on board will enjoy a truly transformative in-flight experience. Learn more at: www.baesystems.com/intellicabin

apex experience

This Issue

Welcome

To see the full gallery online, visit > apex.aero/paris

photo: afp

Always a Good Idea Established in 1909, the Paris Air Show is the world’s oldest and largest. Held every odd year at Le Bourget Airport, the show hosts an average of more than 145,000 aerospace professionals over the closed four-day industry period, and 200,000 spectators once it opens to the general public. All of the world’s major aircraft manufacturers attend the show, and significant sales contracts are usually announced during the week, taking place June 15–21, 2015. Airline Passenger Experience Association

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CONNECTING YOUR PASSENGERS IFPL.COM

...BREAK

ING NEWS ...BR

EAKING IFPL pro v i d e s Thales solutio personaln for retail anNFC AVANT. isation for Th d ales IFPL la data andunches reversib Hamburg power solutio le USB AIX. n at IFPL lau breakawa nches cost neu jack sol y long life ma tral ution. gnetic IFPL lau nches US B-C solu tion.

IFPL.COM

innovate@ifpl.com TELEPHONE +44 (0)1983 555900

Comfort

apex experience

For more news on Airbus, visit > APEX.AERO/Airbus

Flothrow, at the controls, and Rogge together in 1960 during their third year as apprentices at Airbus in Hamburg.

Time Flies VIP guides working at Airbus’ Hamburg location prove that a job can become a lasting lifestyle if the right mix of community, support and stimulation are offered.

photos: airbus

by Maryann Simson

“It was like a birthday for me,” recalls Gerd Rogge of his first day on the job at Airbus back in April 1958. “It was such a mixture of feelings. On one hand, I was just a boy of 14 alone in a big city, yet on the other hand, I was thrilled to be so close to the aircraft. The rest of the apprentices, all older than me, supported me. As an apprentice, my role was to learn, learn, learn.” Many of those friendships, says Rogge, remain strong to this day – despite the passing of decades and the aircraft

Airline Passenger Experience Association

having evolved considerably. Though long retired, he has found it impossible to sever ties with the company and the industry that helped shape his life. His role now, along with three other Airbus retirees (boasting more than 50 years of experience each) based in Hamburg, Germany, is to conduct guided tours and teach special guests. “I like to stay in contact with the developing technology and people, and to explain those things to others. I take visitors on guided tours and use my knowledge of the history of the Hamburg site to satisfy their curiosity. I especially like to share my experience with young people,” says Rogge. Jürgen Flothrow is another of the four VIP guides at Airbus’ Finkenwerder site and is one of Rogge’s best friends. He started at the original equipment manufacturer as an apprentice with Rogge in 1958 and, like his friend, held a variety of positions at numerous locations around the world during his official tenure with the organization. Flothrow says that his post-retirement role as an educator and tour guide is never boring and is one of the things that keeps him feeling young. “Airbus

“I like to stay in contact with the developing technology.” Gerd Rogge is extremely modern in engineering and production, and therefore very interesting for an engineer like me,” he says. “We have the chance to give precise information to all questions in both German and English, and that is the best advertising and promotion for Airbus and its products. On the other hand, it is the best method against an aging mind!” Both men agree that even though Airbus has grown to span the globe and now employs more than 55,000 people, the company still manages to create a culture where individuals can feel connected and supported in their goals. “We have to be better, faster and provide more quality,” Flothrow notes. “That is why our employees feel like they are important. The result of their work is the most modern aircraftfamily in the world.”

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Comfort

apex experience

Venerable Seatback

Visit us at apex.aero

For more news on comfort, visit > apex.aero/comfort

Highly personalized, embedded IFE systems deliver the power to worship to passengers’ fingertips – right where it belongs. by Tomás Romero

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[LEFT] Riga International Airport houses an ecumenical chapel; [BOTTOM LEFT] HalalTrip advises of prayer times and Qibla direction; [BELOW] El Al Airlines offers kosher meals.

Bringing a welcome dose of Buddhist mindfulness to the airline cabin, Virgin Atlantic began offering guided meditation content, aka Meditainment, in 2004. And the offerings are so popular with passengers, particularly on long-haul flights, that Meditainment is now standard on Qantas Airways, Air Canada and China Airlines as well. In 2004, JetBlue’s partnership with SiriusXM brought 100-plus channels of satellite radio into its IFE mix, including two music channels dedicated exclusively to Christian pop and rock (The Message) and gospel (Praise). Not to be outdone, Lufthansa’s Sounds of Africa audio channel, hosted by awardwinning UK Christian artist/gospel presenter Muyiwa, features the latest soul and gospel music from Africa. And in 2006, Tel Avivbased low-cost carrier Israir Airlines took the faith-based IFE concept to new heights (literally!) when it became the first airline to install a permanent “Sky-Torah” on one of its airplanes. Essentially a traditional handwritten Torah scroll, the Sky-Torah is meant to be used by Jewish passengers for prayer “when they are closer to God” on several flights, worldwide. One of the key challenges in introducing any overtly religious offering into the cabin, says Youmna Tannous, IFE manager for

Spafax Dubai, is accuracy, especially when dealing with sacred texts such as the Quran. “When it comes to programming the Holy Quran onboard any airline, the verses must never be cut,” Tannous explains. And given the Quran usually contains 30 books, 114 chapters and 6,236 verses, that’s no easy undertaking. “The verses should play fully, [and] that’s why it’s recommended to have the full Holy Quran onboard [so] passengers can choose which verses they want to listen to.” According to Tannous, another game changer on the faith-based IFE front right now is the rise of the connected aircraft, with a host of new religious apps such as GodTube, the Shabbos App, and the new HalalTrip which includes a Halal food spotter and an in-flight prayer-time calculator. Airline Passenger Experience Association

photo: architizer.com; EL AL; CrescentRating & HalalTrip

One of the most memorable scenes in the movie Airplane! (1980) revolves around a pilot beating his way through a stream of missionaries as he hurries through the terminal. Though it’s played for laughs, the scene deftly highlights the fact that for the better part of history, commercial aviation and religion have not mixed. Of course, there are exceptions. Religious meal options have been standard on most carriers for decades. The Passover meals on El Al have become so popular that the airline posts some of the recipes online. And Alaska Airlines’ tradition of offering Judeo-Christian prayer cards featuring biblical quotes with its meal service held steady for more than 30 years, although that was discontinued in 2012 due to passenger complaints. While many saw Alaska’s decision to discontinue the prayer cards as a secular sign of things to come, actually, the opposite has proved true. In today’s era of user-centric, highly personalized in-flight entertainment (IFE), where both choice and content are king, demand for in-flight religious content is soaring.

Tip-to-Tail Connections

Connect with us at The Paris Air Show

Hall 3 - D28

www.CarlisleIT.com

apex experience

Airport Sound

Ambience

Listen to Iris Lettieri and more at > apex.aero/lettieri

Sound is one of the many ways airports can provide an authentic experience for travelers, and improved text-to-speech technology is helping tailor the experience. by Jasmin Legatos | illustration Gonzalo Martínez

Flight Eight-ah Six-ah Thu-reee departing now for Noooowark.

After nearly four decades as the voice of Rio de Janeiro’s RIOgaleão International Airport, Iris Lettieri was about to be silenced by a new technology. In the lead-up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the nation’s airports were privatized and the new owners wanted to do away with Lettieri’s husky, pack-a-day timbre in favor of synthesized voices. Outrage ensued, with the city’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, claiming that the septuagenarian’s sexy inflection was like Rio itself. Lettieri was soon reinstated. Some airports try hard to provide authentic experiences. Touch down at Miami International and you can grab a pastelito from renowned Cuban eatery Café Versailles before jumping into a cab. And while shops hawking destinationspecific souvenirs and attractive billboards depicting life beyond the runway pepper terminals, once inside an airport, you could be almost anywhere. For many travelers, that’s perfectly OK. Travel can be hectic and familiarity is comforting. Airline Passenger Experience Association

Airport authorities want to create more peaceful and familiar environments for passengers, says Amanda Roe, global public relations manager for Biamp, whose hardware translates typed messages (textto-speech) into audible broadcasts at several airports around the world, including Kazan International Airport in Russia, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in India and Perth International Airport in Australia. Biamp’s airports can pick from a number of voices and languages to create computergenerated announcements for everything from security to gate-change notices. With this type of technology, airports can deliver specific messages to the people who need to hear them, instead of to the entire concourse, adds Roe. Announcements are clear and consistent, and can be changed hourly if needed – something that’s impossible with pre-recorded live voices. Text-to-speech technology has come a long way since the early 20th century, when electricity was first used to create synthetic

communications; it’s almost fluid, but still can’t quite capture human inflections. After all, who wouldn’t prefer to hear a little twang in the announcement imploring you not to leave your bags unattended when transiting through Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental? And who knows, maybe a flight delay doesn’t sound like such a bad thing when the announcement is made in a velvety tone that’s been known to make passengers miss their flight.

Aéroports de Paris Futuristic and, well, French sounding

Tokyo International Narita Airport Soft, ascending, glockenspiel-like chimes

Dubai International Airport Synthetic half notes descend into harmony

Johannesburg Airport South Africa Cheery harpsichord in C Major

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Ambience

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Fly Me to My Room Airlines are not only in the transportation business, but the hospitality business as well – and a handful have taken that mindset to its logical conclusion by extending their brands into actual hotels, with exciting properties in Reykjavík and Chicago. by Jordan Yerman

300 people inside – and a queue outside – come closing time, according to Björnsson. The hotel has leveraged its connection to an international airline to gather world-class talent, Björnsson explains. “We have been importing guest bartenders from all around the world,” he says, “and we continue to do that.” The Chosen Ones, Slippbarinn’s signature cocktails, pay tribute to the cocktail alchemists who have worked their magic with Björnsson’s team. “Icelandair Hotels and Icelandair are sister companies, belonging to Icelandair Group,” said Guðlaugur Kristmundsson, sales manager for Icelandair Hotels. “Both brands use Icelandic experience as part of their branding.” Icelandair specializes in bringing 30

volume 5, edition 3

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: Icelandair Hotels; virgin hotel; JAL Hotels

Guests first experience Icelandair’s Hotel Reykjavík Marina through the hotel bar, Slippbarinn, the first cocktail bar in Iceland. Food and beverage manager Ásgeir Már Björnsson would only confirm that pedigree with a quiet “more or less” as he slides over a perfect Old Fashioned, cooled by a massive chunk of ice that could well have been pulled from Jökulsárlón, the famous glacier lagoon full of icebergs. For a guy whose business card reads “Mix Master Flex,” Björnsson is a rather humble fellow. Slipping into Slippbarinn to escape the frigid winds blowing off Faxaflói Bay, guests find themselves in a sleek, modern space surrounding a circular bar. This is where Björnsson and his internationally experienced team hold court. Icelandair has struck gold: Slippbarinn routinely has over

Ambience

apex experience

Read about The Lodge, JetBlue’s crew hotel, at > apex.aero/thelodge

[ABOVE] The Icelandair Hotel Klaustur glows under the iconic Northern Lights. [TOP] Icelandair Hotel Reykjavík Marina [LEFT] The first Virgin Hotel opened earlier this year in Chicago

the epic scope of Iceland’s landscape into relatively small spaces. While its Hekla Aurora aircraft treats passengers to an internal Aurora Borealis show by way of a customized lighting system, Icelandair hotels feature immersive murals displaying the country’s rugged beauty. Icelandair is not alone in bringing airborne hospitality down to earth. In the early 1990s, Japan Airlines launched Hotel JAL City to complement its domestic flight network, giving business travelers a spacious and well-connected place to stay when they landed. JAL Hotels currently operates in 11 of their destinations. Just this year, Sir Richard Branson’s megacorporation opened its first Virgin Hotel in a converted Chicago bank building. With Virgin having branded everything from airlines to soda pop to hot-air balloons, the only surprise was how long it

took the company to get into the hotel game. “Design is critical,” notes Branson. “There’s just a feeling you get when you walk into a Virgin property. Design is what sets it apart.” The Virgin Group specializes not in reinventing the wheel, but in resurrecting old-school glamor by way of modern design and technology, essentially telling its customers, “Baby, you’re a star!” Qatar Airways is also getting involved in the hospitality game as the proud owner of three hotel properties: Sheraton Skyline at London Heathrow, Oryx Rotana in Doha and The Airport Hotel at Hamad International – all of which continue to operate under their existing name brands. The airline-hotel connection has a long history. In the 1970s, Belgium’s Sabena Airlines owned the Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali, Rwanda, which appears in the documentary Shake Hands with the Devil and the film Hotel Rwanda. Although Sabena is now defunct, the Hôtel des Mille Collines is still around, but under new ownership, who’s keen to leave the past behind. Airlines have long been innovating the delivery of customer service in challenging conditions, so it’s interesting to see what they do when they have more – and a more stationary – space to play.

your jet awaits, ma’am Wi-Fi and coffee are now expected hotel amenities, so the concept of a luxury add-on has gotten much more... luxurious. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces offers private-jet service to its high-flying guests (dignitaries, celebrities and senior executives), flying them nonstop to destinations around the globe. Meanwhile, Four Seasons has folded air travel into its high-end hotel experience, offering its own scheduled private jet service. A sample 24-day itinerary: Start in Los Angeles and fly to London via the South Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, India and eastern Europe. The line between luxury travel and plush accommodations has never been blurrier. The cost: around $130,000. Hotel JAL City Kannai Yokohama

Airline Passenger Experience Association

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Entertainment

apex experience

Fool Me Once

Visit us at apex.aero

See our 2015 roundup of April Fool’s Day pranks > apex.aero/PRANKS

The airline industry loves a good prank: When airline spoofs go viral, they not only give the pranksters wings, but returns on marketing go through the roof as well. by Jenn Wint | illustration Marcelo Cáceres

When BLAH airlines released its fivehour-46-minute-and-nine-second video of “BLAH Airlines Flight 101” and invited viewers to tune in to a long boring flight, ironically, travelers paid attention. Engagement over social media garnered 75,000 video views within 24 hours. The spoof airline satirized common complaints about flying, indicating “seats fit most legs,” and that while ice is available only on select routes, “there are armrests.” Virgin America was behind the campaign and it successfully got everyone talking. BLAH social media accounts are still updated periodically and continue to engage customers, tongue-in-cheek. Virgin was able to showcase not only its sense of humor, but its understanding of the issues that accompany flights. “There is a need

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for airlines to differentiate to remain top of mind with customers,” explains Shashank Nigam, founder and CEO of SimpliFlying. “Airlines like BLAH build curiosity.” Curiosity leads to amusement, and smiles lead to sales. April Fool’s Day may be one of the more anticipated holidays in the airline industry. Pranksters no doubt begin plotting thoughtful and clever schemes well in advance. The WestJet video advertising “Kargo Kids,” released in 2012, allows guests to check their children, along with their luggage, into a “special VIP area” of the aircraft. WestJet followed up in 2014 by updating its flight times to “metric time.” An official video talks passengers through the (not so) simple process of deciphering the easy new flight times. Both videos were

shared thousands of times, piquing the curiosity of potential travelers. Sir Richard Branson partnered with homeautomation company Nest for an April Fool’s spoof in 2014, advertising personalized climates for passengers onboard Virgin flights. Options such as “Cancun Afternoon” and “Chicago Polar Vortex” intrigued many, and fooled even more. These pranks generate engagement, delighting customers and driving them to the WestJet and Virgin social channels. They demonstrate the culture of airlines willing to laugh with their passengers and differentiate themselves from other brands. So, the next time you hear about cargo compartments for checked-in kids, remember, it might actually be too good to be true.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Services

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Visit us at apex.aero

Pan Am Fan Clubs

See the Pan Am Experience gallery > apex.aero/panam

Twenty-four years after the demise of the legendary airline, Pan American World Airways is still riding on the coattails of Jet Age nostalgia. by Caroline Ku

pan am virtual museum Everything Pan Am is a virtual museum run by Kelly Cusack, who started at the airline as a baggage handler and made his way up to the executive level. Cusack owns more than 5,000 items of Pan Am memorabilia, and his website painstakingly archives any aircraft, object, group or piece of history associated with Pan Am.

The Pan Am Experience by Air Hollywood reenacts every aspect of what it was like to travel as a Pan Am passenger â&#x20AC;&#x201C; except for the actual flight. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because the 747 jumbo jet is actually a movie set in Northeast San Fernando Valley. Anthony Toth, the visionary behind the time-warped journey, is meticulous about getting every detail right. Flight attendants are dressed in the original uniforms and a four-course meal is served on the same china that was used in the 1970s. Toth even had the boarding passes replicated, down to the type of paper they were printed on. Tickets for this novelty experience run from $277-$345, but most spots currently left are for the waiting list.

pan am lounge

pan am bags Having been photographed toting a Pan Am bag, The Beatles, John F. Kennedy and Judy Garland might have boosted the carryall to celebrity status, but in the 1960s, it was a symbol of sophistication and worldliness. Once exclusive to Pan Am passengers, the signature bags are now available to everyone. 34

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Pan Am memorabilia is still sought after by avid fans, and catalogued for others to view and enjoy on virtual online museums like Everything Pan Am.

Natascha Bonnermann thought she had traveled back in time when she set foot in the Pan Am Lounge, a 10th-floor penthouse overlooking West Berlin where Pan Am pilots, flight attendants and members of the elite used to wind down. The furniture, the bar, even the ashtrays had been immaculately preserved. The lounge was mostly abandoned until Bonnermann took it upon herself to revive the penthouse in 2005. Today, the Pan Am Lounge hosts private parties and events that include food, entertainment and staff dressed as flight attendants and pilots. Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: courtesy of Mike Kelley / Air Hollywood; Pan Am Brands; Latinstock

pan am experience

Improve your flight experienceâ&#x20AC;Ś Rate your travel experience! By filling out the Passenger Choice Awards survey, www.passengerchoiceawards.com, travelers can now provide direct feedback on every aspect of flying, including the inflight publications, connectivity and communications, food and beverage, informational videos and entertainment, cabin ambiance, and pre-departure experience.

www.passengerchoiceawards.com For helpful travel tips, become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PassengerChoiceAwards

Slow Tech Blankets, carpets or safety cards may not seem highly evolved, but the technological advances of low-tech cabin features are often more impressive than most realize.

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Slow Tech

crew uniforms

While many elements of the aircraft cabin might appear dated – and sometimes downright out of place – much of the technology you see onboard has gone through subtle upgrades throughout the decades. We take a look at the slow tech of low tech. by Terri Potratz and Katie Sehl | illustration Alexandre Affonso

While most uniforms today have become decidedly more relaxed, how an airline outfits its crew has a lot to say about the brand message and personality it’s trying to convey to its passengers. And we’re still seeing top fashion designers jumping into the fray with custom “couture” creations for fashionsavvy airlines.

in-flight magazines

airsickness bags

safety cards

small plastics

Traditional magazines may not have changed much over the years, but the production processes that go into publishing them have certainly gone high-tech – just ask the APEX Media team that produces this very magazine from no fewer than five offices around the world. Plus, most magazines now offer supplemental content through digital platforms and airline apps.

Introduced in the 1920s, the first barf bags were made of paper and likely lined with wax. A plastic-lined version followed in 1949. Since then, numerous other airsickness bags have been introduced, with seemingly no consensus as to design. Further developments over the years include tamperproof tearoff tabs and resealable features such as adhesive panels and drawstrings.

Making their debut in the 1920s, early safety cards only had text; illustrations did not appear until the 1940s. Today, laminated or plastic cards use color to highlight crucial information. Too much color, studies have found, is distracting. Research has also shown that illustrations, rather than photographs or text, are more effective at communicating vital information.

A commercial aircraft cabin can contain up to 2,500 pounds of flammable molded parts. Plastic seat trim, window shades and numerous other small interior components are not required to pass heat release rate tests. But new nano-composite technology is making for safer cabin interiors: Minuscule clay particles are incorporated into the plastic to reduce flammability.

lighting

blankets

gaspers

ashtrays

Beyond improvements in efficiencies, power consumption, lifespan and weight maximization, modern lighting systems are less expensive and offer more options than older systems. Tunable lighting offers an array of colors to choose from, so airlines can adjust the mood during different stages of their flights.

In recent years, fleece has been popular for its economical and environmentally friendly properties. Taking blanket tech to the next level, British Airways’ “happiness blanket” is woven with fiber optics and uses neuro-sensors to measure a person’s brainwaves, changing colors to reflect the wearer’s moods in order to help staff refine their service.

While the passenger ventilation nozzles above you may not have changed much in appearance over the years, the air coming through them sure has. Aside from advancements in the overall aircraft environmental control systems, the HEPA filters catch between 94 and 99.9 percent of airborne microbes, according to Boeing.

The presence of ashtrays in lavatories have led some passengers to speculate that the aircraft they’re on pre-dates the ban of in-flight smoking. Smoking bans began on US flights in 1988, but today even the newest aircraft are required by the FAA to have ashtrays installed in the lavatories – just in case a rogue smoker decides to break the law.

tray table arms

carpeting

large plastics

Tray table arms have traditionally been made from die-cast or machined aluminum, a heavy material that adds to the weight of the aircraft. Recent studies have explored the potential of using a carbon fiber composite that would be more cost-effective and up to 50 times lighter than the aluminum, while providing a similar level of stability and maneuverability.

Wool continues to be a popular fiber in aircraft carpets thanks to its anti-flammability properties and ability to reduce environmental humidity. However, synthetic fibers, such as continuous filament nylon, have become popular as a costeffective option that is not only stain repellent and easier to clean, but also weighs less and is more durable.

The large paneled walls you rest your head against might look forever unchanged, but there have been extreme advancements in the development of high-temperature fire-resistant plastics for stowage bins, ceilings and cabin partitions. Fire-safe polymers are a traditional choice, but the FAA is also exploring the use of fire-resistant resin coatings.

Skycast Solutions Fuels the Tablet Revolution with the Latest in Portable IFE. The most capable low cost portable IFE device is powered by Windows and flying high on Alaska Airlines.

Alaska needed a portable IFE solution that met the quickly changing demands of their customers and one that would integrate seamlessly with their connected cabin. They looked to Skycast, together with Microsoft and Toshiba, to develop a cutting edge device that packed robust capabilities along with a stunning entertainment experience. Sophisticated user-interface including multi-tasking. Seamless Wi-Fi integration with onboard server or internet connection. Early window movies, TV, Xbox® games, music, maps, and much more. Complete program management available.

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apex experience

The Game Plane

Connectivity

See The Game Plane in action online at > apex.aero/ gameplane

There have been several travel-themed game shows over the years – The Amazing Race and Discovery Channel’s award-winning Cash Cab are two recent examples – but no one has taken the show inside the cabin of an actual airplane until now. by Tomás Romero illustration Francisco Olea

When it comes to game-show concepts in the Internet age, nothing is off-limits. There are Japanese game shows featuring human bowling and marshmallow face torture. The US version of Man vs. Beast features such bizarre standoffs as champion competitiveeater Takeru Kobayashi facing off with an Alaskan brown bear in a hot dog eating contest, and a team of 44 little people pulling a DC-10 in a race against an elephant. And in 2013, a popular Pakistani game show actually gifted winning contestants with orphaned babies. Hosted by game-show veteran Mark L. Walberg, The Game Plane, produced by Alpine Labs, debuted in syndication in September 2014 and has been flying high with viewers and passengers ever since. Which is a good thing, since passengers are a key ingredient in making the show work. Filmed in real time on actual Allegiant Air flights with passengers as both contestants and the “studio” audience, players are selected by a random draw of cards that are Airline Passenger Experience Association

dealt to them before boarding the airplane. If a passenger’s card is selected, that individual gets to play the game in flight. “It’s a complete surprise and their reactions are a big part of the show,” says Allegiant Air’s director of marketing communications, Jessica Wheeler. “[Passengers’] reactions when they arrive at the airport and find out a television show is going to be filmed on their flight are priceless.” Equally priceless, says Wheeler, are the unscripted “TV moments” that come with shooting a game show in a packed airplane cabin. “One of the most unique things to happen on the show was a surprise [marriage] proposal by a gentleman who was a grand-prize winner. The winner and his girlfriend were on their way to Las Vegas and ... once they won that flight’s grand prize, he decided to propose right then and there, and our camera crew was able to catch it all.” Using special, smaller-sized cameras, some of which have never been used for a

TV show, The Game Plane crew abides by the same safety regulations as the passengers. And sometimes, those restrictions make for the best parts of the show. Particularly popular with fans is the show’s hilarious “turbulence games,” which passengers play from their seats when the fasten seatbelt sign is illuminated. The brainchild of Alpine Labs’ principal Kevin Abrams, The Game Plane, says Wheeler, had an estimated seven million to 10 million viewers in its first season, and is currently gearing up for season two. But Wheeler says the show has proved to be a huge hit for the low-cost carrier in other ways as well. “The Game Plane presents a unique branding opportunity for Allegiant,” says Wheeler. “We consider ourselves innovators in the industry, and The Game Plane is an extension of that innovation. We are always looking for interesting ways to increase brand awareness and associate Allegiant with fun and travel, [and] The Game Plane does just that.” volume 5, edition 3

Connectivity

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Race for Ratings Why are media often so quick to get it wrong when it comes to breaking airline news? We examine how industry complexities, social media, the connected cabin and shorter news cycles can result in a culture of misinformation. by Brett Snyder illustration Hope Little

Say the words “airline industry” to those in the media, and you’ll see them start to salivate. But say “media” to those in the airline industry and you’ll hear groans. The media has long loved to cover even the most insignificant details when it comes to air travel but, very often, they don’t cover it well. The media loves the airline industry because the general public has a vested interest. That translates into improved revenues. Millions of people are impacted by what happens in the airline industry. And those who aren’t? They still love a good airline story. The Internet and 24-hour news networks have shortened the news cycle, making a compelling story like an emergency landing a shoo-in. Just ask CNN, which saw ratings spike during its near-constant coverage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 for weeks after it disappeared. With such interest in the industry, it’s no surprise that air travel stories get covered in greater detail than many others. Yet it is a very complex industry, and that makes it easy to get things wrong. This is compounded by the fact that fewer and fewer knowledgeable reporters are employed by these news outlets. In a race for ratings, the reporters that remain may turn to people with questionable credentials to fill in the gaps, especially when breaking news is involved.

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Why? Because those with the most accurate information and most rational views aren’t going to provide the same type of wild speculation that fuels the ratings. Instead, the media get talking heads who are promoting their next book or selling consulting services. With outlets in such a hurry to find a different perspective, they’ll turn to social media. Today, you may even see someone on an airplane with Wi-Fi “reporting” on an in-flight incident, bringing back memories of the Die Hard 2 report-byAirfone. Such onboard spectators may rightfully feel anxious, but they don’t

necessarily know the facts about what is happening, or how serious the situation may be. In a world where speed is most important, accuracy takes a back seat. As far as the public is concerned, airlines are evil. They charge too much and provide a miserable experience. The reality is far more complex, but people are predisposed to blame airlines when things go wrong. When it comes to breaking news? Every emergency landing is a harrowing experience that might well end in tragedy. Of course, that’s a much more ratings-grabbing story anyway. And it’s all about ratings.

news bloopers

These aviation news blunders stand out as particularly unsavory. When AirAsia QZ8501 was still missing, CNN’s aviation analyst Mary Schiavo claimed, “At this point, given it was extremely bad weather, the chances of this being some sort of terrorist activity are very small because most terrorist activities take place in good weather.”

Following the 2013 crash of Asiana flight 214 in San Francisco, a KTVU news reporter became an all-tooeasy victim of a prank by reading out racially offensive names for the pilots on live broadcast, then assuring the names had been verified by the NTSB.

Washington Post contributor A.L. Bardach purported in a 2007 article that the death of Carol Anne Gotbaum at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport was due to US Airways’ overbooking policy. The airline responded days later with an apt correction to these claims.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

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Fly It Forward

Follow Fly It Forward on Twitter > @FLYITFORWARD

Aimed at addressing gender disparities in the airline industry, femalefocused initiatives and organizations provide aspiring women with networks of encouragement and support. by Kendall Green

On March 8, 1910, Raymonde de la Roche, an experienced French balloonist and engineer, became the first woman in history to earn her pilot’s license. Almost 100 years later, in late 2009, a French pilot named Mireille Goyer searched worldwide for events planned in celebration of de la Roche’s landmark centennial anniversary, but with no success. Alarmed at the discovery, Goyer launched Fly It Forward in 2010, a global initiative designed to expose women and girls to aviation by inviting them to experience flight in a small aircraft for the first time. Leveraged through social media, Fly It Forward challenged active

pilots to spark an interest in aviation among women by conducting a Fly It Forward flight at their local airport or by funding one. In 2011, the project grew into the Women of Aviation Worldwide Week initiative. According to the FAA, in the two decades between 1960 and 1980, the number of licensed female pilots in the United States shot up from 4,218 to 26,896. However, by 2010, the number of female pilots had only marginally increased to 27,451. Today in the US, women represent only seven percent of for-hire pilots, and of the one million licensed pilots worldwide, only 50,000 are female.

Recent studies have shown that women face gender-related obstacles on their career paths and the disparity between female and male aviation professionals has much to do with the industry’s “for male only” image. Significant efforts are being made worldwide to correct the perception of the industry by encouraging women to consider aviation as a career. Women in Aviation International (WAI) is a nonprofit organization that offers educational outreach programs, mentorship and scholarships to young women and men. Each year, WAI awards multiple recipients with scholarships at their annual conference, with total scholarship values reaching as high as $600,000. And these efforts go beyond the WAI’s initiatives: The International Society of Women Airline Pilots, which originally formed as a social club in 1977, aims to encourage camaraderie and informational exchange among its members, while Girls With Wings was born out of the frustration of a female pilot who looked everywhere for, but couldn’t find, aviation-themed toys aimed at young girls. The Girls With Wings’ fuchsia-andpurple-themed website is dedicated to promoting aviation to young girls through books, colorful screen savers and coloring activities, all available online for purchase or free download.

[ABOVE] Young girls hitch a plane ride during Women of Aviation Week [LEFT] Raymonde de la Roche

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Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: latinstock; women of aviation week

Services

Application development specialists for in-flight entertainment and communications systems. Our software is installed on hundreds of aircraft and used by thousands of passengers every day in every corner of the world all in their own languages. Applications we have developed allow passengers to view their location on the map, watch on-demand video & audio, play games, go shopping, reserve a hotel, car or just browse for information all from 30,000ft. Established in 1998 with development facilities in Chichester, UK and Lake Forest, CA and a team of over 40 experienced developers we provide unrivalled expertise in the IFEC industry.

Apex 1-2 Hor.indd 1

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MEMBER ACCESS It is the APEX mission to offer members a wide range of opportunities to excel in the airline passenger experience industry by keeping them current with the latest industry news, trends and developments, and providing the means to foster a communicative relationship with clients and colleagues around the world.

2014-09-22 4:47 PM

APEX EXPO This is the industry’s largest trade show, featuring 250 exhibitors and thousands of the latest in-flight products, systems and services. MULTIMEDIA MARKET Attend the only global industry event focused specifically on bringing together in-flight content buyers and leading providers of short-subject programming, TV, movies, games, GUIs and apps. REGIONAL CONFERENCES Participate in interactive sessions around the world, led by industry experts and early adopters as they share their knowledge on issues related to comprehensive, high-interest passenger experience-related topics. TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCES Join industry leaders in creating quality and compatibility standards.

APEX.AERO The members-only section of the APEX website includes the Member Directory, a virtual “who’s who” of the airline passenger experience industry, as well as educational reference materials, research reports, event transcripts and video presentations. APEX MEDIA In addition to the bimonthly publication of the magazine, APEX will be refocusing our online media presence in the coming months to provide members with a comprehensive platform on which to connect, interact and contribute. For association and industry news, follow @theAPEXassoc on Twitter

Catering

apex experience

Influential Neighbors

Read Gardete’s full report online > apex.aero/gardete

Encouraging more “I’ll have what she’s having” moments onboard may be the key to stimulating more in-flight purchases. by Jason Kessler | illustration Marcelo Cáceres

Here’s some literal food for thought: 30 percent of airline passengers will make an onboard purchase if the person sitting next to them buys something first. It’s a phenomenon called “product contagion” and, according to a recent Stanford University marketing study, it means that if airlines can figure out how to sell something to that first passenger, they can almost guarantee another sale to one in three adjacent passengers. This study, authored by marketer Pedro M. Gardete, could be the golden ticket for airlines looking to boost their in-flight revenue.

Middle seat passengers are least likely to make a purchase, followed by window seat and aisle seat passengers.

Passengers in aisle seats and near the front of the aircraft are the most likely to buy.

16% 16% of 16% people on average

will make a purchase on an airplane.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

In-flight sales increase with flight duration and the number of passengers.

Delays generate higher in-flight purchases but only when the cause of the delay is not the airline’s responsibility.

There are more purchases on evening flights than on flights departing at any other time of day.

To come up with his results, Gardete studied in-flight purchases on US domestic routes of a single North American airline. By using passenger data to focus exclusively on solo travelers, and tracking their purchases (food, alcoholic beverages and movies) via touchscreen, Gardete was able to isolate the buying behavior of economy-class passengers. The study revealed what factors make people buy things on flights, and the results are fascinating. According to the study, the most likely passengers to make an in-flight purchase are those sitting in aisle seats toward the front of the plane on long night flights. In

What else influences onboard sales? Nicole Huang, JetBlue’s Manager of OnBoard Experience, fills us in: “It depends on the day of the week, the departure time, even the route. Take JFK, for example: Terminal 5 [has] great concessions, so flights leaving JFK will sometimes see lower sales versus flights coming back from Los Angeles, where customers might not have as many options on the ground.”

fact, for every 10 minutes a flight is in the air, purchases rise by four percent. Delays make a major difference in purchasing too, but only those caused by weather or the National Airspace System. That’s because those delays don’t come with mealcompensation vouchers that cannibalize onboard sales. Terminal food options absolutely impact onboard sales as well, which leads Gardete to make a great point: “Making coupons available to both airport terminal and in-flight purchases is valuable.” When airlines give passengers the choice of using vouchers onboard, that means they’re able to make more money instead of the terminal restaurants. So how can an airline incite the most in-flight purchases? On flights that get delayed, offer discounts to middle-seat passengers toward the front of the plane. They’re the least likely to buy on their own, but the most influential in terms of fellow-flyer purchases. Get them to buy and onboard sales are bound to take off.

IF middle passenger orders...

5.8%

8.7%

5.8% 5.8%

8.7% 8.7%

THEN lateral neighbor purchases increase.

Middle seat purchase probability is equal to 10.1% in cases where passengers see one neighbor buy, and increases to 26.3% whenever they see two neighbors buy (shows conformity).

Middle seat passengers are the most likely to influence lateral behavior: A purchase by a middle seat passenger increases the purchase probability of her aisle and window seat neighbors by 8.7% and 5.8% respectively.

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Instability

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Conflict Zones Cooperation, along with stronger systems of worldwide communication and accountability, are crucial to maintaining safe and secure airspaces. We examine how airlines, sovereign states and organizations are working together to enhance security in volatile regions. by Maryann Simson | illustration Jorge de la Paz

Follow the author on Twitter > @JETWAYMJ

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 3

Instability

apex experience

mong those taking the lead to establish strategies for the mitigation of conflict-related threats to civil aviation are the Airports Council International (ACI), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). While these three groups, along with more than 190 member states, have always been responsible for the safety of passenger air travel, several recent events – particularly the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 on July 17, 2014, allegedly due to shelling from antiaircraft artillery while flying over Eastern Ukraine – have jolted each into urgently evaluating existing safety protocols. “While aviation is the safest form of transport, the MH17 incident has raised troubling concerns with respect to civilian aircraft operating to, from and over conflict zones,” read a statement released jointly by ICAO, IATA, ACI and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) in the wake of the tragedy. “We have met at ICAO with collective resolve to urgently review the issues and potential responses to be pursued. As a first step, states have been reminded by ICAO of their responsibilities to address any potential risks to civil aviation in their airspace.”

ABV

Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, Nigeria Hub for: Arik Air, IRS Airlines, Overland Airways

volume 5, edition 3

Visit us at apex.aero

ALP

Aleppo International Airport Aleppo, Syria Hub for: Syrian Air

TIP

Tripoli International Airport Tripoli, Libya Hub for: Afriqiyah Airways, Buraq Air, Libyan Airlines

task force

icao conference

Indeed, sovereign states are responsible for ensuring the safety of civil aviation operations in their delegated airspace; and airspace users have the ultimate responsibility to decide where they are able to operate safely in a given region. But MH17 has highlighted, most painfully, that more must be done. As a result of the initial meeting referred to in the aforementioned joint statement, the Task Force on Risks to Civil Aviation arising from Conflict Zones (TFRCZ) was established and quickly set about looking for ways to close up some jarring gaps in communication between the three “I-groups,” corporations and the member states. The TFRCZ has convened numerous times since July, and has put together an action plan outlining nearly 20 individual tasks and assigning their direction to either organization, corporation or state. When completed, these tasks are expected to produce more than a dozen positive outcomes, ranging from the development of “best practice guidance for conducting risk assessments for civil aircraft operations over or near conflict zones” to the consolidation of available information as it relates to conflict zones in a centralized system accessible to all relevant stakeholders, and the development of “best practices on the provision of information to passengers and flight crew regarding the use of airspace over or near conflict zones.”

This past February, the results of the task force’s recent work were presented at the ICAO High-Level Safety Conference in Montreal. “As safety is our top priority, it is fitting that ACI World opened the year with the ICAO High-Level Safety Conference,” explains Angela Gittens, director general of ACI. “This took place February 2–5 at ICAO’s headquarters in Montreal and attracted some 600 ministers, directors general of civil aviation and other senior delegates from around the world.” In addition to reviewing the current aviation safety system, the conference addressed several issues, including the future management of airspace safety, finding better ways to facilitate regional cooperation, assessing risks posed by conflict zones and exploring the possible establishment of improved global aircraft tracking systems. “ACI will work assiduously with the regulators and industry colleagues to ensure that the outcomes from the conference meet the objectives of airports as they contribute to an ever safer industry,” she continues. >

Airline Passenger Experience Association

ZODIAC INFLIGHT INNOVATIONS AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS Entertainment & Seat Technologies

Instability

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Visit us at apex.aero

A Timeline of Incidents

January 2013 Syria Aleppo International Airport closes.

October 2011 Libya

April 2012 Libya

December 2012 Syria

January 2014 Syria

May 16, 2014 Libya

Tripoli International Airport reopens.

Libyan government forces “officially” regain control of Tripoli International Airport.

Passenger flights suspended at Aleppo International Airport in Syria, due to fighting in the region.

The Syrian military regains shaky control of Aleppo International Airport and surrounding area. Airfield reopens, but not all airlines resume service.

Authorities close Benina International Airport in Benghazi after clashes between militias and army troops kill and wound several people.

safety in the field While it’s reassuring, on one hand, to know that aviation’s governing bodies are developing stronger systems of industrywide communication and accountability, the directives that they are discussing now will take months and even years to implement. In the meantime, thousands of flights are still departing from, arriving in and flying over areas of instability and conflict every day. Turkish Airlines is one of the most ambitious airlines in the world today and operates within Star Alliance (the largest global network), yet the country it calls home borders war-torn Iraq and Syria to the south and sits across the Black Sea from annexed Crimea and Russian-occupied Ukraine. The Turkish people, and to an even greater extent the passengers that Turkish Airlines carries, are a vast mix of ethnicities and religions – something the airline tries to celebrate and respect in the face of all the socio-political and religious conflict bubbling up around it. Ali Genc, senior vice-president of media relations at Turkish Airlines, is confident in Turkey’s ability to keep Islamic State militants from crossing its southern border, and is also sure that the airline is completely up to date on the security status of each of its operational locations. Turkish Airlines weighs safety risks 50

Jinnah International Airport in Karachi is attacked by heavily armed militants. There are 36 casualties and 18 injured in the siege.

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constantly in an effort to provide seamless service in as many areas as possible.

risk analysis “To successfully serve destinations in said ‘troubled’ areas, one must closely cooperate with the relevant state authorities and strictly follow the NOTAMs [Notice to Airmen] issued,” Genc tells us in an exclusive interview. “As long as an airline has successfully conducted its risk analysis and assured the security of its flights and passengers, serving such areas will not be dramatically difficult.” That said, Turkish Airlines will not hesitate to terminate flights in and over any specific area where the situation becomes too risky. For example, Aleppo International Airport in Syria closed its doors January 2013 because of civil war. The Syrian military eventually regained control of that area, and the airport has been operating again since January 2014, but without Turkish Airlines. “We are following the developments in the country,” says Genc, adding that just because the doors are open, it does not mean that Turkish Airlines will resume flights. “We don’t have a strict plan to resume our flights unless the armed conflict in the country will be terminated.” In Libya, the situation is similar. Tripoli International Airport has been closed since

Mosul International Airport falls under the control of Islamic State militants. All flights are suspended.

July 2014, as the facilities and runway were badly damaged during the civil war. Limited flights to and from Tripoli are now using Mitiga International Airport, but with severe travel advisories still in place from states around the world, Turkish Airlines isn’t convinced. It has terminated this service, saying that flights to Libya will resume only when it seems that the necessary security conditions exist. In March 2015, UAE carriers Emirates, Etihad and flydubai suspended flights to Erbil, Iraq indefinitely after seeing a decline in security and stability in the region. Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines expanded their service to Nigeria (Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja) despite the growing regional presence of Boko Haram – a group largely considered to be one of the world’s most violent active terror cells. Genc says that Turkish Airlines conducted all necessary risk analysis prior to commencing the service, but he is also hoping that one day soon such stringent risk assessments won’t be as necessary. “It is clear that strong cooperation in the aviation industry – covering all the airlines, service providers and relevant state authorities – is crucial to prevent any inconvenience concerning aviation security,” says Genc. “At Turkish Airlines, we are very optimistic for the future. We believe that humankind is good in nature and that a Kantian ‘Perpetual Peace’ … will be one day possible.” Airline Passenger Experience Association

/ Pravda DPR

Tripoli International Airport closes after the United Nations Security Council establishes a “no-fly” zone over all of Libya.

June 9, 2014 Iraq

photos: AFP; ODD anderson/afp; STR/AFP; Manan Vatsyayana/AFP;

June 8, 2014 Pakistan

March 2011 Libya

Instability

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January 26, 2015 Iraq

July 17, 2014 Ukraine

August 2014 Iraq

All 283 passengers and 15 crew onboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 are killed when the aircraft is brought down, allegedly by missile, near Russia.

Gunshots pierce a flydubai B737-800 as it lands at Baghdad International Airport. No injuries are reported, but flydubai and other airlines cancel flights in and out of Baghdad.

US and European governing bodies advise airlines not to fly below 30,000 feet in Iraqi airspace.

March 19, 2015 Libya Fighter jets from Libya’s internationally recognized government bomb Mitiga International Airport.

July 14, 2014 Libya

July 22, 2014 Israel

January 21, 2015 Ukraine

February 20, 2015 Libya

March 19, 2015 Yemen

Tripoli International Airport plays host to a battle between rival militia, forcing it to close again. Around 90% of facilities and 20 aircraft are destroyed.

All American carriers, as well as several EU-based airlines, temporarily suspend flights to Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv after a rocket lands nearby.

Ukrainian forces lose control of Donetsk International Airport to Russian-backed rebels. All flights are halted and the airport is destroyed.

Labraq International Airport is struck by six missiles sent by ISIS from nearby city Derna.

Aden International Airport is attacked by soldiers, armed vehicles and tanks, resulting in several casualties. Ground attacks are followed by an air strike, halting all airport traffic.

A Different Type of Threat Competing with armed conflict for international headlines over the past 12 months was the West African Ebola outbreak, first detected in March 2014. This, the most severe outbreak of the Ebola virus in history, has served to highlight the importance of sound guidelines and uniform protocol for safety in aviation.

Ebola-affected countries

Servair (an Air France subsidiary) is the third-largest airline caterer in the world and is particularly strong on the African continent, operating 21 production units there. “The panic which gripped the continent following the detection of the Ebola virus reduced our turnover significantly, whether within the continent or toward other destinations in the world,” reports Laurent Hermet, vice-president African operations for Servair.

Countries with travel bans in place

Airlines suspending flights

Korean Air Temporarily halts service to Kenya.

Cameroon Suspends all flights from Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Guinea.

British Airways

Nigeriaʼs Arik Air

Nigeria

Emirates

Kenya Bans travelers coming from or through Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

Servair operates only one production center in Nigeria, which the World Health Organization declared Ebola-free last October. In addition to standard company-wide cleaning and disinfection procedures, specific measures were put in place at the airline’s flight-catering unit in Lagos. Throughout the crisis, the washing and disinfecting of hands was reinforced as a systematic and compulsory compliance, and visitors entering the facility were required to complete a questionnaire and submit to a body temperature check. Despite the loss in revenue caused by last year’s Ebola scare in Lagos, Hermet says that the incident just went to prove the company’s diligence and capability in the face of any threat. “It also brought out Servair’s added value in such a non-reassuring environment,” he says. “For the duration of the crisis, all Servair centers continued to function and to serve all the customers.” At airports and at your destination: Avoid direct physical contact with anyone who is displaying the symptoms of Ebola. Use alcohol rub throughout the day. When hands are visibly dirty use soap and water.

Guinea Sierra Leone Liberia

ASKY Airlines Cancels flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Seek prompt medical attention if you have Ebola symptoms. Kenya Airways All flights from Sierra Leone and Liberia are suspended.

(World Health Organization)

volume 5, edition 3

Q&A

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

With the digital transformation, airlines need to embrace new ways of knowing their passengers.

â&#x20AC;?

volume 5, edition 3

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Q&A

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> Fast Facts Frequent Flight:

GVA – LHR

François Rodriguez

Now Reading:

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Years in Industry:

5 in IFC

The future of flight will be:

Teleportation

Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer SITA OnAir

photo: Courtesy of SITA OnAir

François has marketing and management degrees from universities in the UK and Switzerland and over 15 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. In 2010, he joined OnAir as director of Strategy and Marketing and is now driving the global marketing strategy of the “e-Aircraft.”

To read François’ full Q&A, please visit us online at > apex.aero/ FrancoisRodriguez

Airline Passenger Experience Association

hat do you think is the most overlooked aspect of the passenger experience? Certainly hospitality, as it is innate to the business. Many airlines refer to their passengers as guests. However, others are still not fully aware of the importance of treating them well. Above everything, passengers are customers who expect a fulfilling experience at all touch points, from their online flight purchase to a pleasant passenger experience onboard. What’s the best seat on the plane? Definitely the one that allows you to randomly meet interesting people. I recall a flight to Los Angeles a while ago where I spent the entire flight speaking to my seatmate, a data scientist who was heading to a conference at UCLA. The conversation ended up being an amazing exchange of ideas. We both had such a great time and we were surprised once we realized we were about to land. Time literally flew by! What is the most effective way for an airline or brand to connect emotionally with the passenger? Have you had an experience like this? It is very pleasant to be recognized as a customer and be offered special or personalized services. With the digital transformation, airlines need to embrace new ways of knowing their passengers. For instance, customer preferences, frequent flyer status and birthdate are at your fingertips on

the CrewTablet application that SITA OnAir has developed. Let’s picture a common situation: When you book a restaurant for the birthday of one of your relatives, you need to order the cake beforehand because the restaurant is not aware of this fact. But a connected airline could surprise you in flight with a cake for your birthday. That data scientist I met on a previous flight to Los Angeles had his birthday that day, and the airline did not spot that! First travel memory? Barcelona, 1987. Before the Olympics, the city had an amazing cultural scene and a genuine character, as certain areas such as Barceloneta or Raval were still unspoiled and remained true to their origins. Four friends and I spent a whole week exploring the nooks and crannies of one of my favorite cities. One of the great memories I recall is that after spending eight hours on a train wagon with an out-of-order restaurant, we arrived and just dropped our bags at the hostel and spent the day eating and drinking at the restaurant El Rey de la Gamba near the beach. At the time, social media didn’t exist, so we couldn’t use it to complain about the train experience! Secret tip to save time at the airport? Use a mobile boarding pass and don’t check in luggage. What do you miss most about home when you’re traveling? Being with my girl gang at home (two daughters and my wife). volume 5, edition 3

apex experience

Language

Language and tone are powerful tools: Taglines and buzzwords can attract quality staff and convert potential customers into sales, but a brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s language is more than what is written on its website. by Jenn Wint

If it matters to you, it matters to us

Can you match the slogan to the correct airline? Visit > APEX.AERO/SLOGAN to check your answers.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 3

Language

apex experience

o often it’s not just the words we choose that affect how we’re perceived by the world, but how we use them. Tonal or contextual elements are woven into a brand’s culture and influence more than marketing material. Language can determine how employees – or “team members” – interact with customers – or “guests.” Language is used to create, inform and sustain company culture. Airlines use it to attract customers and staff, and to solidify their brands within a competitive industry.

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[From TOP to BOTTOM] JetBlue, Air Canada Rouge and Southwest staff show their corporate colors and branded flair.

shining personalities

“I am a big believer in the power of language to change the world. The way we communicate, whether verbally, digitally or physically, has a massive effect on how we work, live and learn.” Richard Branson 56

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The airline presents a holiday vibe, fun flights with smiley, hat-clad staff to the destination of your choice, at an affordable price. This differs from the traditional Air Canada brand, marketed toward the frequent-flyer or business traveler. The two brands offer essentially the same service, but passengers looking for a relaxed, holiday atmosphere may opt for the laidback vibe of Rouge over the buttoned-up traditional airline whose emphasis is on efficiency. This allows Air Canada to market across different genres of travelers, tailoring to their specific tastes while retaining high quality across the brands.

“There is a difference between informal and casual versus professional and unprofessional,” says Harteveldt. “Interactions [on a lighthearted carrier] may be more casual, but that doesn’t mean they are less professional.”

consistent messaging Shashank Nigam, founder and CEO of SimpliFlying, believes language consistency plays an important role in the strength of an airline’s brand. “Language comes across in every brand touch point,” he says. “When an airline makes a disruption announcement, it must do so in the language its brand has created.” > Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: jetblue; air Canada; Southwest airlines

“Words matter, especially as we see new generations of employees and managers enter the workforce and older generations begin to retire,” explains Henry Harteveldt, travel industry analyst and founder of Atmosphere Research Group. “Our society in general, at least in most western cultures, has become more casual and less hierarchical. Employees, especially Millennials and Generation Y, prefer a more casual tone of voice. Often, employees are not only allowed but encouraged to let their real personalities shine through.” In 2013, Air Canada introduced its leisure airline Air Canada Rouge, a wholly owned Air Canada subsidiary. Rouge tells passengers, “Your trip begins the moment you board.”

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Often, a brand creates its own language for staff and passengers, to showcase its unique personality. Initiation for JetBlue trainees, or “Baby Blues,” focuses on developing their “Jettitude.” Training points include being thankful, as well as engaging and personal. Taking time to educate staff on the business and mandate of the brand solidifies the team mentality from the get-go. According to Harteveldt, the new generation of leader wants to work for a company where there is direct communication and where interactions are more open. “Culture has become more transparent,” he adds. The inclusive culture that staff are initiated into filters quickly through to passengers. Using language exclusive to their airline creates a sense of community, encouraging passengers to align themselves with the quirky attitude of JetBlue.

buzz words In 2014, Southwest Airlines rebranded to include a heart in its logo. Its press announcement stated, “Our collective heartbeat is stronger and healthier than ever,” going on to highlight warmth,

compassion and smiles. This language suggests attitude and culture are favored over fast flights and cheap tickets. The airline’s buzzword is “luv,” and it spreads it to employees through recognition programs and directly to passengers through the vibe on Southwest flights. Its marketing emphasizes soft language; words like “warmth,” “friendly” and “spirit” convey to passengers the experience they can expect onboard. This cheery language doesn’t suit all airlines, and fun isn’t what all are looking to achieve. Many passengers favor a traditional, business-like approach on an established airline. Legacy airlines, the older generation that have been developing their brands for a long time, have opted to retain their corporate tone and attract customers who prefer a more formal approach. As a preferred airline for business travelers, Virgin Atlantic believes the experience of getting there is just as important as the destination. The quality of service remains high, and the airline’s language suggests a premium experience,

The Language of Business

Language

Getting Personal Traditionally, airlines have been formal in their customer communications, but airline marketing has evolved to include different modes of decorum to appropriately meet customer expectations in various settings. It’s essential for brands to establish a rapport with their customers, making them feel welcome by making personal connections. In premium classes, cabin crew may still address passengers as Mr., Mrs. and Ms., but many passengers now prefer a first-name basis. One of the challenges the airline industry faces is the ongoing focus on safety and security. This is where formal communications are often still required. Sharing routine but important information in an engaging and genuine way is a recent trend. Airlines are striving to make airline experiences enjoyable by wearing their culture on their sleeve and including passengers. Tone and language, indicating transparency and shared culture, are the choices for both younger carriers and legacy carriers looking to refresh and keep up with passengers expecting personalized, top-quality service.

The top three words or phrases chosen to describe a company they’d excel with were:

The top three words chosen to describe an ideal business culture were:

with a focus on the customer making the experience their own. Legacy airline British Airways prides itself on full and efficient service. Its history and established brand indicates reliability; therefore, the airline’s trademark behaviors include “doing things properly” and “keeping promises.”

Fair to employees 68%

Innovation 58%

speaking my language

In October 2014, Virgin and YouGov polled 1,044 young people between the ages of 16 and 21 on what language they prefer associating with companies.

Responsible 58% Inspiring change 54%

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Creative 57% Fun 55%

Language elicits passion. “Keywords bring a sense of community and an emotional bond with the brand which resonates with staff and with customers,” says Nigam. “Loyalty is dead; the end goal is affinity. Language cues go a long way to building affinity and keeping brands top of mind. Passengers remember how a flight made them feel.” Whether flying features in a holiday or is functioning as a mobile office, it’s the emotional response to tone and culture that will stick and inspire future bookings. volume 5, edition 3

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Sponsorship

Sporting Airlines Sponsoring the right event, cause or sports team can go a long way to extend a brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cache, and for the Gulf carriers, sponsorship of the beautiful game provides a fast track to global brand recognition.

photo: Nike

by Jessica Sammut

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 3

Sponsorship

ith seven minutes remaining during the final 2014 FIFA World Cup match, Germany’s André Schürrle breezed past three Argentina defenders, sent the ball in from the left flank to the near post where teammate Mario Götze received the ball on his chest, took one touch and beat the goalie with a volley to the far post, scoring the big win for Germany and sending fans around the globe into a World Cup frenzy.

emotional appeal Ask any football (soccer, in North America) fan to describe that World Cup moment and that person is more likely to tell of the emotions he or she felt as that soccer ball hit the net than the details of the play. And unless that fan has an excellent visual memory, chances are, if asked today, he or she wouldn’t remember the big red and white “Fly Emirates” banner plastered on the stadium wall that flew across the TV screen as the winning goal was scored. A recent study published by the Journal of Sport Management analyzing the relationship between team loyalty, sponsorship awareness and attitude toward the sponsor brand found that fans’ attachment to their team translated into a positive disposition toward the team sponsor. The study also found that fans who reported higher game attendance were more likely to recall a brand as a team sponsor. Whether spectators were aware of the Emirates banner or not, the airline logo was present during a moment of great emotion for the thousands of fans who filled the stadium, as well as for the more than one billion people around the world who watched that day. And when brands such as Emirates

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align themselves with sports teams through multi-million dollar sponsorship deals, ultimately, brands such as Emirates are using the emotional impact of sport to connect with fans. “[Sponsorship] is tapping into key passion points,” says William Chipps, senior editor of the IEG (Independent Evaluation Group) Sponsorship Report. “So you see companies sponsor everything from sports to music to the arts, making that emotional connection with consumers.”

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[RIGHT] Arsenal’s homefield has been known as Emirates Stadium since 2006. [BOTTOM] Etihad takes Emirates on in a match between Manchester City and Arsenal. [BOTTOM RIGHT] A young Manchester City fan cheers in front of Etihad Stadium.

sponsorship spend Although airlines are involved in sponsoring music and the arts, because of the global popularity of sports, and football in particular, sports sponsorship is where the overwhelming majority of investments by airlines is made, with the heftiest spending coming from the Gulf region. “The Gulf carriers account for a bit over half of global airline sponsorship spend, with Emirates being by far the biggest,” says Simon Rines, managing editor at UK-based sports business analyst, IMR Publications. >

“The Gulf carriers account for a bit over half of global airline sponsorship spend.” Simon Rines 60

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Airline Passenger Experience Association

apex experience

Sponsorship

photos: gettyimages; latinstock

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 5, edition 3

Sponsorship

And airlines are paying big bucks to have their logos represented on player jerseys, stadium signage and team merchandise. And though Emirates represents a large majority of sponsorship spend, other Gulf carriers are getting in on the sponsorship game as they look to build their global brand awareness.

lofty support In 2011, Etihad Airways signed a 10-year sponsorship agreement worth £400 million with Manchester City Football Club, the largest of its kind in football history. In 2012, Qatar Airways signed a five-year shirt sponsorship deal with FC Barcelona worth £125 million, becoming the first corporate logo to appear on the famous jerseys. As Rines explains, the length of arrangements tends to differ.

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Visit us at apex.aero

“[The duration of sponsorships] vary on the type of deal. Some of the airlines have naming rights deals, and they typically last for eight to 15 years, whereas a shirt sponsorship is usually negotiated over a three-year period.” US carriers are also investing, albeit much less compared with Gulf carriers, totaling roughly $100 million between them annually, while Europe’s legacy carriers are trending on the side of sponsorship cutbacks. “[The Gulf carriers] do not have the same constraints that the airlines that are known as legacy carriers do, which can’t just write blank checks – they’ve got to earn back every penny,” Rines notes. And unlike the Gulf carriers, US airlines are more prone to sponsor sports in the US, rather than in other markets, with the exception of Delta Air Lines, which signed a multi-year

sponsorship deal with UK football club Chelsea FC in June 2012.

follow your routes According to a report in 2012 by IMR Publication Sponsorship Today, global sponsorship from the airline industry had reached $515 million per year, with Emirates representing $182 million of that spend. Rines is quick to point out, however, that the disproportion in investment is a direct result of a larger initiative to promote travel and tourism. “The Gulf states are spending a fortune on their tourist infrastructure,” says Rines. “They’re trying to develop the Gulf areas as global travel hubs and they’re ideally placed to do that in many respects. They’re midway between Europe and the Far East, and they can be midway between the Americas and the Far East.” >

Sponsor Stats

Contract Four years into a 10-year contract worth $58.7 million per year Kit Manufacturer: Nike Number of shirts sold in 2013: nearly 300,000 Average price of a shirt: $90

Qatar & Barcelona Contract Final year of contract worth: $36.8 million per year Kit Manufacturer: Nike Number of shirts sold in 2014: 1.15 million Average price of a shirt: $55

Emirates & Paris St. Germain Contract Three years into a four-year contract worth: $32.2 million per year Kit Manufacturer: Nike Number of shirts sold in 2014: approximately 400,000 Average price of a shirt: $70

All prices converted to USD for consistency.

volume 5, edition 3

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photo: Nike

Etihad & Manchester City

digEcor is redeﬁning the expression “IFE” by giving airlines the resources it needs to deliver an ‘IFE – Integrated Flight Experience’ to its customers.

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Deliver more for less and do it smarter and faster. Our products and services are designed to meet this promise, bringing beneﬁts to your business, your customers and your staff. We are only at the beginning of our integrated solutions journey. Our entertainment solutions, power, LED lighting and connectivity for customers and crew heralds a new era for digEcor.

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Sponsorship

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Visit us at apex.aero

Watch the commercials online at > apex.aero/football

With Dubai International Airport officially surpassing Heathrow as the world’s leading travel hub this past year, and Emirates crowned “World’s Most Valuable Airline Brand” for the third year in a row by British brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance, it’s safe to say that the investments in the region’s tourist infrastructure have certainly paid off. The hefty spend on football sponsorships in particular is no coincidence, especially considering the route networks the Gulf carriers have established in regions where football is most popular. “One of the interesting things to look at is the sports that [the airlines] are following … There’s interest

in [football] clubs all the way across [the airlines’] route network, which is strongest between Europe, the Middle East and Asia,” notes Rines. He also cites the example of Emirates’ significant sponsorship spend in cricket, a sport most popular in the UK, India, Australia and South Africa, all of which align perfectly with the airline’s big group network.

brand awareness Airlines have learned that with sports sponsorship comes increased brand awareness among business travelers. “Obviously, business travelers are important, and with sponsorship usually comes hospitality rights in the stadiums whereby

Getting in the Game with Live IFE Watching live sport is no longer limited to sports fans on the ground. As more and more aircraft become equipped with Wi-Fi capability, Live TV is quickly becoming the in-flight entertainment option of choice for many airlines including WestJet, Lufthansa, Etihad Airways and JetBlue, among others. And with sporting events dominating broadcast ratings, live sport at 30,000 feet is set to take off as IFE’s next big thing. Panasonic Avionics is on top of the trend with their eXTV service, picked up by Etihad Airways to screen the 2014 FIFA World Cup in flight. Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE) is also getting in on the LiveTV game, having recently announced a successful live in-flight TV trial with Air China. Passengers had access to live coverage of the National People Congress via Xinhua News Agency.

volume 5, edition 3

[the airline] will invite the travel departments of major corporations,” explains Rines. And Emirates goes even one step further, offering its Skywards members a chance to redeem their miles for soccer match tickets starring some of the best teams in the world. But the Gulf airlines aren’t just targeting the niche business traveler market. In fact, when it comes to sponsorships, the goal is to get your brand in front of as many eyes as possible, and what better way to do that than emblazon your logo across the jerseys of a very popular football club? It’s brilliant, really. And though Gulf carriers are seeing rapid and strong growth in their business, with IATA reporting an 11.7 and 13.9 percent growth in traffic and capacity, respectively, in 2014, the fact is, they are relatively young compared with the legacy carriers of Europe and the US, and thus have a lot more catching up to do in terms of brand recognition. But it would seem that by associating themselves with popular sports teams and, by extension, highly photographed elite athletes with enormous followings, the Gulf carriers have found their fast track in the branding game. Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: Turkish Airlines; Qatar airways; Etihad Airways; Emirates

Football sponsorships not only garner global brand recognition, they also allow airlines to market with world-class athletes, such as Lionel Messi [TOP], Christiano Ronaldo and Pelé [BOTTOM RIGHT].

Cabin Crew

Cockpit

E-Enablement

Passenger Air TraďŹ&#x192;c Management

Empowering airlines to realize the full potential of the connected aircraft. Simply connect to sitaonair.aero

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I would like airlines to consider phones, tablets or computers as tools of communication with passengers. 66

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â&#x20AC;?

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Q&A

> Fast Facts Location:

NUE

Now Watching:

House of Cards

Ralph Wagner

Years in Industry:

Favorite Airport:

LAX

CEO

Axinom Aerospace

photo: Courtesy of Axinom Aerospace

Ralph started out as a project manager and economics student before cofounding Axinom in 2001, where he initially directed strategic and operational developments, local management and unit leads. Last year he took responsibility for expanding Axinom Aerospace and as CEO, he defines the company’s targets, policies and strategies.

To read Ralph’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > apex.aero/ RalphWagner

Airline Passenger Experience Association

omething that never ceases to amaze you in your industry? The challenges of transferring cutting-edge technologies for media and entertainment to the aircraft. Biggest challenge you’ve ever overcome at work? Four years ago when we entered the airline market, I visited Aircraft Interiors Expo for the first time. I had 14 years of experience at a software company and had to learn that the main products sold for aircraft are hardware products, servers and cables; software was just an add-on. I’m also reminded of my first big challenge at the International Broadcasting Convention eight years ago where broadcasters claimed that the only way to distribute movies was over the air, or over cable TV with a set-top box and a card to decrypt content. Today, an entirely softwarebased business like Netflix is the benchmark. Part of the airline passenger experience that you wish got more attention? I would love to see an airline that focuses on passengers from their home to their destination. I would like airlines to consider phones, tablets or computers as tools for communication with passengers, so that passengers can be informed about their flight, the airport, entertainment options, connecting flights and their final destination. Additionally, airlines should offer passengers personalized

information about the journey by, for example, recording where passengers interrupt movies so that they can continue where they left off on their connecting or return flights. I would also expect that the passenger device could connect with an existing system, such as an embedded in-flight entertainment system, as a second screen. What does your typical workday look like? Planning the day, team meeting, dealing with projects and products that need management attention, approving contracts and offers, reviewing short and long-term marketing and sales strategies, contract negotiations – then in the evening, I conduct calls with our customers. The career path you considered but never followed? I wanted to create a music label. Two things that you miss most about home when you’re traveling? I definitely miss my family and my friends – especially if I don’t manage to be at home to celebrate something. And I miss the tiny little things like the bread from the bakery around the corner from my home, the café in the park that I can walk to in five minutes and the guy selling me fruits and vegetables at the market square. Favorite APEX conference of all time? 2014, Anaheim – it was the first time Axinom had its own booth, and it was great! volume 5, edition 3

Baggists

volume 5, edition 3

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Airline Passenger Experience Association

Baggists

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Fad Nauseam Whatever you call them – sick sacks, motion discomfort bags or barf bags – for some, they’re a necessary evil, and for others a coveted collectible. But love ’em or hate ’em, they may be on the decline. by Katie Sehl illustration Julie Carles

he dawn of the Internet facilitated many things – the resurgence of cats as a species, a new digital mode of commerce and a forum for a lesser-known group of collectors, collectivity known as “baggists.” If you look up baggist in the dictionary, oddly enough, you won’t find it there. If it were, it might read: Baggist, noun: a person who collects airsickness bags as a hobby. Surfing on the World Wide Web in the 1990s, Paul Mundy, owner of more than 2,600 such specimens, found that he wasn’t the only one with a penchant for collecting sick sacks. In fact, there were many others out there, including an American collector, Steve “Upheave” Silberberg, who runs Air Sickness Bag Virtual Museum.

no barfing matter Silberberg explains how the hobby began for him: “I was on a long, dull flight from Boston to San Francisco, saw the bag and thought, I’ll bet nobody collects these. I was wrong. Airline Passenger Experience Association

The correct thought would have been, I’ll bet nobody desirable to women collects these.” Most baggists, he says, are middle-aged men. For unknown reasons, a large percentage of collectors tend to be from Germany. “I think Germans have a heightened sense of keeping things in order. I’m not German,” quips Mundy, who, as it happens, currently lives in Germany. Puns (and a good sense of humor) are rife in the baggist community, but barf, vomit, puke – or whichever term you find easiest to swallow – is certainly not. In fact, emesis is the nemesis of most collectors. Baggists generally prefer bags in flat, pristine condition. That means no chewing gum, no coffee stains, no crinkles, notes or scribbles, and definitely no vomitus. The majority of baggists snatch up a few bags on their flights, then build up their caches by trading their spares, making the hobby one of the more affordable ones out there, though some airsickness bags have gone for as much as $600 on eBay. > volume 5, edition 3

Baggists

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Niek Vermeulen, world record holder for the largest collection of sick bags, owns bags from over 1,100 airlines and more than 200 countries.

a mixed bag

“There once was a flyer from Cali, Whose drinking was causing a folly; His stomach a-whirl, He needed to hurl, But the bags had been taken by Pauly.” David Shomper 70

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special durable fabric. Silberberg is one of the few collectors to own the coveted bag, along with Niek Vermeulen, a Dutch baggist who’s held the world record for largest collection for the past 45 years, with more than 6,500 bags.

design for chunks In 2000, on a flight from the UK to Sydney, Oz Dean, a creative multimedia designer also known as forcefeed:swede, had a moment of revelation. “I kind of realized that sick bags are really, really boring,” he explains. “And I just felt like there was an opportunity to use that space as a canvas.” In the early

dot-com years, designers collaborated and participated in online competitions, often centered around designing T-shirts or desktop wallpaper. Dean pitched the airsickness bag challenge to the community, launched the website designforchunks.com, and the submissions came, er, spewing in. “Designers would proudly display the fact that they got into the online gallery. It was kind of odd,” he says, laughing. Over the course of its short run, the website gallery received hundreds of submissions. But eventually Dean felt that the website had run its course and he shut it down. > Airline Passenger Experience Association

photo: Guinness World Records

A glance through baggists’ websites is like looking through a virtual museum of commercial air travel. Bags of all sizes, colors and designs, from every airline you can imagine and many that you haven’t even heard of, arranged alphabetically – uniquely chronicling the rise and fall of airline empires. But in the non-virtual world, many collections are tucked away, protected by plastic sleeves and stored in ring binders. “I got into trouble once with my wife. It was Christmas and I decided to display a few. She came back from wherever she was and… We’re still married, but only just,” Mundy jokes. “Some people do display them. I think they’re all single.” The rarest bags tend to be the oldest ones, along with (soon-to-be-rare) bags from airlines that no longer exist. But most collectors seem to unanimously agree that the baggist’s holy grail is the Space Shuttle emesis bag, a wearable sick sack made of

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“The scourge of the hobby is the increasing use of generic bags.” Bruce Kelly

“Then out of nowhere, Virgin Atlantic hit me up and said, ‘Hey, we want to do this for real on our airplanes. Are you up for it?’” With his support, Virgin launched a call for submissions, culling the 600 entries into a final top 20 that would be released as limited edition collector’s items. “We wanted this to be a thing where collectors would literally seek out every single one. That happened, and it was amazing,” says Dean. “Packs started turning up on eBay and people were furiously collecting the bags. It was incredible.” In addition to the 500,000 bags that were randomly distributed on flights, 200 limited edition collector’s boxes were also released. Virgin Atlantic followed up the successful campaign in 2005 with a special set of four bags promoting the Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith movie and video game. More recently, in 2014, Qantas Airways launched a similar campaign after being inspired by a passenger whose sick bag art impressed the flight staff. The airline encouraged passengers to share a photo of their own original sick bag art with the hashtag #qantasblankcanvas. Jo Boundy, head of Digital and Entertainment for the airline, says, “From boarding passes, napkins to luggage tags, we have a number of perfect blank canvases for passengers to create their own in-flight art.”

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rise and fall of the barf bag Airsickness has significantly declined since the bygone days of air travel when early airline cabin crews often included a nurse, and instructions on the paper bags asked passengers to not throw its contents out the window (and you thought blue ice was bad). But also in decline – apart from the odd, sporadic campaign – is any aesthetic consideration of the bag’s design. “You have to feel sorry for the Americans,” says Mundy, sympathetically. “American airlines don’t produce very creative bags.” For Alaskan-based collector Bruce Kelly, that pain is all too real: “The scourge of the hobby is the increasing use of generic bags, particularly in the US. Generics are threatening to ruin the hobby.” But as Stathis Kefallonitis, founder and president of branding.aero warns, the baggist hobby isn’t the only thing in jeopardy. “A lot of bags are hardly used. So if they’re just sitting there and they’re plain, they serve no purpose.” Kefallonitis blames cost and the increasing growth of alliances for the movement toward plain uniformity, but he argues that thinking creatively about motion discomfort bags – a term he recommends as more palatable – is worth the investment. In the past, the bags have doubled for airlines as photo mailers, advertisements, containers for food leftovers, seat reservation signs and puzzles, among other things. Kefallonitis suggests that ultra- low-cost carriers use the bag as a means of revenue and that more-established carriers should use the bag as a way to bond with their passengers through some form of extended use. Vermeulen thinks bags could be specially designed for kids, among other options. Dean suggests it might be a good space for entrepreneurs to make their elevator pitch to possible investors – especially the bags in first class.

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Content marketers for the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top aviation brands. As the global go-to specialists for in-flight entertainment, custom publishing, advertising sales and digital and social media marketing, Spafax creates engaging content for over 60 clients worldwide, and provides unrivalled access to consumers-in-transit throughout their entire journey. With a new technical production facility in the heart of Hollywood and a recently-launched public relations and events division, our full-service team is equipped to bring best-in-class experiences to life.

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Roundtable

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Flying Funny What is it about air travel that makes it such fodder for comedians? Our panel explores the universality of plane humor within in-flight programming, why jokes strike such a chord with passengers, and even share some of their favorite comedy bits. by Terri Potratz illustration Ă&#x201C;scar ChĂĄvez

> Bruce Hills Chief Operating Officer Just For Laughs

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> Cameron Esposito Standup Comic, Writer and Actor

> Sean Springer Sociology Instructor Ryerson University

> Maura Chacko Vice-President Development Spafax

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Roundtable

e all have a memorable moment or two from our personal journeys through the air world that stand out as nothing short of ridiculous. These often stem from an event that is completely out of our control: airplane food, screaming children, raucous passengers, delays, cramped environments, or customer service escapades gone wrong. And they inevitably result in the most shareable of stories.

why so serious? Bruce Hills, chief operating officer at Just for Laughs (JFL), aptly points out that it takes the expert perspective of a comedian to put unfortunate circumstances into perspective. Most of our travel disruptions or inconveniences aren’t actually all that funny in the moment, but Hills notes that it takes “the elite comics [to] find an original and smart way to attack it.” Los Angeles-based stand-up comedian Cameron Esposito agrees that the best comedy can’t rely on typical hacks. Rather than simply ask, “What’s up with that airplane food?” the better approach is, “Here’s a story about a very specific thing

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that happened to me on a plane.” She notes that stand-up is becoming more and more personal, especially as we share our lives through social media – and that personality and perspective have to shine through over generalities, regardless of the subject matter. Comedians also travel by air a lot more than the general public, especially those within expansive geographical regions such as the US, Canada and Australia. And, like any good writer, comedians joke about what they know. As Hills points out, “They spend so much time on planes. Comics talk about their personal experiences – and if they’re on a plane, they’re going to bump into things they want to comment on. They’re going to naturally run into material about airlines.”

universality The personality of a given comedian is what gives them traction and sets him or her apart from the crowd – but there are still some forms of comedy that traverse geographical boundaries and cultural differences, and JFL Gags is a great example. While many in-flight entertainment [IFE] content providers have to heavily edit or curate content for airline

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clients, this type of comedy hasn’t posed a problem for JFL. “Gags [is a] very consistent, funny product that is not at all offensive,” says Hills. Maura Chacko, vice-president of Development at Spafax, echoes Hills’ sentiment: “There are comedies that are broad enough, and often include physical gags, that appeal to a wider audience. Non-verbal visual comedies hit the spot across multiple cultures and regions.” Esposito addresses the universal nature of comedy from the spotlight, explaining, “A solid act should work anywhere. I try to include some local observations to make folks feel invited, but I don't know that I specifically hone my brand of stand-up depending on where I am. Except when I'm in Canada. Then I make sure to do 15 minutes about how their money smells like maple syrup.” Hills credits the Internet for giving comedians global accessibility: “The world has gotten a lot smaller. Everyone is watching comedy online. Louis C.K. and Aziz Ansari are universal now. That wasn’t the case 10 years ago … The biggest

“Everything on planes is very tiny. There's always tiny food, tiny liquor bottles, tiny pillows, tiny bathroom, tiny sink, tiny soap. Everyone's in a cramped seat, working on a tiny computer.” Jerry Seinfeld

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Roundtable

[comedians] in the world, especially those who are smart with social media networking, are world brands.”

seatback silliness Physical gags aside, the seatback screen has eliminated much of the potential for controversy within the aircraft, liberating the type of content and comedy airlines can deliver to their passengers. As a content deployment leader, Chacko has expert knowledge in how to curate appropriate material for various airline clients, and thinks the seatback screen is opening doors as never before: “Airlines have to play it safe when it comes to overhead screens and comedies, but on VOD [Video on Demand] screens, airlines are able to provide their passengers a choice to select content and can push the envelope more and more.” And it’s in their best interests to do so. With all the potential flare-ups that could occur throughout the passenger journey, providing comedic relief is one of the smartest initiatives an airline can commit to. Why? Passengers are stressed creatures, and nothing relieves stress more effectively than comedy. >

“Do consider your food's smell factor. You sure about that egg-salad sandwich?”

Cameron Esposito

New Rules Our experts share their advice on how to be a good airline passenger. > Don’t drink like a fish. Fish are small and live in the water. You are sitting next to me on a plane and I don’t wanna hold your hair while you puke. > Don’t yell your head off when the flight is delayed. We’re all delayed. Every one of us on the plane. And we want you to stop yelling. > Do leave your shoes on. C’mon... you’re an adult and you wear shoes all the time. Why stop now? > Do be cool to flight attendants. If you’re cool they might give you an extra weird delicious ginger snap cookie that only exist on planes! –Cameron > Patience and humor are key. > Bring snacks, water, reading material, chargers and a sense of humor! –Maura

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> Expect delays. > Expect to be bored. > Remember that no one’s having fun, least of all the airport workers and in-flight staff. > Have some rituals – smartphone games, diary entries, meditation podcasts – to take the edge off. –Sean > Dress comfortably. > Pack light. > Avoid checking a bag . > Retain the flexibiltiy to move: Everything you add to make your experience less flexible is going to cost you if you walk into a bad situation. > Adjust your sleep – immediately figure out what time it is at destination and modify accordingly. –Bruce

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Roundtable

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“As soon as I get into that security line – like I know what I packed in my bag – and I’m immediately like, ‘Oh no, did I pack my gun that shoots drugs?’ That’s not a thing!” Kurt Braunohler

stress buster keatons Sean Springer, sociology instructor at Toronto’s Ryerson University, explains the two types of stress that affect people: “You can feel stressed about being unable to put food on the table – that’s a serious stress. But then you can feel stressed about your plane having departed two hours later than scheduled – that’s a relatively trivial stress … For trivial stresses, humor can give us some perspective.” But why are passengers so stressed out about flying in the first place? The primary answer may be obvious – you have no control, there can be delays, you feel helpless – but there is an additional layer to dissect here, says Springer: “Since you’re surrounded by your fellow passengers, you have to maintain a certain amount of composure. When panic sets in, you need to remember you’re in public!” So on the passenger happiness scale, comedy can be one of the wisest investments an airline can make. When researching how passengers respond to different forms of IFE and advertising within the VOD landscape, “We’ve found that passengers tend to have a

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more favorable reaction to funny ads,” says Chacko. “Similarly, passengers would likely appreciate the fun approach, and have a better association with the brand.” Consider the rise in popularity of the tongue-in-cheek safety videos popping up on carriers like Virgin and Air New Zealand. Esposito herself admits, “I have laughed out loud at a Delta safety video, and you can quote me on that.” Springer agrees that these funny safety videos are a positive addition to the in-flight experience, adding, “We need something, anything, to distract us from the fact that flight attendants are showing grown adults how to buckle their seatbelts.”

live comedy The Wi-Fi-enabled cabin is introducing even more in-flight punch lines, although the immediacy of this type of connection is changing both how we consume and deliver jokes. Hills notes, “If a comedian is having or witnessing a surreal experience on an airplane … they’re going to tweet about it, the entire flight. [It’s] live comedy, vis-à-vis the Wi-Fi on the plane.” >

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Just Plane Humor The roundtable shares its favorite flying funny bits. Kurt Braunohler has a great bit about how nervous the TSA process makes him, and how he imagines getting busted for things he certainly hasn’t brought to the airport, because they don’t even exist. Something like, “I always wonder if I’ve accidentally packed my gun that shoots drugs.” Cameron Louis C.K.’s bit about airplane Wi-Fi in a Conan interview is brilliant – it’s the epitome of what makes Louis C.K. a comedic genius not because it’s plane humor, but because it’s a critique about people’s expectations and sense of entitlement, which happens to be told in relation to flying. Maura From Jerry Seinfeld’s Seinlanguage: “Everything on planes is very tiny. There’s always tiny food, tiny liquor bottles, tiny pillows, tiny bathroom, tiny sink, tiny soap. Everyone’s in a cramped seat, working on a tiny computer. There’s always a small problem, there’ll be a slight delay, we’ll be a bit late, if you can be a little patient. We’re just trying to get one of those little trucks to pull us up a little closer to the jetway so you can walk down the narrow hallway. There’ll be a man there in a tight little jacket and he’ll tell you that you have very little time to make your connecting flight. So move it!” Sean

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Roundtable

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“Imagine this, here we are, a plane full of grown human beings, many of us partially educated, and they’re actually taking time out to describe the intricate workings of a belt buckle!” George Carlin

The freedom to comment publicly on your fellow passengers or crew may entertain readers who are following your social accounts, but it should come with a warning to text-happy flyers – especially for those comedians-in-the-making who haven’t yet developed a knack for delivery. Hitting “send” often comes a bit too quickly, says Chacko. “They don’t have a chance to think through whether or not the tweet or Facebook post is actually appropriate or offensive,” she says, pointing to the Justine Sacco debacle in 2013, which saw the PR representative lose

her job after one tweet garnered intense ire and backlash on the Internet. In this instance, the communications director thought she was being funny with a racially charged tweet sent to fewer than 200 followers. By the time her airplane landed in South Africa several hours later, she was trending online. Warning tales such as this serve as an important reminder of the “expert” touch that comedians bring to the table. As they say, timing is everything – and while livetweeting your cutting impressions might seem hilarious in the moment, these

observations generally fare better with a bit of thoughtfulness applied. Esposito limits her airplane tweets more often to “stay relatable,” guessing that her followers may not want to hear about take-offs and delays week in and week out, but Springer circles back to the stress factor, predicting that “In the future, passengers using Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or any other social media app [will] release stress by humorously venting to loved ones at home.” Like any good comedian, you may want to try those quips out on your inner circle before taking them to the public skies.

More Plane Humor This bit from Louis C.K. is on point: “ʻI had to sit on the runway for 40 minutes.’ Oh my god, really? What happened then, did you fly through the air like a bird, incredibly? Did you soar into the clouds, impossibly? Did you partake in the miracle of human flight and then land softly on giant tires that you couldn’t even conceive how they f**king put air in them? You’re sitting in a chair in the sky. You’re like a Greek myth right now.” Bruce

"You’re sitting in a chair in the sky. You’re like a Greek myth right now." Louis C.K.

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I grew up listening to George Carlin, who was a master at finding the absurd within seemingly ordinary scenarios: “They might tell you you’re on a nonstop flight. Well, I don’t think I care for that. No, I insist that my flight stop! Preferably at an airport! It’s those sudden, unscheduled cornfield and housing development stops that seem to interrupt the flow of my day.” Terri

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Q&A

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;

I think the growth of overthe-top content services will change the industry. It will be interesting to see how IFE providers address this trend. 82

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â&#x20AC;?

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Q&A

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> Fast Facts Favorite Hotel:

Kimpton Hotels

Favorite Aircraft:

Mary Rogozinski

Boeing 777 (I helped launch the first one) Passport stamp you wish you had:

Cuba or Antarctica

Manager, Content Partnerships Gogo

photo: gogo

Mary started at Gogo in 2009, not long after the launch of in-flight Wi-Fi on American Airlines. She worked as an airline account manager before taking on the management of Content Partnerships, working as a “CSP of one.” Prior to Gogo, Mary worked at United Airlines for almost 30 years. She also serves on the APEX Board of Directors.

To read Mary’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > apex.aero/ MaryRogozinski

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e keep asking where the airline industry is headed, but where do you see the entertainment industry headed? I think the growth of over-the-top (OTT) content services will change the industry and I expect there to be many more advances in this area. With the continuing trend of watching entertainment this way, there will be demand for more OTT-type services. I think this trend will carry over to theatrical movie releases, likely impacting box office revenues as we know them. It will be interesting to see how in-flight entertainment suppliers will address this trend. We’re seeing the rapid growth of streaming video to personal devices, and I anticipate the demand for more real-time content to grow. As we have seen so many times in the airline industry, people want to do on airplanes what they can do on the ground. Something that never ceases to amaze you in your industry? I still marvel at airplanes being able to fly, especially when I fly internationally. I marvel at the fact that I can be in one place, and then after what seems like a brief flight, I can be on a different continent. It just all seems too simple. After that, I love that the Internet is now accessible on so many airlines. Working for Gogo, I’m a little spoiled and now I expect a connection on all of my flights.

If you weren’t doing your current job, what would you love to be doing? I love working outside and in the dirt, so I could see myself as a master gardener. I find it hard to pass a weed in a garden without wanting to pull it out. I’m also always critiquing gardens and plants in my head, wherever I go. Last place traveled – for fun? For pure fun (not tied into a business trip), the last placed I traveled to was Telluride, Colorado. My brother and sister-in-law own a small ranch outside of Telluride and they have extended an open invitation to my family and me to visit whenever we can. The house faces the San Juan mountain range and we see fabulous vistas from almost every window. In the evening, the stars are spectacular and it is fun to go to bed hearing the elk baying. The town of Telluride is quaint and historic and has wonderful ski hills. It is probably one of the prettiest towns in Colorado. Favorite APEX conference of all time? It’s a toss-up between Durban, South Africa and Brisbane, Australia. Both conferences took me to cities I may not have otherwise traveled. Durban was my first international conference. We had a limited team with us and meetings were very good. The social events were also great. And, I won my first election for the WAEA Board in Durban. Overall, it was just a great conference. volume 5, edition 3

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Travelogue

Culinary Curiosity How can you experience the flavors of traditional dishes around the world in less than five hours? Jakub Stachurski explores the diversity of food tourism within a short flight’s reach of his hometown. by Jakub Stachurski | illustration Olivier Balez

s a little boy, I tried digging in my backyard until I got to China, because I wanted to taste the roast duck, pork and marinated squid I’d seen hanging in the windows of Chinese restaurants downtown. Even back then, my omnivorous curiosity was unsated and concerned with authenticity as much as taste. As an adult, some of the most interesting Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine I’ve tasted has been in New Orleans and Amsterdam. Despite regional differences in ingredients and the influence of local culinary traditions, it was

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as authentic and delicious as the street fare of Hanoi and Hong Kong. With the continual evolution of air travel and global populations migrating to new outposts, the global culinary dialogue will increase and create new epicenters of traditional cuisine and unlikely regional combinations. Global diasporas have cross-pollinated culinary cultures to create surprising havens for displaced regional cuisines in Washington, DC, New Orleans and Montreal, creating a global culinary dialogue within North America easily accessible to travelers. >

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big easy pho Vietnamese immigrants began arriving in New Orleans in the 1970s to escape the ongoing war and political oppression of their home country. As Vietnam was formerly colonized by the French, there are shared traditions between Vietnamese and Cajun cuisine that one may notice while dining in the Big Easy. The traditional shrimp po’boy, one of the most recognizable street foods in New Orleans, is served on the same French buns as Vietnamese bánh mì sandwiches at restaurants like Pho Tau Bay or Dong Phuong. Pho Tau Bay was housed in a nondescript strip mall in the West Bank neighborhood that looks like a concrete bunker, but has recently moved to the Bio-District of New Orleans. I was informed by a local that culinary pilgrims drive in from out of state to sample its beef pho soup, which has a clean beef broth, rare, thinly sliced brisket and fresh Vietnamese herbs like Thai basil that make it both hearty and floral. Local celebrity chef and culinary god Emeril Lagasse has also given the restaurant his approval in Food & Wine magazine, though he recommends the chicken noodle pho. A remnant of New Orleans’ mid-century Chinatown, yaka mein soup is a testament to the culinary influence of Chinese immigrants on the local African-American population. In the mid-19th century, Chinese workers came to New Orleans to work on the railroad and settled in the city’s poorest neighborhoods. Yaka mein is essentially beef broth with chopped meat, noodles, soy sauce, Creole seasonings, Tabasco and Chinese hot sauce. It’s certainly not authentic to anywhere but New Orleans, but the combination of Asian and local spice blends results in a wholly original flavor, as endorsed by chef Linda Green (also known as “the Yakamein Lady,” who caters many events Airline Passenger Experience Association

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around town with her take on the soup). Both the Cajun and Asian seasonings create a memorable umami flavor that makes the soup addictive and, by some accounts, medicinal, as it’s also known as “Old Sober” and popular as a hangover cure during the city’s boozy festivals.

doro wat in the capital A two-hour flight north of New Orleans brings you to the Ethiopian cuisine of Washington, DC. Since the influx of Ethiopian immigrants in the early 1990s, the Victorian-era buildings around Washington, DC’s U Street and Shaw neighborhood contain North America’s largest concentrations of Ethiopian restaurants. Demographically, Washington

Travelogue

has the second-largest Ethiopian population in the world, as civil unrest and changes in immigration laws allowed an influx of asylum-seekers to the capital. Restaurants such as Meskerem offer traditional versions of Ethiopian cuisine based on the communal eating tradition, serving its meals on large circular platters with injera, traditional Ethiopian bread, functioning as both starch and utensil for the meal. While the main floor of Meskerem looks like a typical restaurant, the upstairs dining room offers lowered tables and stools to enhance the communal aspect of the meal, usually consisting of platters of various meats (chicken, beef, lamb) and vegetables. >

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Travelogue

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“I can’t think of many fast-food restaurants that make their own mayonnaise.” For a more upscale version of authentic Lebanese cuisine, I’ll defer to Céline Dion’s culinary wisdom and recommend Restaurant Daou, which serves traditional Lebanese food amid pictures of the Canadian chanteuse on the restaurant’s walls. For a higher-end version of the aforementioned kibbeh in particular, try Restaurant Daou’s kibbeh nayeh, a lamb tartare minced to a fine consistency and mixed with crunchy ground bulgur wheat, a highly original take on the traditional tartare and served with mint, crunchy onions and pita. The filet mignon shish kebab gives the fine-dining treatment to a staple of Lebanese street food. Finish with a piece of textbook baklava, flaky and aromatic with fresh pistachio. Etete Restaurant serves a memorable version of doro wat, a traditional Ethiopian-stewed chicken with eggs, onions and berbere seasoning, which is a mix of chili, coriander, ginger, fenugreek and cardamom, to start; it’s a combination of spices too long to list and distinct to this classic Ethiopian dish. I highly recommend it for lovers of spice, as berbere literally means “spicy” in Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia. DC Metro Food Tours offers a guided journey through the densely concentrated Ethiopian eateries in the Shaw neighborhood, a starting point for exploring the unique culinary traditions of East Africa in Washington.

shawarma dans la ville

After Vietnamese pho in New Orleans and doro wat in Washington, a 90-minute flight north of the American capital will bring you to 88

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Montreal, unlikely haven of Lebanese cuisine. As French is one of the languages spoken in Lebanon, Montreal is one of the epicenters for the Lebanese diaspora. The city’s Lebanese community has created stiff competition for Middle Eastern food in the city, the purveyors of which can be found on most street corners and open at all hours. To thousands of university students, the epitome of quick and cheap shawarma, chicken shish taouk and kibbeh (a mini-football-shaped croquette made from onions, bulgur wheat and ground beef) are found at Boustan, the perfect haunt given its late hours and club district location. The son of Boustan’s original owner, a veteran of the New York City culinary scene, has opened Dahlia’s Bistro down the street, which serves surprisingly fresh versions of these same staples – I can’t think of many fast-food restaurants that make their own mayonnaise.

local goes global Outside North America, there is memorable Chinese duck in Amsterdam’s New King restaurant, foie gras wontons in Hong Kong’s Parisian-inflected Le Dôme de Cristal and other delightful surprises for the curious omnivore who travels. And this cultural and culinary diaspora is not limited to the ground. On British Airways flights from the UK to India, passengers are offered local Indian cuisine options in addition to the airline’s traditional fare. Passengers flying with Qatar can chose between chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s renowned Japanese dishes, chef Ramzi Choueiri’s Lebanese cuisine, chef Vineet Bhatia’s pan-Indian options and head chef Tom Aiken’s British and French fusion dishes – making traveling anywhere a truly international affair. Airline Passenger Experience Association

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There’s no business like show business, and that’s as true in the airline industry as it is anywhere else. From Slow TV to animé, our next issue will explore the many facets of fringe in-flight entertainment, reveal the zany world of aircraft model collectors and delve behindthe-scenes into the making of a short film on aviation, Living in the Age of Airplanes. Also, stay tuned for previews of the upcoming APEX TEC and APEX EXPO conferences.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

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Rock the Vote: 2015 Passenger Choice Awards

For more updates, follow > @PassengerChoice

When airline passengers cast their votes for the 2015 Passenger Choice Awards they are letting each airline and the industry know how they feel about their passenger experience. More votes equals more insights.

With the new two-month voting cycle for this year’s Passenger Choice Awards, opening May 1 and continuing through to June 30, your passengers’ votes can help determine if your company will be among the finalists, with airline members selecting the winners via online ballot, à la the Oscars. Recognized as the industry’s most prestigious award voted on by passengers, airline travelers from around the world vote for the airlines they feel provide exceptional service and innovation – enhancing the overall passenger experience.

Which one of these 13 award categories could you win this year? Best Overall Passenger Experience Best in Region: Africa Best in Region: Americas Best in Region: Asia and Australasia Best in Region: Europe Best in Region: Middle East Best In-flight Publication Best IFE User Interface Best In-flight Connectivity & Communications

photo: Mehran torgoley

Best In-flight Video Best Cabin Ambience Best Food & Beverage, in conjunction with IFSA

We hope all APEX members will help encourage passengers to vote! APEX has provided easy ways you and your company, whether an airline or vendor member, can spread the word.

apex airline members As an APEX airline member, the 2015 APEX Passenger Choice Awards are your chance to earn industry recognition, receive valuable passenger data and get year-long bragging rights! APEX has created turnkey marketing materials for you at apex.aero to download and use in a variety of ways: >> Digital/Print Ads: APEX has created downloadable digital and print ads in 13 languages. >> Logos/Links: Let your passengers know how they can vote for your airline by using the APEX Passenger Choice Awards and survey links in your publications, on your GUIs and as part of your website and social media. NEW: Winners receive winning logos to promote your dedication to the passenger experience. >> Customizable Press Releases: Promote your airline by using a pre-written “donut” style APEX Passenger Choice Awards press release, which leaves space for airline-specific customization. >> Social Media: Encourage your social media team to proactively promote the awards on your social media platforms, including links on where to vote. APEX has created suggested social media posts for airline members’ corporate social pages.

apex vendor members All APEX members, including vendors, can play an integral part in the 2015 APEX Passenger Choice Awards. The following are just a few ways you and your company can participate: >> Share via Corporate Communications: Inform your company’s corporate communications team about the awards and ask if they would be willing to share on the company’s intranet and corporate newsletters. >> Corporate Social Media: Inform your company’s social media team about the awards and see if they would be willing to share a post and link on the corporate social platforms. APEX has created suggested social media posts for vendor members’ corporate social pages. >> Share on Your Social Media Pages: Encourage your friends and family to vote by posting a link to the survey on social media pages and display your personal pride for APEX.

Best Ground Experience

Airline Passenger Experience Association

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Innovation, Content and Comfort Headline the 2015 EXPO in Portland Decision makers and thought leaders within the extensive APEX community will converge in Portland, Oregon, US, from September 28 to October 1, for the 2015 EXPO. The airline industry’s highly anticipated and largest memberdriven tradeshow provides APEX members the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues devoted to the passenger experience, learn about the latest innovations and explore the products and services that will shape the future of the passenger experience around the world. Our post-2014 event survey found that nine out of 10 attendees from last year’s EXPO said they would recommend EXPO to industry colleagues. EXPO has earned a global reputation as the industry’s one-stop shop for airlines and vendors alike, with a massive tradeshow containing subject matter spanning each of the three pillars that make APEX wholly unique: Comfort & Ambience, Entertainment & Connectivity, and Catering

& Services. More than 35,000 attendees and exhibitors at EXPO will have the opportunity to visit 250 exhibition booths and hear an impressive roster of speakers and panelists discuss topics ranging from evolving industry regulations to in-flight connectivity. APEX and the International Flight Services Association (IFSA) will once again team up with a co-located conference to give attendees comprehensive access to companies from every aspect of the passenger experience. While at EXPO, members are invited to attend the annual APEX Awards Ceremony, which recognizes individuals and companies who, over the last year, have worked tirelessly to improve the passenger experience. The winners of the coveted APEX Passenger Choice Awards will also be announced at the ceremony. Visit apex.aero for information on exhibitors, educational sessions and full EXPO agenda.

For more event details, visit > APEX.AERo

Conference attendees meet and mingle on the showroom floor and at vendor booths.

Welcome Reception Sunday, September 27 Awards Ceremony Monday, September 28 Networking Event Wednesday, September 30

Events & EXPO Committee

Members: John Courtright, SIE; Rowena Falcinella, Panasonic Avionics Corporation; Marcus Goncalves, Interact; Kate Groth, Global Eagle Entertainment; Betsy Hamlin, Cinesky Pictures Staff Liaison: Kirsten Arthur, CMP

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Airline Passenger Experience Association

photos: Mehran torgoley

Co-Chairs: Jennifer Clark, Global Eagle Entertainment Connectivity; Dominic Green, Thales

apex experience

Etihad Innovation Centre: Exclusive Tour

View the photo gallery online at > APEX.AERO/etihad

photos: Shiji Ulleri

APEX Middle East delegates were invited to an exclusive tour of the Etihad Airways Innovation Centre on Day Two of the conference in Abu Dhabi. A model of the Midfield Terminal Complex graced the lobby of the Innovation Centre. Under construction between the two existing runways at Abu Dhabi International, the new terminal is slated for completion in 2017 and will cater exclusively to Etihad Airways and the national carrierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partner airlines. Expert tour guides walked guests through the mockups of the various cabin classes. Economy offerings include the new smart seat with fixed-wing headrests, a sleep amenity kit and 11-inch IFE screens in every seatback. Business Studio units feature direct aisle access with lie-flat beds, while First Suites offer more space with gliding privacy screens. First Apartments, with Poltrona Frau leatherclad seating that converts to a bed, led to the famed Residence suite mock-up, which boasted ample space and luxurious details, and can accommodate two guests. Tour groups also caught a preview of what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like for cabin crew to attend the training facility, which consists of a six-week course to perfect service and etiquette skills.

APEX delegates were treated to exclusive tours of the Etihad Innovation Centre during APEX Middle East in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

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IFSA

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IFSA President’s Letter networking event will be held at Punch Bowl Social, which is a very fun and entertaining venue that is perfect for interacting with colleagues and meeting industry members. In addition to the conference, I also want to highlight the success of the 2015 IFSA Scholarship Foundation. Through even more generous donations, this will be the most in scholarship awards that the foundation has ever been able offer. We’d like to thank all of our award sponsors for their continued support of this program that benefits students across the globe. Finally, I’d like to thank our committee leaders and members for their hard work this year and I look forward to seeing you all September 28-October 1 in Portland!

"This will be the most in scholarship awards that the foundation has ever been able to offer."

Sincerely, > Pam Suder-Smith President International Flight Services Association

photo: IFSA

This year, we will be celebrating IFSA’s 50th Annual Conference and I couldn’t be more excited! As you may know, APEX and IFSA have been EXPO partners for six years, and this year we are continuing that tradition with our co-located tradeshow in Portland. The various industries represented at our event are committed to offering the best passenger experience possible. The value in co-locating continues to exceed expectations and I invite you to come take advantage of the chance to interact with customers, key prospects and members of both associations. I look forward to catching up with old friends and connecting with new contacts throughout the EXPO. Our 2015 Annual Conference has so much to offer and we’ve been working hard to deliver an exciting schedule. This year, IFSA’s education will be held in the morning before the EXPO show floor opens. We have done this to streamline the conference schedule and help attendees get the most out of their time in Portland. The Onboard Innovation Pavilion will return again this year and we look forward to seeing new onboard technologies being showcased. Additionally, the

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IFSA

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IFSA Scholarship Foundation: 2015 Poised to Be Most Successful Year to Date The International Flight Services Association Foundation is proud to offer multiple scholarships to help exceptional students and current onboard services professionals further their education. The foundation scholarships cover tuition, books, living expenses and associated costs with college. The scholarships are available to students across the globe. In 2015, through even more generous donations, the IFSA Foundation will administer over $82,000 in scholarship awards. Winners will be announced in the next issue.

Thank you to the 2014 IFSA Foundation scholarship donors! Alphonse Joseph

John Louis

AMI Group

Ken Samara

Elite Airline Services

King Nut Companies

Flying Food Group

LSG Sky Chefs

Gate Gourmet

Oakfield Farms Solutions

Gourmet Foods Harvey & Laura Alpert James T. Pfannkuche

Sue Ling Gin Charitable Trust Wessco International

John & Ginnie Long

photo: Mehran torgoley

2015 IFSA Mentorship Program The IFSA Mentorship Program is designed to bring experienced members of the in-flight services industry together with junior members who are interested in further career development. The four-month program is a wonderful opportunity for senior members of the industry to give back and develop the industry. In turn, it is a great opportunity for junior members to gain valuable career guidance and a framework for career planning through a one-on-one partnership with a seasoned professional. For more information and to apply, visit > ifsanet.com.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

IFSA 50th Annual Conference and EXPO The Annual Conference Planning Committee is hard at work producing the highest quality annual conference and exposition that will feature an exciting lineup of speakers, education sessions, networking events and exhibition tradeshow, in addition to the Chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Competition and other entertaining events. Attendee registration will open in early June. To book IFSA booth space, please contact Kristi Johnson, IFSA EXPO manager at kjohnson@kellencompany.com or call T 1 678 303 3009. To find out more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Hope Felshaw, IFSA executive director at hfelshaw@kellencompany.com or call T 1 678 303 3019. volume 5, edition 3

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What to look for in the months ahead

Coming Attractions w

5 Flights Up

Director: Richard Loncraine Cast: Diane Keaton, Morgan Freeman, Cynthia Nixon Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton star as a married couple trying to decide whether to sell their longtime Brooklyn home. During the course of one crazy weekend, they discover that finding a new apartment is not about winding down but starting a new adventure. Distributor: Jaguar Distribution Corp. Contact: France Capor

45 Years

99 Homes

20, Once Again!

Director: Andrew Haigh Cast: Charlotte Rampling, Geraldine James, Tom Courtenay

Director: Ramin Bahrani Cast: Andrew Garfield, Laura Dern, Michael Shannon

Director: Leste Chen Cast: Yang Zishan, Grace Guei, Chen Bolin, Lu Han

There is just one week until Kate Mercer’s 45th wedding anniversary and the planning for the party is going well. But then a letter arrives for her husband. The body of his first love has been discovered, frozen and preserved in the icy glaciers of the Swiss Alps.

Charismatic and ruthless businessman Rick Carver is making a killing by repossessing homes, gaming the real estate market, Wall Street banks and the US government. When he evicts Dennis Nash, Nash becomes so desperate to provide for his family that he goes to work for the very man who evicted him.

Shen Meng Jun, a 70-year-old widow, is mysteriously transformed back into her 20-yearold self. Given the chance to accomplish her youthful dream of becoming a singer, will she find true love and success in her second youth?

Distributor: Jaguar Distribution Corp. Contact: France Capor

* excluding China, Korea, Taiwan

Distributor: Skeye Contact: Isabelle Bégin * excluding Germany, Israel, UK, US, France, Australia, New Zealand

* excluding US

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

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Distributor: Emphasis Video Entertainment Limited Contact: Grace Lau

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

Airline Passenger Experience Association

* excluding US

photos: © Freestyle Releasing 2015; © 2015 Paramount Pictures; Emphasis Video Entertainment Limited; 2014 Electric City Entertainment, All rights reserved; © 2015 Universal Studios. All rights reserved; Sony Pictures Releasing

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After the Ball

Director: Sean Garrity Cast: Portia Doubleday, Marc-André Grondin, Chris Noth After a young fashion designer runs afoul of her corrupt stepmother and stepsisters, she dons a disguise. Distributor: Skeye Contact: Isabelle Bégin * excluding Canada

The Age of Adaline w

Director: Lee Toland Krieger Cast: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Kathy Baker, Amanda Crew, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn After miraculously remaining 29 years old for almost eight decades, Adaline Bowman has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chance encounter with charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones reignites her passion for life and romance.

An Inspector Calls

Directors: Raymond Wong, Herman Yau Cast: Louis Koo, Eric Tsang, Teresa Mo, Gordon Lam, Chrissie Chau, Raymond Wong A police inspector unexpectedly drops by a lavish party being held by a wealthy family in celebration of their daughter Sherry’s engagement. The joy turns to gloom when guests find out the inspector is investigating the suicide of a young working class woman. Distributor: Emphasis Video Entertainment Limited Contact: Grace Lau * excluding China

Distributor: Paramount Contact: Mark Horton * excluding US

Alex of Venice

A Little Chaos

Director: Chris Messina Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Messina, Don Johnson, Marin Hinkle

Director: Alan Rickman Cast: Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, Stanley Tucci

Workaholic attorney Alex is forced to reinvent her life after her husband suddenly leaves. Now faced with the humdrum and sometimes catastrophic events that permeate the fabric of our lives, Alex discovers both her vulnerability and inner strength, all while trying to hold together her broken family.

A talented female gardener is awarded the esteemed assignment to construct the gardens at Versailles, a position that thrusts her to the center of the court of King Louis XIV. In her new position, she challenges gender and class barriers while also becoming professionally and romantically entangled with the court’s own renowned landscape artist.

Distributor: Terry Steiner International Contact: Nadja Rutkowski

Distributor: Universal Contact: Phyllis Bagdadi

Aloha

Director: Cameron Crowe Cast: Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Bill Murray, John Krasinski, Danny McBride, Alec Baldwin A celebrated military contractor returns to the site of his greatest career triumphs – the US Space program in Honolulu, Hawaii – and reconnects with a long-ago love while unexpectedly falling for the hard-charging Air Force watchdog assigned to him. Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing Contact: Rana Matthes * Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, US

* US, Canada, Scandinavia (excluding Iceland), Bahamas, Bermuda

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

Airline Passenger Experience Association

N: North america

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W: WorldWide

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A Royal Night Out

Director: Julian Jarrold Cast: Sarah Gadon, Jack Reynor, Rupert Everett, Emily Watson, Bel Powley

Ant-Man

Director: Peyton Reed Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Hayley Atwell, Judy Greer

Biochemist Dr. Hank Pym uses his latest discovery, a group of subatomic particles, to create a size-altering formula. Armed with an astonishing super-suit that shrinks in scale but increases in strength, con man Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor to save the world.

VE Day, 1945. Across the world, people are celebrating the end of the war in Europe. Two teenage sisters are allowed out for the first time as London overflows with celebration and excess. The sisters have an amazing adventure, but they get back home – to Buckingham Palace – far too late. Distributor: Jaguar Distribution Corp. Contact: France Capor

Avengers: Age of Ultron

The Bélier Family (La famille Bélier)

Director: Joss Whedon Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner

Director: Eric Lartigau Cast: Karin Viard, François Damiens

When Tony Stark tries to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. Distributor: Disney Studios Non-Theatrical Contact: Ruth Walker

Everyone in Paula’s family is deaf but her. Not that it’s an issue: Her father is running for mayor with her mother’s active support. At school, Paula falls for Gabriel. When he joins the school choir, so does she. The minute she starts singing, everyone is speechless.

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Bis

Director: Dominique Farrugia Cast: Franck Dubosc, Kad Merad, Alexandra Lamy Two friends who are not very satisfied with their current lives go back accidentally to the 1980s to fix their professional and personal futures. Distributor: Skeye Contact: Isabelle Bégin * excluding France

Distributor: Skeye Contact: Isabelle Bégin * excluding France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Distributor: Disney Studios Non-Theatrical Contact: Ruth Walker

Child 44

Cymbeline

Director: Daniel Espinosa Cast: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, Gary Oldman

Director: Michael Almereyda Cast: Ethan Hawke, Ed Harris, Milla Jovovich

Set in 1953 Soviet Russia, Child 44 chronicles the crisis of conscience for secret police agent Leo who loses everything when he refuses to denounce his own wife as a traitor. Exiled from Moscow to a provincial outpost, Leo joins forces with a general to track down a serial killer who preys on young boys.

A gritty story of a take-no-prisoners war between dirty cops and an outlaw biker gang where a drug kingpin is driven to desperate measures. Distributor: Skeye Contact: Isabelle Bégin

Distributor: Entertainment In Motion Contact: Bill Grant

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Danny Collins

Director: Dan Fogelman Cast: Al Pacino, Jennifer Garner, Christopher Plummer, Annette Bening, Melissa Benoist, Bobby Cannavale Danny Collins, an aging 1970s rocker, can’t give up his hard-living ways. But when his manager uncovers a 40-year-old undelivered letter written to him by John Lennon, he embarks on a journey to rediscover his family, find true love and begin a second act. Inspired by a true story. Distributor: Entertainment In Motion Contact: Bill Grant

Dark Places

Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner Cast: Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Nicholas Hoult, Christina Hendricks As the sole survivor of a home invasion where she witnessed the death of her mother and sisters, Libby lives with the knowledge that her testimony as a seven-year-old sentenced her brother to life in prison. When a group of truecrime enthusiasts convince her to re-examine the events, new memories surface. Distributor: Jaguar Distribution Corp. Contact: France Capor

Do Not Disturb (Une heure de tranquillité) w

Director: Patrice Leconte Cast: Christian Clavier, Carole Bouquet, Valérie Bonneton, Rossy de Palma, Stéphane de Groodt

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

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N: North america

I: outside north amErica

When passionate jazz fan Michel finds a rare album at a flea market, he can’t wait to listen to it – at home, on his own – but the whole world seems to be ganging up to prevent him from doing so. Distributor: Skeye Contact: Isabelle Bégin * excluding Germany

W: WorldWide

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Far from the Madding Crowd w

Director: Thomas Vinterberg Cast: Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen, Tom Sturridge, Juno Temple

The D Train

Directors: Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel Cast: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor

The head of a high school reunion committee travels to Los Angeles to track down the most popular guy from the graduating class to convince him to go to the reunion. Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing Contact: Rana Matthes * excluding US

Based on the literary classic by Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd is the story of independent and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene, who attracts three very different suitors: a sheep farmer, captivated by her fetching willfulness; a handsome and reckless sergeant; a prosperous and mature bachelor. Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Contact: Julian Levin

Get Hard

Director: Etan Cohen Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Alison Brie, Craig T. Nelson, Edwina Findley Dickerson When millionaire James King is nailed for fraud and bound for a stretch in San Quentin, the judge gives him 30 days to get his affairs in order. Desperate, he turns to Darnell Lewis to prep him for a life behind bars. In the process, they discover how wrong they were about many things – including each other.

The Gunman

Director: Tim Johnson Cast: Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Steve Martin

An international spy must clear his name in order to save himself from the organization that he used to work for.

Based on the book The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex, in Home, an alien race invades Earth and uses it as a hideout from their mortal enemy. When one lowly alien accidentally notifies the enemies of his whereabouts, he is forced to go on the run with a teenage girl.

Distributor: Penny Black Media Contact: Cathie Trotta

Distributor: Paramount Contact: Mark Horton * US, Trinidad

* Worldwide, excluding US

Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Contact: Julian Levin * excluding China, Korea

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

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Home

Director: Pierre Morel Cast: Sean Penn, Javier Bardem, Idris Elba, Ray Winstone, Jasmine Trinca

Distributor: Warner Bros. Contact: Jeff Crawford

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photos: Sony Pictures Releasing; © 2014 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved; © 2015 Warner Bros. Ent. All rights reserved; © 2015 Open Road Films; © 2014 DreamWorks Animation, LLC. All rights reserved

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JEFF CRAWFORD

• jeff.crawford @ warnerbros.com

ANGELICA McCOY

• angelica.mccoy@warnerbros.com

wbnts.warnerbros.com

apex experience

Hot Pursuit

Director: Anne Fletcher Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Vergara, John Carroll Lynch, Rob Kazinsky, Richard T. Jones An uptight and by-the-book cop tries to protect the sexy, outgoing widow of a drug boss as they race through Texas, pursued by crooked cops and murderous gunmen. Distributor: Warner Bros. Contact: Jeff Crawford

Inside Out

Director: Pete Docter Cast: Amy Poehler, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader, Phyllis Smith Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by emotions that live in Headquarters, the control center inside our minds. As Riley struggles to adjust to a new life, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Distributor: Disney Studios Non-Theatrical Contact: Ruth Walker

Visit us at apex.aero

Insurgent

Director: Robert Schwentke Cast: Shailene Woodley, Kate Winslet, Theo James, Octavia Spencer, Jai Courtney, Naomi Watts Tris and Four are now fugitives on the run, hunted by Jeanine, the leader of the power-hungry Erudite elite. They must find out what Tris’ family sacrificed their lives to protect, and why the Erudite leaders will do anything to stop them. Distributor: Entertainment In Motion Contact: Bill Grant

Iris

Director: Albert Maysles Cast: Iris Apfel Iris Apfel, the quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed 93-year-old style maven has had an outsized presence on the New York fashion scene for decades. The documentary is a story about creativity and how, even in Iris’ dotage, a soaring free spirit continues to inspire. Distributor: Terry Steiner International Contact: Nadja Rutkowski * excluding Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand

Ixcanul

Director: Jayro Bustamante Cast: María Mercedes Coroy, María Telón, Manuel Antún, Justo Lorenzo, Marvin Coroy

María, a young girl, lives and works with her parents in Guatemala. An arranged marriage awaits her. Although María dreams of going to the big city, as an indigenous woman, she faces obstacles. Later on, a snakebite forces her to go out into the city where her life is saved, but at what price? Distributor: Encore Inflight Limited Contact: Edwin Cheung * excluding North America, Latin America, Spain, France, Benelux, Switzerland

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

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W: WorldWide

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Ladygrey

Director: Alain Choquart Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, Emily Mortimer, Jérémie Renier, Claude Rich, Liam Cunningham

Jackie & Ryan

Director: Ami Canaan Mann Cast: Katherine Heigl, Ben Barnes

Learning to Drive

A modern-day train hopper fighting to be a successful musician and a single mom battling to maintain custody of her daughter defy their circumstances by coming together in a relationship that may change each other’s lives forever.

South Africa, 10 years after apartheid. A South African community lives in the trauma of unsolved killings. No one has forgotten, but they all choose to remain silent. A young woman, who has just arrived in the community, will soon shatter the fragile balance.

Distributor: Penny Black Media Contact: Cathie Trotta

Distributor: Encore Inflight Limited Contact: Edwin Cheung

* excluding France

* excluding France, Benelux, South Africa

Little Boy

The Longest Ride

Director: Isabel Coixet Cast: Patricia Clarkson, Ben Kingsley, Grace Gummer, Jake Weber

Director: Alejandro Monteverde Cast: Emily Watson, Kevin James, Tom Wilkinson, Michael Rapaport

Director: George Tillman Jr. Cast: Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, Jack Huston, Oona Chaplin, Alan Alda

When her husband walks out on her, Wendy Shields watches her life crumble overnight. Struggling to reclaim her independence in New York City, she hits a unique roadblock: She never learned to drive. Her life is forever changed when she meets a driving instructor on the brink of an arranged marriage.

The inspirational story of a seven-year-old boy who is willing to do whatever it takes to end World War II so he can bring his father home. The story reveals the indescribable love a father has for his little boy, and the love a son has for his father.

A strange occurrence unites two generations and their intertwining love stories. In one, an elderly man drifting in and out of consciousness reunites with his beloved wife who had died years before; in the second, a man fighting to save his family’s ranch falls in love with a sophisticated young woman.

Distributor: Jaguar Distribution Corp. Contact: France Capor

Distributor: Paramount Contact: Mark Horton

Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Contact: Julian Levin

* us ONLY

* excluding Australia, New Zealand

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

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N: North america

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Lost River

Love Forecast

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Lovers & Movies

Director: Ryan Gosling Cast: Eva Mendes, Saoirse Ronan, Ben Mendelsohn

Director: Park Jin-Pyo Cast: Lee Seung-Gi, Moon Chae-Won, Lee Seo-Jin

Director: Chaoyang Niu Cast: Francis Ng, Yu Nan, Kim Beom, Simon Yam

In the abandoned city of Lost River, a single mother of two is led into a macabre underworld in her quest to save her childhood home. Her son discovers a mystery about the origins of the city that sets into motion an unexpected journey that will test everyone’s limits.

Hyun-woo is a weather reporter known for her stunning looks and class on television. As she juggles the admiration and advances of three very different men, the love story of her life unfolds.

Big star Lin Jun goes to a cinema to watch a film he starred in. He’s immediately recognized by Jia Meng – one of his biggest fans. Jia approaches him with the intention of announcing her love and being let down gently, but Lin gradually falls for her and a cinematic love story ensues.

Distributor: Paramount Contact: Mark Horton

Distributor: Emphasis Video Entertainment Limited Contact: Grace Lau * excluding Korea

* excluding US, Canada

Distributor: Encore Inflight Limited Contact: Edwin Cheung * excluding Mainland China

Mad Max: Fury Road w

Director: George Miller Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Nathan Jones, Josh Helman Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland, pursued by Immortan Joe – a ruthless warlord who has marshaled all his gangs.

Maestro!

Director: Shotaro Kobayashi Cast: Tori Matsuzaka, Toshiyuki Nishida, miwa, Kyusaku Shimada

Distributor: Warner Bros. Contact: Jeff Crawford

The Central Symphony Orchestra, a onceprominent group that went broke six months previous, is set to reunite – but when they start playing, the sound is anything but professional. Conductor Tendo’s abrasive style initially alienates everyone, but gradually, his unusual approach draws them deeper into their music. Distributor: Emphasis Video Entertainment Limited Contact: Grace Lau * excluding Japan

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

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Maps to the Stars

Man Up

Director: Ben Palmer Cast: Lake Bell, Simon Pegg, Rory Kinnear, Olivia Williams

When a single woman is mistaken for a stranger’s blind date, the chance mix-up unexpectedly leads to her finding the perfect boyfriend.

A dark and comic tour into the heart of a Hollywood family chasing celebrity, one another, and the relentless ghosts of their pasts, David Cronenberg forges both a wicked social satire and a human ghost story from our celebrityobsessed culture.

Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing Contact: Rana Matthes

Distributor: Universal Contact: Phyllis Bagdadi * US only

Memories

Director: Jean-Paul Rouve Cast: Annie Cordy, Mathieu Spinosi, Michel Blanc, Chantal Lauby, Flore Bonaventura, Audrey Lamy

Monkey Kingdom

Director: Mark Linfield Co-director: Alastair Fothergill Cast: Temple Troop monkeys

Romain has his whole life ahead of him. His grandmother has her best years behind her but she’s defiantly full of life. When her sons put her in a retirement home after her husband passes away, she escapes and Romain is tasked with finding her.

Disneynature’s Monkey Kingdom is a nature documentary that follows a newborn monkey and its mother as they struggle to survive within the competitive social hierarchy of the Temple Troop, a dynamic group of monkeys who live in ancient ruins found deep in the storied jungles of South Asia.

Distributor: Encore Inflight Limited Contact: Edwin Cheung

Distributor: Disney Studios Non-Theatrical Contact: Ruth Walker

Run All Night

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra Cast: Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman, Vincent D’Onofrio, Bruce McGill, Genesis Rodriguez, Boyd Holbrook Brooklyn mobster and prolific hit man Jimmy Conlon is haunted by the sins of his past – as well as a dogged police detective. But when his estranged son becomes a target, he must choose between the crime family he chose and the real family he abandoned long ago. Distributor: Warner Bros. Contact: Jeff Crawford

* excluding US, Australia, New Zealand, France, DOM TOM

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

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N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

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Director: David Cronenberg Cast: Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson

Saint Laurent

San Andreas

Director: Bertrand Bonello Cast: Gaspard Ulliel, Jérémie Renier, Louis Garrel, Léa Seydoux, Amira Casar, Aymeline Valade

Director: Brad Peyton Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Ioan Gruffudd, Archie Panjabi, Hugo Johnstone-Burt

Bertrand Bonello’s biopic of famed designer Yves Saint Laurent chronicles one of history’s greatest fashion designers through a decade (1967–1976) of freedom and change.

After the infamous San Andreas Fault finally gives, triggering a magnitude 9 earthquake in California, a search and rescue helicopter pilot and his estranged wife make their way together from Los Angeles to San Francisco to save their only daughter.

Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing Contact: Rana Matthes * Bermuda, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Saba Island, St. Eustatius Island, St. Kitts Island, St. Maarten Island, US

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Distributor: Warner Bros. Contact: Jeff Crawford

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Director: Peter Bogdanovich Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson, Imogen Poots, Quentin Tarantino, Will Forte, Cybill Shepherd As told to a reporter in a not-so-reliable recollection of events, the Brooklyn-born former escort reminisces about how a rendezvous with a director turned into a larger-than-expected sum of money and an offer she couldn’t refuse. Distributor: Entertainment In Motion Contact: Bill Grant

Skin Trade

Director: Ekachai Uekrongtham Cast: Dolph Lundgren, Tony Jaa, Ron Perlman New Jersey detective Nick Cassidy heads to Bangkok where he teams up with Thai detective Tony Vitayakui to hunt down Viktor Dragovic and destroy his human trafficking network. Distributor: Paramount Contact: Mark Horton

Solomon’s Perjury I w

Director: Izuru Narushima Cast: Ryoko Fujino, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Yui Natsukawa, Hiromi Nagasaku, Fumiyo Kohinata, Haru Kuroki

* excluding US, Canada

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

Airline Passenger Experience Association

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

On a Christmas morning, the body of a classmate is discovered on the ground below a high rooftop. When the adult teachers forsake the students to protect themselves, the junior high students rise up to expose the real truth. Distributor: Encore Inflight Limited Contact: Edwin Cheung * excluding Japan

W: WorldWide

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Son of a Gun

Director: Julius Avery Cast: Ewan McGregor, Brenton Thwaites, Alicia Vikander At the beginning of a six-month stint in prison, rookie criminal JR meets the smart and enigmatic Brendan Lynch, Australia’s public enemy number one. In exchange for protection on the inside, JR helps Brendan orchestrate a daring prison escape. Distributor: Penny Black Media Contact: Cathie Trotta

Spy

Suite Française

Director: Paul Feig Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Jude Law, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney

Director: Saul Dibb Cast: Margot Robbie, Ruth Wilson, Michelle Williams, Matthias Schoenaerts, Sam Riley

Susan Cooper, a shy deskbound CIA analyst, goes on a mission to help a field agent in trouble. Employing outrageous identities and fancy spy gadgets, she attempts to infiltrate the shadowy world of an alluring but dangerous weapons dealer.

When refugees pour into her town, followed by a regiment of German soldiers who take up residence in the villagers’ homes, Lucille’s life is turned upside down. Lucille tries to ignore the handsome German officer who has been posted to live with them, but soon, a powerful love draws them together.

Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Contact: Julian Levin

Distributor: Terry Steiner International Contact: Nadja Rutkowski

Tomorrowland

Director: Brad Bird Cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie, Judy Greer Bound by a shared destiny, a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor, jaded by disillusionment, embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory as “Tomorrowland.” Distributor: Disney Studios Non-Theatrical Contact: Ruth Walker

* US, Germany, Austria, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, CIS

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

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N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

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* excluding US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand

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Tracers

True Story

Director: Daniel Benmayor Cast: Marie Avgeropoulos, Taylor Lautner, Rafi Gavron

Director: Rupert Goold Cast: Jonah Hill, James Franco, Felicity Jones, Gretchen Mol

After he crashes into a stranger named Nikki, Cam is introduced to her crew – a team that uses parkour to pull off heists. Hoping to alleviate his debt to a violent crime gang, Cam quickly joins the group. As the stakes get higher, the payouts get bigger.

When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel meets accused killer Christian Longo – who has taken on Finkel’s identity – his reporting job morphs into a game of cat-and-mouse. Based on actual events, Finkel’s relentless pursuit of Longo’s true story encompasses murder, love, deceit and redemption.

Distributor: Terry Steiner International Contact: Nadja Rutkowski * excluding US, France, French-speaking territories

Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Contact: Julian Levin

The Water Diviner *

Director: Russell Crowe Cast: Russell Crowe, Olga Kurylenko, Yilmaz Erdogan, Cem Yilmaz, Jai Courtney, Ryan Corr In an adventure set after the battle of Gallipoli during World War I, Australian farmer Joshua Connor travels to Turkey in 1919 to discover the fate of his three sons, reported missing in action. Distributor: Entertainment In Motion Contact: Bill Grant

Distributor: Warner Bros. Contact: Jeff Crawford * North America

* Outside North America

Woman in Gold

Director: Simon Curtis Cast: Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Brühl, Katie Holmes Sixty years after she fled Vienna during World War II, an elderly Jewish woman starts her journey to retrieve family possessions seized by the Nazis, among them Klimt’s famous painting Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I. Distributor: Terry Steiner International Contact: Nadja Rutkowski * excluding Canada

DISTRIBUTION rights codes

Airline Passenger Experience Association

N: North america

I: outside north amErica

W: WorldWide

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Hotels

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Room and Board On your way to or from the APEX Technology Conference in May, you might want to treat yourself to a bonus night at one of these LA-area destinations.

Viceroy Santa Monica

Loews Hollywood Hotel

Shangri-La Santa Monica

Santa Monica, US

Hollywood, US

Santa Monica, US

USD $

Calling code: +1

Commute time to airport: 25 mins

LAX, Los Angeles International USD $

Calling code: +1

Commute time to airport: 45 mins

LAX, Los Angeles International USD $

Calling code: +1

Commute time to airport: 30 mins

why you’ll go

Steps away from Santa Monica Beach, this 162-room hotel boasts expansive views of the Pacific Ocean. The quaint Library room is adjacent to the pool area, and is available for private business meetings and film screenings.

As the entertainment hub of LA, and home of the Big Six majors, you’re bound to be lured by Tinseltown’s star power and moviebiz glamor at some point – and Loews’ Hollywood location puts you in a prime position to take it all in.

Take in the recently renovated art deco ambience and the ocean-view rooms. Santa Monica denizens love the hotel’s rooftop bar, Suite 700, so you won’t have to go too far to experience the city like a local.

why you’ll stay

Relax poolside in a comfortable cabana, which you can book for private groups. When you’re ready for some exercise, hop on one of the hotel’s three-speed cruisers for a boardwalk cycle, and top it off with a spin on the Santa Monica ferris wheel.

From your room, take in views of the Hollywood sign and the lights of downtown LA, lounge poolside for rooftop glimpses of the TCL Chinese Theatre’s red carpet, and then star-spot from the Griffith Observatory or the Walk of Fame.

It’s hard to beat the Shangri-La’s prime location. Cross the street southward for the beach and a tour of Palisades Park, or head a few blocks north to hit up Santa Monica’s famous shopping district, the 3rd Street Promenade.

fun fact

If you’re looking for a lively lounge atmosphere, the Cameo Bar in the lobby is a weekend hot spot for both locals and visitors alike.

If you’d like to skip the cab ride from the airport and you have some cash to spare, land on the hotel’s rooftop helipad via helicopter.

Santa Monica is home to one of the top flea markets in the country, the Santa Monica Airport Outdoor Antique & Collectible Market.

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photos: Viceroy Hotels, Images courtesy of Christian Horan; Loews hotel; Shangri-La hotels

LAX, Los Angeles International

Reading List

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Editors’ Reading List

Read our extra picks at > APEX.AERO/BOOKS

Rejection Proof Jia Jiang Seeing that he was failing in his entrepreneurial ambitions by playing it safe in life, Jiang decides to purposefully seek out rejection over 100 consecutive days in order to inoculate himself against his fears. Not only are his experiments humorous, his insights into how we set ourselves up for success or failure – and, ultimately, how we achieve meaningful human connections – are extremely powerful. > Terri’s Pick

We Should All Be Feminists Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie As a modified print version of a widely received talk delivered in 2012 at TEDxEuston, Adichie lays it out on paper as cleanly and vividly as when it was spoken. Through tackling difficult conversations about gender with personal anecdotes and an abundance of grace, she offers an optimistic vision of a fairer, happier world for everyone. A must-read. > Katie’s Pick

The WORN Archive Serah-Marie McMahon The fashion industry often has a bad rep for being superficial (and at times outrageous) but, the fact is, clothing represents a huge part of our identity and how we express ourselves. WORN, an archive of over 400 pages of magazine articles, explores the history, politics and culture that surround fashion, including a fascinating look at the evolution of the airline flight-attendant dress. > Jessica’s Pick

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Going wireless IFE? Unfortunately, everything is not wireless

Brand New PES/PSS + P System Full PSS Reading/Call Light functionality Full PES Audio Channel/Volume selection Full +P 2.1amps USB Power Port availability Full Key Pad Icon Back-Lighting bright and dim Full and Complete Seat and Aircraft System Only PCU shown Full Certified Flying and Operational

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Fair Flyers When women started flying, men took notice.

“It may almost be said that the flying man has become a commonplace of the sky of the continent, even if he still is a rare bird in this country,” reported an English newspaper in the early 20th century. “The flying woman is a novelty abroad and a novelty here, and as such, and because of her own attractions, is arousing much curiosity.” Mutually powered by industrialization, the invention of aviation coincided historically with a period in which women were steadily entering the labor force. When flying took off in the early 1900s, women like E. Lillian Todd, Thérèse Peltier, Blanche Stuart Scott and Raymonde de la Roche pursued aviation as readily as men did – but the female presence, 114

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Blanche Stuart Scott, also known as Betty Scott, is widely recognized as the first American woman to solo an airplane.

in what quickly became a male-dominated industry, fell under certain scrutiny. “What shall we call women who are ascending in aeroplanes and balloons?” wondered Charles N. Lurie, reporting for Salt Lake City’s Desert Evening News in 1910. “Shall we refer to them as aviatrices (plural of aviatrix, of which the masculine is aviator), or shall we adopt the suggestion of an English magazine and refer to the fair flyers as ‘aeroines.’” In addition to confusion about nomenclature, there were more serious concerns. As Lurie explained, “According to the ‘man birds,’ women are temperamentally unfitted to cope with the problems of the aviator.” Prejudices such as this led many to speculate that aviation accidents were more likely under the helm of women. After de la Roche’s crash at Reims in 1910, Lurie speculated, “Had a man been in the machine instead of its occupant being Mme. de la

Roche, I don’t believe there would have been any accident.” But luckily, many early “aeroines” were not held back by their detractors: “I was annoyed from the start by the attitude of doubt by the spectators that I would never really make the flight,” said Harriet Quimby, just prior to her record-breaking flight across the English Channel in 1912. “This attitude made me more determined than ever to succeed.” Over a century later, women still face many obstacles in the air travel industry. Globally, only approximately five percent of the one million pilots worldwide are women.

If you are an APEX member who is interested in contributing to the Throwback page, please submit your personal stories relating to the airline industry, or a moment or product in aviation history, to editor@apex.aero

Airline Passenger Experience Association

photo: latinstock

Throwback

SKYfi club – Your mobile theatre Staying in touch and streaming content via smartphones, tablets and laptops are now top wishes for air travellers. And SKYfi is one of the most advanced and cost-effective ways to meet these demands – for satisfied passengers who keep coming back. Plus, SKYfi club lets you create personalised entertainment and information programmes streamed directly to passengers’ devices – for the ultimate in in-flight customisation.

KID-Systeme GmbH Lüneburger Schanze 30, D-21614 Buxtehude Phone +49 40 743 716 33 Fax +49 40 743 838 29 E-Mail info@kid-systeme.com