APEX Experience 7.2 April/May 2017 by Spafax

airline passenger

volume 7, edition 2 | april â&#x20AC;&#x201C; may 2017

What Is Comfort? Experts sink into the big question

official publication of the airline passenger experience association

SPINE COLOUR - NO IMAGE OR TEXT PAST THIS POINT

COVER COLOUR - NO IMAGE OR TEXT PAST THIS POINT

Inflight connectivity is finally a two-way conversation. True 4G Wi-Fi is here. And it’s going to do more than keep passengers productive and entertained. It’s going to completely transform every aspect of how the industry operates—from dynamically optimizing flight paths and saving flight time to monitoring aircraft health, providing analytics and much more—revolutionizing aviation as we know it.

THE FUTURE OF IFC IS HERE. WE’D LIKE TO BRING YOU ON BOARD.

EXPANSIVE SCALABILITY through our dedicated proprietary beamforming technology providing unparalleled 4G performance that won’t slow to a crawl—no matter who’s sharing the airspace.

20X MORE SPECTRUM 60 MHz than the current ATG industry standard, supporting connectivity both to and from the aircraft, with very low latency.

10X FASTER than current ATG networks, with speeds that rival 4G Wi-Fi on the ground allowing for real-time bidirectional data sharing.

COST SAVINGS AT EVERY STEP from affordable installation and set-up, to lower operating expenses and total cost of aircraft ownership. Improve performance and increase safety with bidirectional connectivity, all for less than you’re paying now.

Visit SmartSkyNetworks.com or call 800.660.9982

SERENITY CONSUMER HEADPHONES BUILT FOR FLIGHT

Conceived by world-renowned designers from Munich, Germany, Serenity S1 headphones expertly balance beautiful product aesthetics with a durable mechanical design. All this, while providing astonishing high deﬁnition sound performance, superior comfort and a suite of innovative features, including our highly-differentiating open-ear™ remote and open-ear touch talk-through features.

SERENITY S1D

SERENITY S1C

SERENITY S1H

ARINC D1/2 NC jack-enabled

ARINC C1/2 aircraft powered

Panasonic HD Audio™ compatible

• Rich and balanced sound • Patented circuitry for superior NC • Compatible with all NC-jacks

• • • •

• • • • • •

High ﬁdelity, remastered sound Powerful hybrid noise canceling Sensational open-earTM talk-through Passenger control of audio features

High deﬁnition digital sound 3D sound immersion with parametric EQ Powerful hybrid noise canceling VoIP-telephony with adaptive sidetone Natural open-earTM talk-through Passenger control of audio features

SOUNDPORT THE ONLY JACK YOU’LL EVER NEED FOR AUDIO Imagine a jack that can intelligently identify and operate with all aviation headphone types, including powered and jack-based noise canceling, standard analog stereo, and Panasonic HD Audio — via the same compact and robust USB Type-C connector. Well, SoundPort does just that and more, providing up to 1A recharging of connected peripherals, integrated Firewall to protect your IFEC data, and back-lit ports with the option of magnetic docking.

Back-lit ports with the option of magnetic docking

Integrated ﬁrewall for secure IFEC data access

2 x long-life, high-reliability USB Type-C connectors

Device recharging of up to 1A

Electronic detection and operation with all aviation headphone types, including: • Panasonic HD AudioTM • Powered noise canceling (ARINC type C1/2) • Jack-enabled noise canceling (ARINC type D1/2) • Conventional analog stereo (ARINC type A1/2

WWW.SOUNDCHIP.COM SoundPort is compatible only with inﬂight entertainment systems built by Panasonic Avionics Corporation and is covered by US patent no., US9407982 B2. Serenity S1 headphones are manufactured under license by Long Prosper Enterprise, Co. Ltd and are covered by patents US29/538,163, (PRC) 201530312668.5, (EU) 002645234-0001, (UK) 1519219.8, (UK) 1506206.0, (UK) 1503600.7, PCT/EP2013/055954. For further information email: hdaudio@soundchip.com.

Give your passengers what they crave.

Live and on-demand entertainment

Premium content with global reach

Ultra-fast internet service

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To satisfy their craving, visit globaleagle.com

How can my passengers feel inspired throughout their journey?

Ask for Airspace by Airbus. More than 16 million ambient LED lighting combinations allow you to create the perfect atmosphere, from sunrise to sunset.

Airbus is the answer.

Ad Directory

apex experience

Advertisers’ Directory

Visit us at apex.aero

volume 7, edition 2 april – may 2017

Airbus www.airbus.com See pages 10 and 11

Entertainment In Motion www.skyfilms.com See page 141

LSG Sky Chefs www.lsgskychefs.com See page 52

Telefonix Inc. www.telefonixinc.com See page 32

Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems www.astronics.com See pages 46 and 83

Eros Inflight Media Ltd. www.erosnow.com See page 151

NBCUniversal www.nbcuni.com See page 135

TRT World www.trtworld.com See inside back cover

FTS Technologies www.fts-aero.com See page 100

Panasonic Avionics Corporation www.panasonic.aero See outside back cover

ViaSat www.viasat.com See page 13

Astronics Armstrong Aerospace www.astronics.com See page 91 Axinom www.axinom.com See page 112 BAE Systems www.baesystems.com See page 71 BBC Global News www.bbc.com See pages 118 and 120 Bluebox Avionics www.blueboxavionics.com See page 25 Carlisle Interconnect Technologies www.carlisleit.com See insert after page 34 Deutsche Telekom www.telekom.com See insert after page 20 Deutsche Welle www.dw.de See bellyband and page 118 digEcor www.digecor.com See page 43 Dawson Media Direct www.dawsonmd.com See page 62 and select pages from 130 to 150 Donica www.donica.cn See page 96 Encore Inflight Ltd. www.encoreinflight.com See page 106 Emphasis Video Entertainment Ltd. www.emphasis-video.net See page 120

volume 7, edition 2

Global Eagle Entertainment www.globaleagleent.com See pages 8 and 9 Gogo LLC www.gogoair.com See page 27 HBO www.hboinflight.com See page 137 Images In Motion www.iim.com.sg See page 147 InflightDirect www.inflightdirect.com See page 93 Inflight Peripherals Ltd. www.ifpl.com See page 86 Inmarsat www.inmarsat.com See page 49 Intelsat www.intelsat.com See page 23 Interactive Mobility www.interactive-mobility.com See pages 2 and 3 Jaguar Distribution Corporation www.jaguardc.com See page 139 KID-Systeme GmbH www.kid-systeme.com See page 76 Long Prosper Enterprise www.longprosper.com See page 28 Lufthansa Systems www.lhsystems.com See page 50

Paramount Pictures www.paramount.com See insert after page 66

Video Technology Services Inc. www.vts.global See page 111

Pascall Electronics www.pascall.co.uk See page 55

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Non-Theatrical www.ebvnt.disney.com See front cover reverse gatefold

Penny Black Media www.pennyblackmedia.com See page 143

Warner Bros. www.warnerbros.com See page 129

Phitek Systems Ltd. www.phitek.com See page 81

West Entertainment LLC www.westent.com See page 145

Rockwell Collins www.rockwellcollins.com See page 41

W.L. Gore and Associates GmbH www.gore.com See page 60

Skycast Solutions www.skycastsolutions.com See page 36 Skyline IFE www.skyline-ife.com See page 103

Zodiac Aerospace www.imsco-us.com See page 17

SmartSky Networks LLC www.smartskynetworks.com See pages 4 and 5 Sony Pictures Releasing Corporation www.sonypicturesinflight.com See page 133 Soundchip www.soundchip.ch See pages 6 and 7 Spafax www.spafax.com See pages 72 and 73 TenCate Advanced Composites www.tencate.com See page 19

Airline Passenger Experience Association

CONNECT UP! YOUR FLIGHT PATH TO THE CONNECTED AIRCRAFT

In-flight Internet

LE T ’ S M E E T AT

AIX 2017 Stand 2B30 IFEC Zone, Hall B2

Book an appointment at promo.viasat.com/aix

Onboard Entertainment

Flight Operations

Now there’s more to ViaSat than great internet. Our innovative software and mobile apps for document management, electronic flight bag and cabin management bring important new benefits to crew. And our wireless onboard entertainment delivers unparalleled content choice to passengers. Wherever your airline is on the flight path to the fully-connected aircraft, we can help. When you believe that everything is connected to everything else, the connected aircraft becomes our shared vision. There’s an amazing journey ahead of us, with a clear flight path. Let’s connect up!

In November 2016, ViaSat acquired Arconics, a leader in aviation software and mobile apps. WEB

www.viasat.com/airlines

insidesales@viasat.com

PHONE

+1 760 476 4755

CEOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Letter

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Dear Members, Beginning with this edition of APEX Experience, we have moved the letters from the presidents of APEX and IFSA to the front of the magazine. This allows for each association to remain highlighted separately. Serving as CEO now for both APEX and IFSA, I will address items that benefit both associations and advance our airline passenger experience industry.

apex and ifsa to benefit from stronger aircraft interiors relationship In close coordination with IFSA, APEX has crafted a longterm agreement with Aircraft Interiors (AIX) to make EXPO more expansive than ever. This approach will allow APEX to serve the passenger experience industry, IFSA to serve in-flight services, and AIX to serve an increasing number of aircraft interior companies. We hope to approach a record EXPO attendance in Long Beach, California, this September.

volume 7, edition 2

apex promotion at aix hamburg and ifsa promotion at wtce

This April, APEX will be broadly advertised at AIX Hamburg. IFSA will be broadly advertised at WTCE. I will promote our combined EXPO as the major industry-wide event to attend this fall in the United States. At the event, APEX will also return to the forefront of the Passenger Experience Conference while IFSA hosts a meeting focused on advancing their European advocacy initiatives.

> Over half of these travelers are outside of North America, providing incredible data insights > TripIt automatically loads passenger flights from every airline in the world across languages > Download the app at apex.aero/TripIt > To support the Official Airline Ratings, APEX has posted a variety of new ads and collateral material, which can be found at apex.aero/Ratings > For more information, please e-mail info@apex.aero or call +1 212 297 2177

official airline ratings and passenger choice awards for 2017

We look forward to connecting, creating and advancing our industry alongside you.

> As a reminder, at EXPO 2017 the Official Airline Ratings and Passenger Choice Awards will be determined by over 13 million frequent flyers worldwide actively utilizing the TripIt by Concur mobile app. > To date, approximately 40 percent of passengers have rated flights when presented the option in TripIt, surpassing our expectations.

Best regards,

> Joe Leader chief executive officer

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Presidents’ Letters

apex experience

Dear APEX Members,

Dear IFSA Members,

For APEX, 2017 is shaping up to be an active year. It all kicks off in Berlin at the APEX MultiMedia Market 24–26 April. One of APEX’s most widely recognized global gatherings, MultiMedia Market represents the most expansive offering of in-flight content. As an airline member, this one-stop marketplace provides the content needed to satisfy global passengers with increasingly diverse tastes, needs and interests. Members will also have the opportunity to attend two APEX TECH events in June and November, as well as the Middle East regional conference in Dubai this fall. APEX will also be front and center as our CEO speaks at key industry events, further establishing APEX as the industry’s most influential member-based organization dedicated to elevating the entire passenger experience. Visit apex.aero/events for a full listing of this year’s events. Finally, a big thank you to our committee volunteers who continue to work tirelessly on behalf of the association. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or any of your Board members with feedback on anything. Our contact information is listed at apex.aero.

I am very pleased to share that IFSA is now accepting applications for the 2017 IFSA Foundation scholarships. Since its inception in 2000, IFSA Foundation has raised almost $700,000, awarding scholarship money to over 135 deserving students. The honorees’ stories of how appreciative they are of this support makes me so proud to be a part of IFSA. I am equally proud of the work of our Foundation Board members to raise these funds, and very thankful for the generous donations of many of our sponsors. This is truly a wonderful way IFSA supports its community. The scholarships range from $2,000 to $10,000 and are open to families of all of our member companies. Whether you or a family member is entering college for the first time, or returning as an adult learner, please take advantage of this wonderful program. The deadline for submissions is April 28. More information, including a link to the application, can be found on our website, ifsanet.com.

> Jane Bernier-Tran ifsa president > Brian Richardson apex president american airlines

To contact the APEX team, please visit > CONNECT.APEX.AERO/ CONTACTUS

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 7, edition 2

Board News

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

From Your APEX Board The APEX Board of Directors uses this space to inform members about ongoing Board initiatives and decisions. In addition to APEX association information in the magazine, the Board sends e-mails regularly to update the membership and to be as transparent as possible. > Brian Richardson president American Airlines

> Éric Lauzon vice president Air Canada

apex multimedia market

> Dominic Green secretary Inflight Dublin

> Joan Filippini treasurer

Paramount Pictures

APEX is excited to announce a sold-out exhibit hall for the 2017 MultiMedia Market, 24–26 April in Berlin. If you haven’t registered, please do so as soon as possible. New incentives for airlines and CSPs are likely to make our market the highest attended yet. The first two days will include appointments between buyers and sellers with the third day focused on a comprehensive program on the future of in-flight content, headlined by Rossen Dimitrov, senior vice-president, Customer Experience, Qatar Airways. To register and view the event schedule, visit apex.aero/mmm-2017.

apex tech > Linda Celestino past president Etihad Airways

> Kevin Bremer Boeing

APEX TECH continues to shine a light on technical and regulatory issues affecting the airline industry. Join us 13–14 June in Los Angeles, when APEX TECH will colocate with Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE). For more information, visit apex.aero/events.

nominations committee

The Nominations Committee will accept applications to run for the Board of Directors later this spring. To receive a nomination form, please contact info@apex.aero.

apex honorary awards > Maura Chacko

> Michael Childers

> Juha Järvinen

> Ryanne Van Der Eijk

Finnair

Lufthansa Systems

In addition to the new APEX Awards in eight categories, the Official Airline Ratings and a revised Passenger Choice Awards program, APEX will be accepting member applications for both the Lifetime Achievement and Outstanding Contribution Awards later this spring. Be on the lookout for applications in your inbox and on apex.aero.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

PHOTOS: MEHRAN TORGOLEY

Spafax

> Ingo Wuggetzer Airbus

volume 7, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

ZODIAC INFLIGHT INNOVATIONS ZODIAC CABIN Connected Cabin Division

Social

apex experience

APEX in Action From industry tradeshows to fashion week, from a charity flight to a K-pop dance class, APEX members captured many memorable moments these past months.

Visit us at apex.aero

Like us on Facebook to see more social photos > FACEBOOK.COM/ APEX.AERO

1. Norwegian Air and UNICEF deliver school supplies to children in Mali. 2. Virgin Australia flight attendants pose among Sydney Dance Company dancers. 3. Zodiac Inflight Innovations receives an award for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Seatcentric IFEâ&#x20AC;? at Aircraft Interiors Middle East in Dubai. 4. Iberia Airlines opens a pop-up VIP lounge at Madrid Fashion Week. 5. Spafax staff with a Dalek from Doctor Who at the BBC Worldwide Showcase. 6. KID-Systeme wins an award for its SKYfi connectivity platform on Saudia.

7. Mediacorp staff having a blast at a K-pop dance class. 8. Airbus transfers a test A380 to the Museum of Air and Space at Paris Le Bourget. 9. Thales with Chief of Naval Staff Sunil Lanba at Aero India 2017.

volume 7, edition 2

Do you have social photos that are fit to print? E-mail submissions to > EDITOR@APEX.AERO

Airline Passenger Experience Association

What's in your radome?

TenCate is the leading provider of high-performance structural radome materials to the aerospace industry. Our materials are produced in dedicated carbon-free facilities, and have the most in depth database (10-60 GHz) to help you get to market quickly and affordably. From satcom to navigation to the latest generation of conformal radomes for commercial and military aircraft, TenCate is the clear choice for your radome program. Learn more at www.tencate.com/radomes.

Clearly TenCate.

www.tencateadvancedcomposites.com TCAC_APEX_WhatsInYourRadomeAd_Full_020917

Contents

apex experience

Get Comfortable

volume 7, edition 2 april – may 2017

Settle into this issue’s stories about the seats and services that shape comfort for air travelers. For some it’s about aisle access, for others it’s family-first boarding. The definitions of “just right” are different for every passenger.

97 What Is Comfort?

ILLUSTRATIONS: ÓSCAR MATAMORA; ALEXANDRE AFFONSO; ÓSCAR CHÁVEZ PHOTOS: CATHAY PACIFIC; VIASAT; JETSTAR

Experts sink into the big question

> FEATURES

> IN PROFILE

84 Haynes G. Griffin

Chairman and CEO SmartSky Networks

Premium Real Estate

Clever seat configurations conquer cabin space scarcity

61 Brand Anew

107

56 Jayne Hrdlicka

Space Odyssey

Chief Executive Officer Jetstar Group

Seven airlines reinvigorate their brands with new logos

ViaSat-2 probes the possibilities of satellite capacity

113

Starting From ZeroTouch

Could a connected dashboard revolutionize airline operations?

Airline Passenger Experience Association

94 John White

The Traveling Family

This upcoming passenger group has little ones in tow

74 Paul Edwards Head of Design and Brand Management Airbus

Chairman and CEO Inflight Dublin

104 Phil Brace IFEC and Airborne Power Solutions Manager Pascall Electronics

volume 7, edition 2

Contents

apex experience

Comfort & Ambience Entertainment & Connectivity Catering & Services

Visit us at apex.aero

volume 7, edition 2 april – may 2017

> INDUSTRY

> APEX

14 CEO’s Letter 42

15 Presidents’ Letters

Sit Back, Relax and Control Your Mind

18 APEX in Action

Staggered Seating

Leather’s Double Duty

Seat covers that look luxurious while being practical

Trading Spaces

Airbus A3’s concept imagines cabins as cargo containers

Live on Air

Live sports reach new heights in flight

Super Diamond Two Ways

Two spins on B/E Aerospace’s premium seat

Home Away From Home

Airline cabins are housing a touch of coziness

Wired Up

Cables and wires run deep in aircraft mechanics

Molon Labe’s design could cure the middle seat conundrum

Elevated Brews

Scandinavian Airlines’ craft beers brew up hype and flavor

Arrive in time with Lufthansa Systems’ latest app

12 Advertisers’ Directory 130 Movie Listings 153 Room and Board

Mimicking Mobile

Doing the Travel Math

> LISTINGS

152 #APEXPOTD

IFE interfaces take a cue from mobile user habits

128 IFSA News

Gate Delivery

Lack of time on a layover? AtYourGate delivers

124–127 APEX News

Getting Breakfast in Order

The first meal of the day gets a boost from preordering

> STANDBYS

119

154

24 Editor’s Letter

Travelogue: Can We Please Fly Commercial?

Throwback: Path of Resistance

26 Featured Contributors

volume 7, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

ILLUSTRATIONS: FABRIZIO MORRA; MOLON LABE DESIGNS; A3; PATRICIO OTNIEL; PABLO DEL CIELO PHOTO: LUFTHANSA TECHNIK

16 Board News

Editor’s Letter

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Please, Be Seated craft beer created for consuming in pressurized cabins. And yet for others, comfort is found in in-flight entertainment (IFE). In “Sit Back Relax and Control Your Mind,” Kristina Velan reveals how a frantic mind can become more focused through a calm, guiding voice from a meditation program. Comfort can also be familiarity – like knowing your way around an IFE system or seeing a livery that reminds you of home. Jasmin Legatos discovers in “Mimicking Mobile” that designers are trying to build IFE interfaces with a user experience that matches that of a smartphone or tablet. And in “Brand Anew,” we delve into the stories of seven airline logos and how their brands have evolved, including Qantas’ beloved Flying Roo, which recently adopted a more aerodynamic aesthetic. The airline seat might be the first thing that comes to mind when we think of comfort on board, but it’s the combination of ambience, catering, service, entertainment and connectivity that make a holistic passenger experience.

> Caroline Ku acting editor

ILLUSTRATION: JORGE DE LA PAZ

The shows are about to begin. From Aircraft Interiors (AIX) and World Travel Catering and Onboard Services (WTCE) in Hamburg to APEX MultiMedia Market (MMM) in Berlin, the airline passenger experience industry will be gathering in Germany this spring for the annual display of the latest in comfort and ambience, catering and services and entertainment and connectivity. “Flying” is a verb we use to describe air travel, but what most of us are doing on board is sitting. In this issue’s roundtable, Katie Sehl asks, “What is Comfort?” Is it a fully lie-flat bed, an 18-inch-wide seat? The answer might be a question of personal preference as illustrator Óscar Matamora so artfully depicts in the feature. For many passengers, comfort is staying connected. In “Space Odyssey,” Howard Slutsken anticipates ViaSat’s launch of ViaSat-2 and the connectivity provider’s end goal of enabling passengers to maintain their online lifestyles and communicate with their friends and family from 35,000 feet above. For others, comfort is knowing a hot meal, or a cold one, waits at their seat. In “Getting Breakfast in Order,” Vanessa Bonneau serves up details on Retail inMotion’s preordering platform, and in “Elevated Brews,” Ari Magnusson gives us a taste of

volume 7, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Wireless

Bluebox Wow

Bluebox wIFE

Portable wireless streaming –

Fitted wireless streaming – 1,000’s of hours of IFE content

lightweight, scalable, battery-powered,

to passenger devices.

no mandatory STC.

Bluebox Ai

Bluebox Hybrid Connected portable IFE – provides

Standalone portable IFE –

secure EWC in a wireless cabin,

optimised & approved for delivering

minimises wireless network traﬃc.

pre-loaded EWC on iPads.

Portable

Looking for an IFE solution that is fast and cost effective to deploy ?

Portable IFE solutions – Bluebox Ai and Bluebox Hybrid – provide airlines all the benefits of IFE on the latest off-the-shelf technology. Approved for pre-loaded early window content, they also deliver a range of other video, audio, reading and gaming content to passengers. Bluebox Hybrid connects to additional content and services available on wireless streaming systems. Wireless IFE systems – Bluebox wIFE and Bluebox Wow – offer fitted and portable wireless options for streaming IFE content to both passenger and airline-owned devices. If you’re looking for options – for delivering IFE, replacing obsolete IFE systems, providing service recovery, delivering accessibility services, generating ancillary revenue – contact us to discuss how a Bluebox solution can work for you. VISIT US

IN HALL B2 ON STAND 2D30

Masthead

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Featured Contributors

Read Vanessa’s work on pages > 37 & 57

See Pablo’s work on page > 119

Vanessa Bonneau lives in Montreal. When it comes to in-flight entertainment, she prefers “anything British with at least one strong female lead.” If she could sit next to anyone on a plane, it would be cook and food writer Fuchsia Dunlop – provided she had homemade snacks she was willing to share.

Pablo del Cielo is an illustrator living in Putaendo, Chile. His favorite airline brand is the defunct Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano for its “very catchy jingle.” His ideal in-flight meal would be a vegetarian burger and honey lemonade. If he could sit next to anyone on a plane it would be Louis C.K.

volume 7, edition 2 april – may 2017

APEX Experience Magazine 575 Anton Blvd, Ste 1020 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 +1 714 363 4900 > Publisher Al St. Germain al.stgermain@spafax.com COVER ILLUSTRATION BY JORGE DE LA PAZ

EDITORIAL

PRODUCTION

> Acting Editor Caroline Ku caroline.ku@spafax.com

> Production Director Joelle Irvine > Production Manager Felipe Batista Nunes

> Digital Editor Kristina velan kristina.velan@spafax.com

> Assistant Copy Editor Deanna Dority

> Contributing Editor Katie Sehl > Digital Content Strategist Ari Magnusson > Digital Copy Editor Valerie Silva

See Laurence’s work on page > 94

Read Jason’s work on pages > 30 & 119

volume 7, edition 2

Laurence McMahon is a one-time lawyer turned commercial and editorial portrait photographer based in Dublin, Ireland. His perfect flight would be with Aer Lingus – “it reminds me of home” – in Seat 2A, next to his wife, with a Bombay gin and tonic “in a glass, with proper ice and lemon.”

> Research Assistant Ella Ponomarov

> Proofreaders Katie Moore Robert Ronald ADVERTISING > Sales Director Steve O’connor steve.oconnor@spafax.com +44 207 906 2077

> Contributors Vanessa Bonneau, Amanda Dunbar, Marisa Garcia, Jasmin Legatos, Howard Slutsken, Jason Steele, Jordan Yerman

> Ad Production Manager Mary Shaw mary.shaw@spafax.com

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

Jason Steele is a Denver-based freelance writer who covers aviation, travel and personal finance. He enjoys street food and would love to have fresh yakitori on a flight to Japan or roasted shwarma en route to the Middle East. “Yet for some reason the safety people have a problem with live-fire cooking in flight.”

> Fact Checkers Tara Dupuis Leah Jane Esau

> Graphic Designer Angélica Geisse > Contributors Alexandre Affonso, Óscar Chávez, Jorge De la Paz, Pablo del Cielo, Óscar Matamora, Laurence McMahon, Fabrizio Morra, Patricio Otniel, Ricardo Polo, Clara Prieto, Mathias Sielfeld

> Ad Production Coordinator Joanna Forbes joanna.forbes@spafax.com Bookmark Content and Communications, A Spafax Group Company > CEO, Bookmark Raymond Girard > Senior Vice-President, Content Strategy Arjun Basu

Airline Passenger Experience Association

INSERT-1031

Serenity S1

LPE-P16NC INSERT-1027

INSERT-1025

LPE-P6NC

LPE-K01 INSERT-1023

Please link to our oï¬&#x192;cial website:

http://www.longprosper.com

apex experience

Welcome

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

No Tech Lag Find out more at > apex.aero/events

Airline Passenger Experience Association

At LAX, traffic might be stalled, but technological advancements in the aviation industry are speeding along! Prepare to be inspired at APEX TECH, 13–14 June in Los Angeles. Learn about new projects and developments affecting the airline industry and hear updates from the APEX Technology Committee. Run, don’t walk – or should we say fly, don’t drive – to APEX TECH this summer. volume 7, edition 2

Comfort

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Staggered Seating

Most passengers prefer aisle or window seats, but new ideas may bring the middle seat into favor. by Jason Steele

No one likes getting stuck in the middle seat. It’s so unpopular that design consultancy Teague even proposed a “promotional class” concept where airlines would partner with brands to offer gifts to the passenger caught in the middle. But Denver-based startup Molon

volume 7, edition 2

Labe Designs has engineered a solution that rethinks the middle seat altogether: Stagger Seat is a long-haul economyclass seat intended to offer increased comfort without changing cabin capacity. A prototype is expected to be unveiled in April at Aircraft Interiors Expo. The design features a middle seat that’s mounted several inches behind and below the outer seats, increasing passengers’ hip and shoulder room. It’s also three inches wider than the adjacent aisle or window seat, which could make it more desirable to passengers. Larger middle seats have been tried before, but Molon Labe CEO Hank Scott says due to the staggered

layout, “you don’t steal width” from the adjacent seats. The middle seat’s extra girth allows it to hold a 17.3-inch in-flight entertainment (IFE) display produced by Panasonic Avionics in conjunction with BMW’s Designworks division, and is comparable to those in business-class seats. A patented armrest design separates passengers’ elbows and prevents the subtle armrest wars frequently waged in the middle seat. Other features such as a simplified tray-table locking mechanism, vertical impact resistance to withstand falling luggage, and washable, rather than disposable seat cushions, are designed to reduce maintenance costs.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTOS: MOLON LABE DESIGNS

LEFT and RIGHT: The Stagger Seat would provide passengers in the middle with more hip and shoulder room BOTTOM: The Side-Slip Seat, introduced at AIX in 2013

apex experience

Comfort

More on cabin and seat design on airplanes: > APEX.AERO/DESIGN-SERIES

The staggered layout would work best on aircraft configured with an odd number of seats in a row, posing a challenge to fit the design to many wide-body aircraft configurations, but the company is working on a solution. Molon Labe takes its name from an ancient Greek expression, which loosely translates to “bring it on.” Scott and e in anLiere founded the company in 2011, and it’s now colocated with established supplier and production partner Primus Aerospace. The company has also partnered with Wichita State ni ersity’s ational Institute for A iation esearch to digitally model its crash-test certification process. cott, a former test pilot instructor for the oyal Australian Navy and an engineering professor at the University of Colorado, cofounded the company after growing frustrated with the boarding process and the amount of time it took to get into his seat. The tagger eat uses the same sub-frame as Molon Labe’s shorthaul ide- lip eat, which is also

staggered, but features a telescoping chassis to allow the aisle seat to slide o er the middle seat during boarding and deplaning. The goal is to reduce turnaround times by creating more aisle space for passengers accessing o erhead bins. The ide- lip eat, which is designed for low-cost, high-frequency applications, doesn’t currently have a reclining mechanism or an integrated IFE system, although those options may be available in the future.

With a staggered layout, you don’t steal width from the adjacent seats. Hank Scott Molon Labe Designs The ide- lip seating system has already passed initial crash tests, and is expected to be fully certified and in ser ice by the end of 2017, with the Stagger Seat planned to follow in 1 . The company is in talks with numerous carriers and leasing companies, and is close to announcing the launch customer for the ide- lip eat, although cott admits, “The amount of interest being shown on the long-haul seat has kind of thrown us.” Molon Labe hopes to achieve 1 percent market share among low-cost carriers and economy-class seats within the next three to fi e years. As cott puts it, “I think that customer loyalty will be a big part of our market penetration.”

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 7, edition 2

Advanced Technology for the

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apex experience

Comfort

Leather’s Double Duty On the one side, leather is luxurious. On the other, it’s utilitarian. by Caroline Ku

Passengers walking through the firstand business-class cabins of the world’s airlines will see that space, pri acy and soft, buttery leather are the biggest distinctions between premium and economy seats. “The older, more established nations still equate leather with luxury and it’s the natural choice in firstclass and premium seating,” says Matthew icholls, director of ales for Aerofoam Industries, a California-based manufacturer of aircraft foams, seat co ers and thermoplastics, which has worked with carriers from elta Air Lines to Lion Air. ut cowhide has another side. It’s a practical and economical choice that repels dirt, grime, coffee spills and sweat, making it more suitable for hightra c surfaces. o en seat co ers need to be remo ed e ery three to four months for dry cleaning and last about two years leather has a life span of 1 . Although

textile is less expensi e to buy than leather, in the long run, icholls says, the cost of ownership is significantly higher. here the argument for leather once wore thin was in its hea iness. ut engineering has patched that problem with composite cowhide and other lightweight leathers designed for aircraft, which offer the properties of genuine leather minus the bulk. owe er, other challenges with leather remain. “Manufacturers ha e struggled to inno ate beyond color choices,” icholls says, “so the product largely remains the same.” icholls says laminated seat co ers are becoming more popular and ad anced techniques are creating more opportunities for differentiation.

Leather aircraft seat co ers by Aerofoam Industries

Leather is a practical and economical choice that repels dirt, grime, coﬀee spills and sweat.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF AEROFOAM INDUSTRIES

orking with -based arwood Leather, Aerofoam has been able to achie e higher quality laminated leather that replicates the interior of a luxury in a first-class seat. ithout the right material, icholls warns that wrinkling can occur when the plastic film is applied, but his company uses specially treated lamination-friendly leather. istorically, seating materials such as leather and wo en textiles were chosen by original equipment manufacturers, but icholls says airlines wanted customi ation. “Airlines want to stamp their own unique branding in the cabin as it’s the first and last thing you see and probably remember about your flight.”

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 7, edition 2

Comfort

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Visit us at apex.aero

Super Diamond Two Ways B/E Aerospaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lie-flat Super Diamond seat has been polished by many airlines for business-class cabins. We look at recent customizations from Virgin Australia and China Airlines. by Katie Sehl

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volume 7, edition 2

USB port

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> Dragon-claw table lamp > ood eneer finishing > Airbag seat belts: 3-point on A350; 2-point on 777

Panasonic eX3 18" HD touch screen Lufthansa BoardConnect wIFE

Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTOS: VIRGIN AUSTRALIA; CHINA AIRLINES

AC power outlet

The Industry’s Preeminent In-flight Content Market!

24-26 April 2017 Berlin, Germany

WHY AIRLINES ATTEND Content is crucial to a passenger’s experience, which is why airlines attend the industry’s most respected and exclusive one-stop content marketplace, even if a CSP handles the majority of the content selection.

The content your airline selects directly impacts the experience of your passengers, per our global survey results Globally, passengers rate movie selection as the most important aspect of in-flight entertainment

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Seven out of 10 airline passengers overwhelmingly say in-seat screens are their preferred method for viewing in-flight TV and movies ABOUT THE EVENT MultiMedia Market brings together airlines, CSPs and diversified content distributors. • Exhibits include: TV, short subject, movies, games, GUIs, apps, and audio content, as well as mainstream and specialized content from around the globe specifically licensed for airlines– from both niche and major distributors. • Airlines will meet with nearly 60 distributors with the choice to visit leisurely or have a crafted, structured schedule to accommodate business partners while leaving time to network.

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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, to develop a cutting edge device that packed robust capabilities along with a stunning entertainment experience.

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Ambience

Home Away From Home When passengers climb aboard, airlines hope the textile choices remind them of home. by Vanessa Bonneau

PHOTOS: ETIHAD; CATHAY PACIFIC

Think of the airplane cabin as a home away from home. That’s the effect airlines are trying to create with fabric and other furnishings, according to design experts. Jonny Clark, founder of TheDesignAir, a website that covers product and design news in aviation, points to Etihad, China Airlines and Cathay Pacific’s use of fabrics, colors and textures to imbue comfort and coziness. Ilona Illing, director of Design at Lantal, which produces textiles for airlines, sees her clients following home interior trends, which in recent years have been largely influenced by a spa aesthetic of clean lines and warm tones. This translates into textiles with small and subtle patterns in one or two color tones. “The idea is to enter the cabin and feel relaxed, released from all your stress,” Illing says. While colors and patterns are understated, airlines add textures to fabrics with bouclé or shiny yarn.

ABOVE: Cathay Pacific’s economy class RIGHT: Etihad’s Economy Smart Seat CIRCLE: Cathay Pacific’s premium economy class

Airline Passenger Experience Association

The feeling of home can refer to something grander – heritage. “We are seeing locally inspired materials being used in aircraft,” Clark says. He mentions Factorydesign’s use of fabrics from Dublin-based Botany Weaving for seat covers, carpets, curtains and blankets in Aer Lingus’ business-class cabin. Traditionally, airlines have been averse to dirt, and certain colors were off limits because they show wear and tear. But as airlines look to differentiate themsel es, Illing says some clients are inquiring about bigger patterns and bolder designs. And as home styles move toward darker, richer, deeper tones in the greens, yellows and reds, that may just be where airlines dare to tread – and thread – down the line.

“We are seeing locally inspired materials being used in aircraft.” Jonny Clark, TheDesignAir Illing says Lantal’s clients are also inquiring about sustainable and biodegradable fabrics. “While they’re trying to be more fuele cient, they’re also starting to ask about, for example, a curtain fabric that’s made from recycled material.” volume 7, edition 2

Ambience

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Trading Spaces Modular aircraft cabin designs ensure that seats aren’t the only furnishings being swapped on board. by Valerie Silva

A3’s Transpose concept would see swappable cabin modules of passenger seats, nap pods and social areas

“The idea of modular aircraft is not new,” says Chua, adding that cabin modules already exist in the form of freighters. Like cargo containers, Transpose capsules, which may someday house cafés, spas and hotel pods, could be easily switched in and out of aircraft. He cites the long-haul train as another analog: “Dining cars and sleeper cars are good examples of how passengers can utili e different spaces at different times o er the course of a ourney, while still remaining space-e cient.” Chua assures that a modular approach to aircraft interiors can be economically viable, too. “Transpose is also about the complete business case: making sure airlines, manufacturers, brands and passengers all benefit from a modular cabin.” In addition to the possibility of more di ersified passenger experiences, Transpose presents a new revenue stream to airlines. Advertisers and

volume 7, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

RENDERINGS: A3

Seven to 10 years. That’s the average life span of an aircraft cabin. Outdated upholstery, narrow windows and overhead screens are evidence of the regulatory and economic constraints faced by airlines when it comes to updating aircraft interiors. “You might be surprised how di cult it is to change aircraft cabin layouts,” says Jason Chua, a project executive of Airbus-owned Silicon Valley startup A3. “Even moving a bathroom forward or backward a few feet can kick off extensi e structural engineering and testing work.” Chua leads A3’s Transpose project on swappable aircraft interiors, which he claims can curtail reconfiguration time from several weeks to mere minutes.

businesses could curate entire units, equip them with branded services and products, or even use the space to conduct trials of new concepts with sample demographics. Capsule gyms, shops and restaurants aren’t pie in the sky, insists Chua. A mock-up of at least one such module will be deployed in a public space by the end of the year.

apex experience

Flexibility figured ust as prominently in A3’s development process as it did in the eventual design of Transpose. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach to the problem of cabin interiors gave way to collaborations with companies outside of the Airbus Group: NK Labs and Motivo Engineering are providing engineering and prototyping expertise, New Territory

ABOVE: Cabin modules could be loaded the way cargo containers are installed on freighter airplanes

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Ambience

is crafting a cohesive design language and Nielsen Consumer Neuroscience is studying passengers’ reactions to unprecedented in-flight en ironments. While hopeful about the prospects presented by Transpose, Peter Vink, professor of Environmental Ergonomics and head of TU Delft’s Design Engineering department, a leading tech incubator, thinks the design could go a step further. “The modularity should be applied during the flight, as well, to facilitate the different acti ities.” Vink provides examples of adaptive cabin spaces developed by TU Delft, which received recognition at last year’s Crystal Cabin Award. Modulair, a galley that can be downsized to pro ide additional seating, offers airlines the versatility to amend cabin space according to their short- and long-haul needs. And FiO, another design, enables a business-class bar to be transformed into a crew working area during flight. “The environment is better dedicated to [two] situations – bar or lounge for passengers and work area for crew – and can be changed ery quickly,” says ink. Be it A3’s branded capsules or TU Delft’s quick-change furnishings, passengers’ hunger for increased customization is being met with inventive designs. And according to Chua, airlines and manufacturers are taking notice. “It’s clear that there’s an appetite for more choice and customization among all stakeholders that are helping to shape commercial flight.”

volume 7, edition 2

Entertainment

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

’s Sport channel satis es the cravings of air-traveling sports fans. by Ari Magnusson

Video on demand means the days of having to plan an evening around watching a movie or TV show have largely disappeared. But premium sports events are among the few remaining experiences in which an entire mass audience watches the same thing, at the same time. For fans of the NFL and European soccer who want to experience the action as it unfolds, the excitement of watching the uper owl or EFA Champions League final depends on having access to a live broadcast. According to research by Nielsen, sports events accounted for 93 of the top 100 live TV broadcasts in 2015, compared to only 14 a decade earlier. Spotting an opportunity, IMG launched Sport24 in 2012 to satisfy the cravings of sports fans who want to watch a game at 3 , feet by offering the only -hour sports channel specifically for the global air travel and cruise markets. 40

volume 7, edition 2

“Sporting events are the last bastion of appointment-to-view television,” says Richard Wise, senior vice-president at IMG Media. “Fans globally still have a huge desire to watch sport as it happens, unlike other content, which in many cases can be watched on video-on-demand systems whenever convenient for the viewer. This is a testament to sport still driving huge audiences through traditional TV.” IMG’s portfolio of air rights includes top-tier sporting events from FIFA, the English Premier League, Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League, NBA and NFL. The Rio

“Fans globally still have a huge desire to watch sport as it happens.” Richard Wise IMG Media

2016 Olympic Games, UEFA Euro 2016 and 2014 FIFA World Cup were also broadcast on the channel as they happened. So far, Sport24 is available on more than 400 aircraft across 13 airlines. Wise says his company works closely with its airline partners to ensure passengers can view a wide selection of sporting events. “We have a dedicated production team that works across schedules and cross-references with our regional o ces as well as market data to understand the most relevant and popular event to schedule,” Wise explains. In the summer of 2016, IMG launched a second channel, Sport24 Extra. This additional channel gives passengers who can’t decide what to watch the ability to view two events at the same time through secondscreening – one event can be displayed on a seatback inflight-entertainment system and the other on a tablet or laptop connected to the aircraft’s Wi-Fi. Sport24’s most-watched sporting events won’t come as a shock – around 40,000 passengers tuned in for 2014’s FIFA World Cup Final, while the 2016 Rio Olympics garnered around 1 , in-flight viewers per day. Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

Live on Air

One of 40 million secure connections we make every day. To her, it’s everything.

Over 14,000 commercial aircraft rely on Rockwell Collins to stay connected, ensuring safe and efficient operations. Imagine what we can do for your passengers – engaging, entertaining and empowering them – even beyond the cabin. Because when you connect them to their world, they connect with yours.

Visit us at Aircraft Interiors Expo, hall B4, stand 4C40.

IFE systems for today and tomorrow Global broadband connectivity Applications and value-added services

Entertainment

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Visit us at apex.aero

Sit Back, Relax and Control Your Mind Su ering from stress or fear of flying editation can help. Airlines are sho ing passengers the solution to their angst may be right before their eyes and ears. by Kristina Velan illustration Fabrizio Morra

Meditation could ease symptoms of psychological and physical ailments, from anxiety to pain. While traditional forms of Buddhist meditation have been westernized, its basis hasn’t changed: Meditation or mindfulness is the practice of gaining control over the mind by focusing on an aspect of the body or its surroundings – most commonly, the breath – in order to experience the present moment without judgment. volume 7, edition 2

Airlines are helping passengers combat e eryday stress and e en se ere flying phobias – by incorporating meditation channels into their in-flight entertainment (IFE) menus, which can be accessed through the seatback screen or wireless devices. OMG. I Can Meditate! first launched as an app in 2015. Since then, its founder, Lynne Goldberg, has worked with Air Canada, Delta Air Lines, British Airways and Iberia to de elop specific content for each airline, which is updated quarterly with seasonal themes. “Our meditations are ery effecti e to lessen flying anxiety and help passengers fall asleep,” Goldberg says. “We have received countless e-mails, social media posts and app reviews from passengers – beginners and experienced meditators alike – virtually all of whom had a positive and relaxing experience.” Both Virgin Atlantic and British Airways have partnered with mindfulness meditation app Headspace – in 2011 and 2016,

respecti ely. Each airline offers an IFE channel consisting of audio exercises to help passengers sleep, refresh their minds in between watching films and gain insight into the benefits of meditation. Content service provider Spafax has been offering a branded ersion of Meditainment, a series of 20-minute relaxation and wellness programs, as part of its audio content library since 2011. According to Tori Johnston, audio programming manager at Spafax, playlists based on mood, tempo and time of day – much like those featured by digital music service Spotify – are becoming increasingly popular on board. “We are finding more and more that passengers are seeking out music playlists as a meditation tool when in flight,” she says. In addition to its calming effect, meditation also provides a convenient excuse for passengers who are unwilling to make small talk with chatty seat neighbors – just lean over and whisper: “Don’t even think about it!” Airline Passenger Experience Association

You can afford to give your passengers the best inflight experience in the sky

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Entertainment

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Mimicking Mobile Swipe left. Pinch to zoom. Tap to select. Mobile devices have changed our relationship with screens and upended the world of interface design. by Jasmin Legatos illustration Ricardo Polo

Buttons feel outdated compared with the hyper-responsive and intuitive touchscreen navigation of mobile devices. For airlines this means that traditional seatback entertainment systems now need to be rethought. “GUIs [graphical user interfaces] need to mimic the patterns we see on the ground,” says Paul Colley, vice-president of oftware e elopment at pafax, an in-flight entertainment (IFE) content provider. “It took airlines a lot of time to come around to this idea, but now that’s their starting point.” Last May, Delta Air Lines premiered a complete redesign of its seatback IFE system on an A33 flying from Atlanta to onolulu, with plans to implement the redesign across its fleet later this year. The new na igation feels “more like interacting with an iPhone,” said Joe Kiely, the airline’s managing director of Product and Customer Experience, shortly after it launched. Gone is the “back” button, replaced instead with a navigation bar to the left of the screen. And just as importantly,

the look and feel is now in line brand-wise with Delta’s other digital properties, such as its mobile app and website. The redesigned platform “gi es us greater flexibility to make changes,” says Lissette Alvis, a senior analyst on Delta’s Marketing IFE and Wi-Fi Operations team. Key to the flexibility is a software-based I, ersus the hard-coded, hardware-first infrastructure of legacy systems. Much like the framework of mobile devices, software systems allow for updates to be pushed with more ease. Nonetheless, when changing traditional systems, it’s vital that design puts consistency and intuiti eness first. “ ou need to be careful that you’re not expecting every passenger to be familiar with tablets or a specific hardware,” says Martin Darbyshire, CEO of London-based tangerine, a design consultancy that has worked on cabin revamps for Virgin Australia,

Trends in GUI Design 1. Consistency Many airlines have a variety of IFE systems across their fleets, which means passengers tra eling on different aircraft might need to learn an entirely new system once on board. Flexible software and new ideas in GUI design could align these different systems. 2. Personalization Passengers are increasingly looking for entertainment recommendations on platforms like etflix and potify. As algorithms employed by these applications pick up on preferences, users could receive more tailored experiences and informed suggestions. 3. Revenue Brand partnerships aren’t new to airlines but with increased connectivity, alternative ancillary revenue streams will become available. FlightPath3D, for instance, recently debuted In-Flight Tra el Planner alongside its moving map product, allowing users to iew offers and make tra el bookings on board.

The new navigation feels “more like interacting with an iPhone.” Joe Kiely Delta Air Lines

volume 7, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Cathay Pacific and ritish Airways. “The system needs to be immediately familiar.” In collaboration with Thales and E Aerospace, tangerine designed igital ky, a conceptual prototype of what seatback IFE of the future could look like. The giant, 1.3-inch screen allows users to watch T and mo ie content, interact with seatmates on multiplayer games, do two things at once through split-screening or use the system in portrait mode. “ e purposefully tried to explore a wider set of what people might do,” arbyshire adds. nlike hardware updates, software can be changed without ha ing to undergo costly head in ury criterion tests, but they are sub ect to regulations and certification. For instance, software needs to be rigorously tested to ensure it has no negati e impact on hardware, such as causing a tablet to o erheat, explains

Airline Passenger Experience Association

apex experience

“The system needs to be immediately familiar.” Martin Darbyshire tangerine

Colley. Obtaining these certifications may be much quicker for software, but they can stall airline IFE from keeping apace with the breakneck speed of mobile technology e olution on the ground. “It’s a lot easier to future-proof Is now because more and more systems are

Entertainment

software- rather than hardware-based,” explains ominic reen, executi e icepresident of IF Americas at Inflight ublin, which offers wireless IFE streamed from an onboard ser er as well as portable IFE preloaded on tablets. These types of solutions ha e led some airlines to ditch the seatback screen altogether. In anuary, American Airlines announced that its oeing 737 MA would arri e without embedded seatback screens. “Phones and tablets are continually upgraded, they’re easy to use and most importantly they are the technology that our customers ha e chosen,” read a statement by the airline, ustifying the decision. “It makes sense for American to focus on gi ing customers the best entertainment and fast connection options rather than installing seatback monitors that will be obsolete within a few years.”

volume 7, edition 2

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Connectivity

apex experience

Doing the Travel Math Crowdsourced data plus technical ingenuity means less time killed at the airport. by Katie Sehl illustration Clara Prieto

Most travelers, especially frequent flyers, like to cut it close when it comes to getting to the airport. ut calculating how long it takes to catch a flight can sometimes feel like an eighth-grade math problem If ane needs to be at LA by p.m., how long will it take her to get there if crawling down the at mph The di culty of the equation is compounded when tra elers find themsel es in unfamiliar cities. Luckily, there’ll soon be an app for that. Lufthansa ystems’ inTime, currently in beta, pro ides tra elers with real-time estimates on how long it will take to reach the airport, clear security and make a flight. “InTime focuses on

the end-to-end tra eler’s digital ourney experience, which at the moment is highly fragmented,” explains Mubashir A. Tariq, product manager for the app. In addition to determining tra el time to the airport, the app will also calculate how long it takes to reach a final destination ideal for business tra elers hurrying to a meeting. To pro ide up-to-the-minute information on tra c and security lines (up to e ery fi e minutes), the app crowdsources data from its users an imperfect science that was fine-tuned during an internal employee trial. One of the key findings was that participants couldn’t necessarily be relied upon to input information. The solution Automate crowdsourcing. “This might sound simple, but it’s a technical challenge,” Tariq says. “ e currently focus on generating data points passi ely using built-in mobile sensors,” Tariq explains. The rapid beaconi ation of airports plays into this

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Airline Passenger Experience Association

possibility. “Through these sensors, the app learns’ things, such as, hen did the tra eler go to the airport hich mode of transportation was used and how long was the ourney ow long was the line at security ow long did it take to reach the departure gate ” Perfecting the art of app mapping is big business. In 13, oogle bought a e, a turn-by-turn na igation app for dri ers that also le eraged user-reported data, for 1.3 billion. Lufthansa ystems plans to ha e inTime a ailable for free on iO and Android de ices by the end of this year. The app can also be integrated with an airline’s pre-existing mobile app and plans are already in place to integrate with Lufthansa roup’s airline apps. And Lufthansa ystems is already thinking about the ancillary re enue possibilities “InTime’s awareness of the tra eler’s context will enable it to address the tra eler’s needs at the right moment with the right offer,” Tariq says.

volume 7, edition 2

Connectivity

apex experience

Wired Up

In the slim-margins airline business, increasing aircraft payload or improving fuel e ciency can come do n to the ire. by Howard Slutsken

Passengers are likely to be unaware of the complexity of the aircraft systems that are hidden from view. After all, their onboard interactions are limited to aircraft seats, flight attendants and in-flight entertainment systems. Like a human nervous system, an aircraft’s wiring carries signals and information critical to the safe operation of the airplane. Carlisle IT, W.L. Gore and AeroFlite are a few of the companies that design and manufacture 48

volume 7, edition 2

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Rainbow-colored cables inside an Airbus A380

“the nerves.” Connecting everything from the fly-by-wire flight control systems to the coffeemaker in the galley requires miles of wires, thousands of connectors and tens of thousands of support brackets that have to be cut, bundled, tested and installed. A narrow-body airliner such as the Boeing 737NG has as much as 40 miles of wiring. The wide-body Boeing 747 has 150 miles of wires, but the “Queen of the Skies” is topped by the double-decker Airbus A380, which has over 320 miles of cables. And like every component intended for aerospace application, wires, cables and connectors undergo stringent testing to meet safety and operational standards. Keeping an aircraft’s weight within its design specification is often a challenge for airframers, and a pound saved in wiring is a pound that can be used for increasing payload and decreasing fuel consumption.

ew manufacturing techniques and materials are leading the way to lighter and more capable wires. The Airbus A3 benefits from raka Fileca’s Star Quad KL24 high-transmission rate data cable, which weighs 25 percent less than earlier types of comparable cables. And e en though the 7 7 reflects oeing’s “more electric” design and engineering philosophy, the reamliner has miles less wiring than the aircraft it replaces, the 767. As airlines install more advanced IFE systems and satellite connectivity solutions, faster, lighter and more capable aircraft wiring and connectors will be needed. Onboard systems now require gigabit bandwidths to meet the growing demands of the connected passenger and, as a result, fiber optic cables are being installed. After all, the passenger in C wants to finish binge-watching her favorite show. Airline Passenger Experience Association

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In a hurry? Airport delivery services are at travelers’ beck and call. by Caroline Ku | illustration Mathias Sielfeld

Travelers who are pressed for time on a layover may not have the leisure of perusing all the airport amenities. And while apps have made it easier to locate restaurants and shops upon landing, lining up, ordering and waiting still add minutes of run time to the gate. Luckily, airports are picking up on the trend of food delivery services, which have seen a surge thanks to companies like Deliveroo and foodora. Even the French, who have a long-standing tradition of dining at restaurants, have been brought to their knees by food brought to their doorstep. FooGo operates at Mumbai and Delhi airports and will deliver a chicken tikka

sandwich or Krispy Kreme doughnut to travelers up to 40 minutes before boarding. And AtYourGate will soon deploy a team of personal shoppers at a key domestic airport on the US West Coast to bring coffee and other creature comforts to travelers in transit. “AtYourGate brings the popular experience of mobile ordering and delivery into the airport,” says David Henninger, the startup’s president, COO and CMO. “Travelers can use their mobile devices to shop online from existing airport food and retail outlets, and then choose to pick up purchased items or have them delivered to a location inside the airport.” Research conducted by AtYourGate

found that 60 percent of travelers wanting to make a purchase don’t because of lack of time. “Currently, air travelers in a specific terminal may be unaware of or unable to reach great offerings elsewhere in the airport,” Henninger says. “AtYourGate can help open up the airport to travelers and increase exposure to the concessionaires who want to reach them.” E en airlines are expected to benefit. “By delivering food and retail items directly to flight crews at the et bridge, we’ll offer airline staff more choice and convenience,” Henninger notes, “and the amount of time saved may actually help impro e the airline’s e ciency and on-time performance.”

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Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 7, edition 2

FROM

changing demands TO

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apex experience

Catering

Elevated Brews Scandinavian Airlines and Mikkeller team up to serve beers brewed for drinking at 35,000 feet. by Ari Magnusson

PHOTO: MIKKELLER

What started as a brewing experiment with hops, malt and yeast in the kitchen of a Copenhagen apartment quickly turned into an obsession. Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, a high school teacher, and his friend, Kristian Klarup Keller, a journalist, were soon winning blindtaste competitions for their adventurous beer recipes. In 2006, they formed Mikkeller. Eight years later, the company forged a stellar reputation in the craft beer world, which helped it win a catering agreement with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). A portmanteau of both founders’ names, Mikkeller stands out for its “gypsy” brewing ethos. In other words, it doesn’t operate its own brewing premises. Instead, it rents brewing time from established breweries around the world. This flexibility has allowed Mikkeller to create a dizzying array of beers from a growing catalog of more than 125 recipes. So far, Mikkeller has produced 10 beers exclusively for SAS: four canned varieties available for passengers across all classes and six 75 cl (750 ml) varieties available only in business class. “All possible factors

“The CO2 levels, bitterness and floral hop flavors were designed for pressurized cabins.” Jacob Gram Alsing Mikkeller Airline Passenger Experience Association

were tested and several tastings were done in the air. The CO2 levels, bitterness and floral hop fla ors ha e all been designed for pressurized cabins,” explains Jacob Gram Alsing, Mikkeller’s operations manager. “To our knowledge, A is the first airline in the world with a series of craft beers designed specifically for their airline, and they are the first to ser e sour beers in the air.” Sky-High Wit, a Belgian wheat beer with notes of clove, orange peel and coriander, and SAS Blue Skies American Pale Ale, an easyto-drink citrusy pale ale, are two varieties created for SAS. They’re available across all

cabins and were brewed in collaboration with Sly Fox Brewing Company in Pennsylvania and Proef in Belgium. One of the beers, Sweet and Sour – RAS No. 1 (Rare Air Series), a Belgian ale fermented in mango juice and inspired by Cantonese street food, was brewed to celebrate the launch of flights between Copenhagen and Hong Kong. “In the beginning, we had a lot of comments on the beer not being available in economy class, but we [worked] with SAS to change that,” Alsing explains. “Since that change, [there have been] only really positive responses from both SAS and passengers.” volume 7, edition 2

Catering

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Visit us at apex.aero

Getting Breakfast in Order Ryanair passengers can choose to have a hot breakfast aiting for them on their early-morning flight. by Vanessa Bonneau illustration Patricio Otniel

Omelets Three Ways These airlines will toss up an omelet on preorder.

airasia

A meal can be something to look forward to for passengers, and ha ing one preordered can simplify and impro e the tra el experience. orking with etail inMotion, yanair recently became yet another airline to gi e passengers the option to order their breakfast before boarding. Since October 2016, for 10 euros, customers can reser e a full Irish breakfast before their early-morning flight out of ublin Airport. The process is simple hen booking a flight, the option to preorder breakfast is listed among the other usual choices, such as car rental, priority boarding and extra luggage. etail inMotion, a subsidiary of L roup, de eloped the program and says other airlines are showing interest. It can either be integrated into an airline’s existing booking system or come as one element of the company’s onboard retail software suite, ector, which is currently used by yanair.

volume 7, edition 2

“It’s completely customizable,” says Jordan Locke, manager of Corporate Communications for LSG Group. “We can offer a solution like the one for yanair (one meal option from one station) or create something more complex.” The feedback from customers so far has been positi e. In addition to being guaranteed their hot meal won’t sell out, yanair passengers who ha e preordered their breakfast recei e it before the regular food and be erage sales ser ice begins. And since the meal is paid for when booking, there’s no need to root around for cash or a credit card. The ser ice also gi es airlines another opportunity to interact with customers. The cabin crew know the names of the passengers who ha e opted for the ser ice, so they can personali e the meal deli ery. aste-conscious airlines will like that the catering di ision can calculate how many presold meals should be loaded before each flight.

Masala omelet with chicken nuggets and parsley potatoes TIP: Menus ary by aircraft, so look out for other options like egg-in-the-hole toast or pancakes with syrup and butter.

british airways

reat ritish reakfast with Cumberland sausages and mature cheddar omelet TIP: This meal is a ailable for purchase on long-haul economy flights. Otherwise, you’ll recei e the complimentary standard option.

flydubai

Omelet with chicken chipolata, fried herb potatoes and grilled tomato TIP: If you miss out on preordering, breakfast wraps are always a ailable from the onboard menu.

For etail inMotion, the future is clear. “ e belie e that preordering is becoming an industry standard,” Locke says. “ e’ e seen demand for the ser ice pick up extremely quickly in recent months.”

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PHOTO: JETSTAR

C-Suite

volume 7, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

C-Suite

apex experience

Jayne Hrdlicka Chief Executive Officer Jetstar Group

No-frills, low-cost flights. That’s what Jetstar customers want, and that’s what Jayne Hrdlicka, CEO of Jetstar Group, is unabashedly delivering. by Caroline Ku

ast year was Jayne Hrdlicka’s third consecutive year delivering a speech at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit, attended by airline CEOs and leaders from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The conference was held in Brisbane, a two-hour flight from Melbourne, where Hrdlicka lives. She was there again to share her insights on what it’s like to run a group of low-cost carriers and provide what has, since 2014, been a highly public annual address on the status of Jetstar. As CEO of the airline group, a position Hrdlicka has held since 2012, she oversees Jetstar Airways (Australia and New Zealand), Jetstar Asia (Singapore), Jetstar Pacific Airlines (Vietnam) and Jetstar Japan. In 2014, her first year at CAPA Australia, she defended Jetstar’s ventures in offshoot carriers to serve Singapore, Vietnam and Japan. In 2015, she admitted that one of those carriers, Jetstar Hong Kong, had failed to take off, and last year, she asserted Jetstar’s interest in expanding further into Vietnam’s lucrative market. “We are doing well, but we are not satisfied with where we stand,” Hrdlicka said to the CAPA delegates. “We are competing in the most dynamic aviation market in the world, so we know that standing still effectively means falling behind.”

Airline Passenger Experience Association

environmental causes

Women CEOs come few and far between. According to Airline Leader, women made up less than five percent of airline CEOs in 2014. (Besides Hrdlicka, the other familiar female face is Carolyn McCall, CEO of easyJet.) Hrdlicka is also a director of Tennis Australia and a member of the Scotch College Council in Melbourne. Until last February, she was a non-executive board director of Woolworths, the largest supermarket chain in Australia. Hrdlicka is well-aware of her exceptional position. She’s a member of Chief Executive Women and speaks out on women’s issues in the professional world. Hrdlicka attributes her professional success to her upbringing in Wichita, Kansas, a city known for building Beechcrafts, Cessnas and Learjets and giving the world Pizza Hut. “I feel lucky because I grew up in an environment where I was really encouraged to think big,” Hrdlicka told the audience at the 23rd annual Women and Management Dinner, hosted by Melbourne Business School in 2015. But it wasn’t Wichita’s accomplishments that inspired her. “One of the great things about growing up in the US was, I grew up in an environment where people really said what they thought,” she explained. “And that’s played a big role for me in how … I conduct myself in business … and especially as a leader.” >

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C-Suite

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

companies she helped turn around, SkyBox, a publisher of collectible trading cards for the NBA, MLB, Marvel and Disney. That led to an opportunity in Australia. And so, in her early thirties, Hrdlicka left for the land down under, with the intention of staying just one year. Eventually, she found her way back to Bain – and still in Australia – at the company’s Sydney office. One of her first clients at the consulting firm was Alan Joyce, head of Network Planning at Ansett Australia, who is now CEO and managing director of Qantas. “He had this grand idea that I had another career in me,” she said with a grin, recalling the moment she confided in him that she contemplated leaving Bain. In 2010, Hrdlicka left Bain and joined Qantas as its group executive of Strategy and Technology, moving onto its subsidary Jetstar, two years later. Initially, Hrdlicka had planned to become a lawyer, following in the footsteps of her successful father. The backstory to that career is that he was a Czechoslovakian refugee who left his parents, fled the country at 16 years old and was brought to the United States by the Boy Scouts in the early years of the Cold War. He was also a professional hockey player. “I grew up in an environment where somebody had given up everything, including family, for opportunity,” Hrdlicka told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2012, shortly after she had become CEO of Jetstar Group at age 50.

workplace diversity

As an openly gay Irish man leading Australia’s flag carrier, Joyce is an anomaly among airline executives. He attributes his feat of pulling Qantas out of difficult times to diversity in his staff, which allowed him to build better strategies. “Good talent is hard to get,” he told the Australian Business Review in November last year. “If you are seen as a diverse company, which is attracting the best people, whatever their gender or sexual orientation or racial background, you are fishing in a bigger pool than other businesses.”

small business, big vision

Partway through law school, Hrdlicka had a change of heart – she wanted to go to business school. At the Women and Management dinner, she explained that to be accepted into an MBA program, she needed five years of work experience. Naysayers told her she would never get in. But she saw her humble experience – working five years part-time at a grocery store – as an asset. “I loved working in a supermarket. I learned a lot about business and customers and how to think about engaging the hearts and minds of people.” Hrdlicka graduated from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in 1988 and joined Bain & Company, one of the world’s top business consulting firms, at its Boston branch. Later she headed one of the

TOP: Hrdlicka speaking at the 2012 CAPA World Aviation Summit in Hong Kong RIGHT: Hrdlicka at Boeing Aerostructures Australia

volume 7, edition 2

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Having encountered the problem of a non-diverse workplace years before she joined Jetstar, Hrdlicka also advocates diversity: During a performance review, she was told that despite her successful professional track record, she would have difficulty rising up the ranks. “What I heard was, ‘You didn’t grow up here, you’re not a guy and you didn’t play on the rugby team; therefore, you’ve got no hope in opening up the CEO door ... and life’s going to be difficult for you,’” she recounted at the Women and Management dinner, sharing the shock she felt that moment. She has since coauthored articles on the challenges women face in the professional world. “I am very passionate about diversity in all its forms,” Hrdicka said at the dinner. “I really think it makes a big difference for companies to have diversity of thought. It’s [not] a topic of being the right thing as it is a topic of being clever about how you run a business.”

dual-brand strategy

Together, Qantas and Jetstar cover a large segment of passengers: While the legacy airline competes in the premium and business market, Jetstar focuses on the leisure market. “We know who flies with Qantas; we know who flies with Jetstar,” Hrdlicka shared at CAPA Australia. “That gives us a whole lot of insight about how we plan our networks.” But despite the relationship, the two airlines have been run largely separately since day one: “We would be crazy to throw the secret sauce out,” Hrdlicka said in

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; JETSTAR

C-Suite

apex experience

“I grew up in an environment where people really said what they thought.” Jayne Hrdlicka Jetstar Group that 2012 interview with the Sydney Morning Herald. “We have created the right balance in differentiation, focus and independence, and we have to retain that.” Despite running a group of low-cost carriers in Asia Pacific’s heavily saturated air travel market, Hrdlicka is adamant about building Jetstar’s customer loyalty, even among travelers who tend to shop for the lowest airfare. “It almost always costs less to do the right thing by the customer,” she shares in her profile on Bain’s website. Perhaps this is a lesson she learned on the supermarket floor – an environment she credits for giving her the business know-how she uses today. “They’re people going on holiday, visiting friends and family, trying to get a small business off the ground,” she said. “Their Jetstar flight is part of the experience … If we do a great job, they will fly with us again.”

Hrdlicka at Jetstar’s 100th aircraft celebration in 2014

Airline Passenger Experience Association

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Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 7, edition 2

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Logos

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Leaping Logos

DESIGN:

Marc Newson, Houston Group LATEST REFRESH:

October 2016

For every landmark aircraft Qantas introduces, the airline’s Flying Roo gets a slight modification. by Katie Sehl

Had someone offered Qantas’ logo designer in 1944 a penny for their thoughts, it would have been a fair trade. The airline’s original kangaroo symbol was adapted from Australia’s one-cent coin. The penny has since been discontinued, but Qantas has flown its legacy forward, giving the trademark roo five makeovers since its inception, each time to mark the introduction of new aircraft into its fleet. “When we looked at the history, we found that the logo had been updated around the time of a game-changing new aircraft joining the fleet,” says Qantas’ CEO, Alan Joyce. “It’s a tradition that goes back to the Lockheed Constellation in 1947, the B747-300 in 1984 and the A380 in 2007.” Not only is the tradition commemorative, it’s cost-effective, too. The latest redesign, revealed last

October, anticipates the arrival of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and will be featured on all aircraft by 2020, in time for the airline’s 100th anniversary. Led by Qantas’ consultant designer Marc Newson and the Houston Group team, the design overhaul modernizes the airline’s beloved marsupial with abstraction, omitting details such as the kangaroo’s forelimbs, and adding shading to convey movement. “It’s evolved beyond a literal kangaroo – it’s become a unique brand symbol,” Houston Group explains in its project overview. The roo has lost more than just its arms over the years. Incarnations of the logo dating to 1947 and 1968 attribute a pair of wings to the hopper, a mythologizing of the creature that may not have been too far-fetched, since a female kangaroo is actually referred to as

a flyer. The latest rebrand pays homage to the 1940s-era winged mascot by including it under the cockpit window. Altering a beloved icon can be risky, and feedback on the refresh has been mixed. In an online poll on Escape.com, roughly 17 percent of respondents voted “I love it, it’s awesome,” while “What was wrong with the old one?” led with 44 percent, and 29 percent voted “I hate it, it’s terrible.” The remaining 10 percent of voters who were indifferent may just have to flip a coin.

“It’s evolved beyond a literal kangaroo – it’s become a unique brand symbol.” Houston Group

PHOTOS: QANTAS, HOUSTON GROUP, UNDERCONSIDERATION, MUSEUM VICTORIA COLLECTIONSS

1-cent coin

Australia’s penny

1944–46

Original Flying Roo

1947

Kangaroo with a pair of wings

2016

Kangaroo without wings and arms

Airline Passenger Experience Association

volume 7, edition 2

Logos

apex experience

Visit us at apex.aero

Built in Sand

DESIGN:

Landor Associates LATEST REFRESH:

September 2014

Abu Dhabi’s sand dunes are the foundation of Etihad Airways’ luxurious Arabian aesthetic. by Jordan Yerman

As the price-driven air travel industry struggles to find the lowest common denominator, Etihad Airways is investing in a luxurious passenger experience. Landor Associates designed a brand identity to match. For inspiration, Landor looked to the shifting sand dunes and architecture of Abu Dhabi, Etihad’s main hub. What emerged was a customized pattern called the “Facets of Abu Dhabi,” a series of earth-toned, prismatic polygons that configure into various shapes to identify the different levels of service offered by the airline. The motif is also featured on its aircraft. “The striking new livery continues our commitment to breaking from convention

and doing things differently,” said Etihad president and CEO James Hogan in a press release when the livery was unveiled. “This is a real divergence from the norms of traditional airline livery design and will stand out in the sky and at every airport we fly to.” Unlike other airlines, “Etihad is not a seller of seats. It doesn’t have passengers; it has guests,” notes Landor in a summary of its rebranding effort. From a “smarter economy class” that brings fun and spontaneity to passengers to a next-level VIP service, “The Residence,” aimed at high-roller international business travelers, Etihad’s brand of service is accessible from every cabin. “To reflect the aspirations and

“Facets of Abu Dhabi” is based on sand grain patterns

old logo

new brand

PHOTOS: ETIHAD, LANDOR, THE BRANDING JOURNAL

Abu Dhabi’s landscape was a source of inspiration

motivations of its discerning travelers, we conceived each cabin brand as a unique experience.” “Fusing Arab traditions with technological innovation,” the flag carrier’s current brand is a giant leap from the original eagle emblem in the national colors, complete with Arabic script on a scroll. Branding Journal calculates that Etihad’s rebranding has paid off, to the tune of 17 percent growth in passenger numbers in 2015 from 2014, when numbers were also up from the previous year. Industry insiders have approved as well: At the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Etihad won the 2015 Crystal Cabin Award in the Premium Class and VIP category for its Airbus A380 upperdeck cabin designs and products.

volume 7, edition 2

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The Color of a New Horizon

DESIGN:

Hornall Anderson LATEST REFRESH:

January 2016

Alaska Airlines expands its network of routes without losing its point of origin. by Katie Sehl

“It may not be the best representation of an Eskimo, but it’s our Eskimo.” Tim Kelly, former Alaska senator

volume 7, edition 2

face on the tail Many think it’s native Alaskan Chester Seveck

1984

Alaska considers replacing its logo

New colors include “tropical green,” “breeze” and “atlas”

perhaps unsurprisingly, as “corporate, functional and a bit cold.” More critically, many respondents had the impression the airline primarily served Alaskan destinations. When you’re an 85-year-old airline with a devoted customer base, rebranding for wider appeal is not as simple as changing the company name. In fact, in the 1980s, when word got out that the airline was planning to replace the Eskimo logo with a stylized mountain, the Alaska Legislature proposed a resolution that asked the airline to reconsider. “It may not be the best representation of an Eskimo, but it’s our Eskimo,” said Tim Kelly, who was state senator at the time. “Alaskans feel it’s their airline.”

2016

Eskimo icon enhanced with tropical colors

The new logo drops the serifs and features softer diagonal strokes

To bring the brand – name and Eskimo in tow – into vaster and more digital frontiers, designers took a soft approach. Jagged edges of the icicle-font logotype were sculpted with rounder ligatures, and details in the Eskimo icon that were difficult to render digitally were smoothed out and enhanced with color. Artists native to Alaska collaborated on the redesign. “I see that logo and that image as being extremely important as an ambassador for the indigenous people of Alaska,” says Perry Eaton, an Alutiiq artist involved in the project. Alaska Airlines may have its sights set on new horizons, with the fate of Virgin America’s brand hanging in the balance, and the Eskimo on its tailfins will be coming along for the ride.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTOS: ALASKA AILINES

For some, Alaska Airlines’ acquisition of Virgin America came out of left field, but those who paid careful attention to Alaska’s latest rebrand might have noticed that the airline was already priming for expansion. Swooshes of green and cerulean blue add warmth to the once monochrome navy, and carefully chosen descriptive names such as “tropical green” allude to the far reaches of the airline’s network, with destinations in Hawaii and Costa Rica. Research for the rebrand traces back to 2013 when plans to eclipse Horizon Air’s brand were two years in the making (the subsidiary flew under its own identity for 25 years after its initial acquisition in 1986), and new routes were regularly being added to Alaska Airlines’ route map. It was a good occasion to assess brand reception in new markets. In planned focus groups, participants unfamiliar with Alaska Airlines described the brand,

Logos

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A Stroke of Genius

DESIGN:

Eight

LATEST REFRESH:

October 2014

Cathay Pacific lends its brushwing logo to Dragonair to deepen their familial ties.

PHOTOS: CATHAY PACIFIC, EIGHT

by Valerie Silva

Landor Associates’ 1994 Cathay Pacific logo design was a stroke of genius: The calligraphy-style brushwing has been at the forefront of the airline’s branding initiatives ever since. Hong Kong-based brand consultancy Eight opted for subtle adjustments to the design when tasked with giving the brand a major facelift 20 years later: jettisoning the red line and the bulky square, minimizing the feathering effect and elongating the tail of the logo. “Essentially, we simplified the logo, and we set the brushwing free,” says Iain Richardson, creative director at Eight. The design has since appeared on luggage tags, digital interfaces and airline employee pins, creating brand cohesion across multiple customer touchpoints. When it came time to clarify to customers what the partnership between Cathay Pacific and its wholly owned subsidiary of 10 years entailed, Dragonair was rebranded into Cathay Dragon, with the brushwing logo calligraphed onto its livery. Cathay Dragon retains its characteristic Dragonair red – appearing in the same places that its parent’s teal does – but relieves itself of the dragon design on the tail.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Logo by Hong Kong consultancy Eight

Logo before Cathay Dragon

Landor’s 1994 logo design

icons compared Dragonair is rebranded in its parent’s image

Instead of occupying different niches on the service spectrum, as is the case for most sister airlines, Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon differ on their designated routes, coalescing into a combined network. The former focuses on overseas destinations, while the latter’s purview is over mainland China. “When our customers travel between Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon,” explains Robecta Ma, vice-president, Marketing, Americas, Cathay Pacific, “we want them to have a seamless experience, and our new branding reflects this.” Early this year, the airlines teamed up with McCann Worldgroup to send

Simplified wing with less feathering

1994

2016

birthday wishes to their more than one million Marco Polo Club loyalty members in the form of “painted journeys.” The Artmap Project uses an algorithm to create personalized works of Chinese art that cleverly resemble the airlines’ logo. According to Elaine Lee, Cathay Pacific’s manager for Loyalty Marketing, “Each Artmap is hosted on a minisite, where members witness their piece painting itself before their eyes, elegantly illustrating their year of travel.” Like the visual depictions of each individual’s travels with the sister airlines, the evolution of the brushwing logo traces the parallel journey of the making of an iconic brand.

volume 7, edition 2

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Latin America Brands Together

DESIGN:

Interbrand LATEST REFRESH:

August 2015

All of South America gathers under LATAM’s brand. by Jordan Yerman

volume 7, edition 2

new brand lan

Mix LAN blue with TAM red for LATAM indigo

Founded in 1929

tam

Founded in 1975

The ribbon design is a figurative representation of the continent’s geography

passenger touchpoint, from Buenos Aires to New York City. In unveiling the new LATAM look, the airline also became the first South American carrier to offer regular flights to Africa by connecting São Paulo and Johannesburg. The overall message: Latin America is connecting the world more than ever before. “Today, a new chapter begins in the history of Latin America and global aviation. LATAM Airlines Group will offer clients more than a new brand – it will offer a new travel experience,” said Enrique Cueto Plaza, CEO of LATAM Airlines Group, in a press release.

“The LATAM brand will simplify and improve the travel experience for all our passengers. While the changes will be made gradually over the coming years, the benefits will be immediate.” Mergers are common in the industry, Cueto Plaza told IATA in an interview, but LATAM is the first to unite airlines from different countries where different languages are spoken. The creation of LATAM – and perhaps similar mergers in the future – can help Latin American carriers overcome the economic turbulence of the region and emerge as major players in the airline industry.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTOS: LATAM

LATAM was born when Chile’s LAN Airlines merged with Brazil’s TAM Airlines in 2012. Design agency Interbrand uses color to show unification in the new brand identity: Indigo represents the blending of the airlines’ original navy and red identities; coral expresses the airline’s passion toward its customers. Besides combining the names of the two airlines, LATAM is also shorthand for Latin America. “It is more than a Brazilian or a Chilean company: it is Peruvian, Argentinean, Colombian,” says Interbrand’s Maximo Rainuzzo, president, Buenos Aires. “It grew and built an identity throughout every country in Latin America.” The logo, a stylized map of South America formed by twisting, ribbonlike bands, was a collaborative project involving Interbrand’s offices in São Paulo, Santiago and Madrid, and was inspired by the geography and dynamics of Latin America. LATAM’s new livery was unveiled on a Boeing 787 and posted on YouTube, along with the hashtag #SomosLATAM (We are LATAM). The airline plans to fully rebrand the combined fleet over the next few years. Beyond prettying up its airplanes, LATAM is also changing up its uniforms, boarding passes, luggage tags, VIP lounges and check-in counters – at every

Field of Blue

DESIGN:

Paul Wylde, with Boeing, Teague and Belavia LATEST REFRESH:

October 2016

Midnight, teal or aquamarine? The right shade of blue for Belavia grows in Belarus’ fields. by Katie Sehl

It’s not easy being blue when you’re an airline. “A lot of airlines are blue,” says Paul Wylde, chief designer on Belavia’s most recent makeover. In fact, there’s not one airline among the 10 highest-grossing in 2016 that does not prominently feature blue in its branding scheme. At first consideration, blue might be an odd choice for Belarus’ flag carrier, especially when the country’s flag colors are red, green and white. But, according to Wylde, the color wasn’t chosen out of the blue. One of the primary reasons was cost. In 2015, the Minsk-based airline was preparing to receive its first Boeing 737 aircraft and was low on finances to paint the livery. But since this was Belavia’s first Boeing order, the airline was able to benefit from the financing the airframer provides first-time buyers for marketing purposes. An average paint job for a 737 can cost upward of $100,000, and more paint equals more money – not to mention more weight and fuel burn. The prohibitive

Logos

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costs led the design team to focus on one-color schemes for the airline’s new “fresh and modern” look. With that design brief, blue’s not a bad choice. Belavia didn’t just opt for any blue, however. The airline went with cornflower blue, and that distinction is as patriotic as it is symbolic. “The cornflower is a very important national symbol of the country,” Wylde says. For Belarusians, the blue flower, which dots fields across the country, connotes a certain cultural currency and signifies happiness, friendliness and longevity. The cornflower is clearly popular among Belarusians; a 2014 Facebook post by designer Ilya Andreyev suggesting the airline use the symbol generated enough likes to receive media attention. The flower’s purplish blue color sweeps across the airplane’s belly, under the airline’s name (in Arial typeface), on the fuselage and up to the tailfin, where white space forms the flower symbol. “It’s amazing what you can do with one

color,” Wylde says. On other platforms, the cornflower blue color and logo provide a versatile brand language, easy to implement on packaging, in airports and elsewhere. “Some of the most limited jobs can yield the most creative results,” Wylde says. And while it may not be easy standing out with blue, he thinks there’s more to it than that: “It’s the brands with simplicity and clarity that stand out.”

old logo

Belavia replaced its red logo for a more economical blue design

new logo

PHOTO: BELAVIA

The cornflower connotes happiness, friendliness and longevity

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Logos

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A Heartfelt Redesign

DESIGN:

Lippincott LATEST REFRESH:

September 2014

Southwest Airlines transplants a universal symbol into the core of its brand. by Katie Sehl

volume 7, edition 2

Lippincott’s project overview explains. “We chose to use the heart to make a bigger statement.” “Bold blue,” “warm red,” “sunrise yellow” and “summit silver” add a swirl of color and pay tribute to the brand’s retro palette and associate the common symbol to the brand. Instead of red-bellied liveries, planespotters now see the heart on Southwest aircraft overhead. To ensure the recognition of the symbol would stick, the airline built in a three-year strategy that involves not using the heart symbol alone until 60 to 70 percent of people can readily identify the brand association. The heart as a symbol has origins dating back to the ice age, and has a versatile and positive association. In our social lexicon, it’s come to mean “favorite” on Twitter and “like” on Instagram, and recently replaced the thumbs-up “like” option on Facebook in favor of the more emphatic “love.” For Southwest, the heart represents warmth, compassion, care and the “heart” of its employees. Latching onto the heart’s meme-like social potential, the airline incorporated its logo into its brand language with punchy taglines, “Without a heart it’s just a machine,” and hashtags, #SouthwestHeart and #NonstopLove. Judging by the social media response to its unveiling, fans seem to really heart the new look.

new brand

At the heart of Southwest’s rebrand is LUV, which is also its stock symbol

“Bold blue,” “warm red,” “sunrise yellow” and “summit silver” on the livery

logo refresh

There are over 100 incarnations of the Southwest heart

old brand

PHOTO: SOUTHWEST

The line between logo, icon and emoji has become ever more blurry, and for Southwest Airlines, that’s a good thing. In early 2013, with the integration of AirTran nearly complete and the repeal of the Wright Amendment restrictions looming, the airline was preparing a new design brief that called for more than a new paint job – top of the order was to create an iconic brand symbol. At the time, the 47-year-old airline’s brand legacy was bold, but not always congruent; identities ranged from orange-hot-pant-outfitted flight attendants to its red-bellied Canyon Blue Spirit liveries. “When we looked at our old brand, it was so inconsistent in the way we were handling it,” said Michael Anne Wade, Southwest’s manager of Marketing Communications. The heart first appeared in the airline’s brand portfolio in 1971 and has never fully vanished, but has always had to compete for pride of place, even with its various incarnations (there are more than 100). “We needed one consistent look for our brand,” Wade said, noting that Starbucks, Apple and Target were all sources of inspiration because of their easy-to-identify symbols. To design the logo, Southwest turned to global creative consultancy Lippincott, which started with an internal brand audit. “In [our] examination, we identified the most potent symbolic asset: the heart,”

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“Comfort is as much about things you can see as those you can’t.”

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Paul leads the application of strategic design across all Airbus cabins. Prior to joining Airbus, he was a senior design manager for Philips Design and before that Virgin Atlantic, where he helped conceive the premium economy experience. Paul has worked on both Airbus and Boeing aircraft, including the A340600, A380 and 787.

To read Paul’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > APEX.AERO/ PAULEDWARDS

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hat’s exciting about aircraft cabins of the future? Passengers are becoming more aware of the airline and aircraft type they are flying, increasing the need for product differentiation. What excites me is how changes in society (such as an aging population), diverging airline business models and advances in materials and technology could have an impact on aircraft cabins of the future. What is most important when it comes to onboard comfort? At the core of Airspace is comfort, which is influenced by ambience, service and design. For example, our cabins are the quietest on the market; less background noise means less stress, making it easier for passengers to relax and sleep. Comfort is as much about things you can see as those you can’t, and also about a combination of elements rather than one specific feature. How has in-flight connectivity affected cabin design? From seating designed to accommodate portable electronic devices to cabin crew using connected devices to improve efficiency and service on board, this is one area that can enhance the travel experience for passengers and crew, as well as potentially driving revenue for airlines. Every job has a cool factor. What’s yours? Being located in Hamburg, we are really close to our assembly lines. Seeing aircraft

being built and delivered is really inspiring. However, for me, working with great people and interesting customers is a big part of what makes my job cool. What’s the best seat on the plane? Many people like the aisle seat, but I prefer to sit next to the sidewall – and not just for the view out the window. Our sidewalls are sculpted and designed to give the passenger as much space as possible, so I always have enough room for my head and shoulders! Two things that you miss most about home when you’re traveling? Time with my family and being able to make a good cup of tea! Craziest travel experience? I once flew from Heathrow all the way to the Farnborough Airshow. I was working for Virgin Atlantic at the time and they were the launch customer of the A340-600. It felt as though we literally jumped over the fence! Your top three films of all time? Rear Window, Bullitt and Blade Runner. If you could sit next to anyone on a plane, who would it be? My heroes growing up were Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, so they would be high on my list. If not them, it would be Alvar Aalto or Raymond Loewy, design heroes who really changed the world we experience.

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Panasonic

Starting From ZeroTouch Panasonic Avionicsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dynamic data-driven real-time platform could be a game changer for airline operations. by Caroline Ku

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t was only six years ago that David Bruner sent his first e-mail in flight, feeling like he was on top of the world: “I’m at 82 degrees latitude, I’m sitting over nothing but snow in Greenland or northern Canada, somewhere, and look what I can do,” he recalls. This was circa 2010, when tablets, 4K TVs and gesturecontrolled technology were on the rise. In-flight connectivity (IFC), however, was still in its infancy. “That used to be a novelty,” says Bruner, Panasonic Avionics’ vice-president of Global Communications, “and now nobody cares anymore.” To better understand the rise in demand for broadband connectivity, picture Internet as water traveling to aircraft through pipes. In 2010, when Panasonic launched in-flight Wi-Fi with Lufthansa, the pipe was the diameter of a straw; now it’s grown twentyfold. Wi-Fi priorities have shifted from sending e-mail, a relatively low-bandwidth activity that requires only a trickle of Internet, to a full blast stream for live video. Ensuring that constant flow of connectivity is no easy feat. “Airplanes represent the hardest place to deliver a megabyte of data,” Bruner says.

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laying the groundwork

Most companies in the business of beaming Internet to aircraft have origins in military, mining or marine markets, but as a subsidiary of Osaka-based Panasonic Corporation, known for manufacturing household appliances and television screen technology, Panasonic Avionics began with the consumer. Panasonic Avionics was founded in 1979, and designed and produced its first in-flight entertainment (IFE) system, installed on a Boeing 767-200,

“Airplanes represent the hardest place to deliver a megabyte of data.” David Bruner, Panasonic Avionics

Panasonic Avionics’ Media and Creative Services covers quality control of IFE systems

three years later. Today the company is located in Lake Forest, California, and equips the majority of commercial airplanes with its electronics. But most passengers don’t know this. “You would never know that it’s a Panasonic screen or a Panasonic headset,” says Brian Bardwell, Panasonic Avionics’ manager of Corporate Communications. As the company shifted from a consumer to business-to-business model, its branding disappeared. But, according to Bardwell, “if you look at display quality, you look at contrast ratios, you look at color palette, all that is directly related to results from the consumer television.” Over the years, Panasonic continued to evolve its IFE screens, releasing its connected and wireless platforms eX3 and eXW in 2011. Meanwhile, the company was also laying the groundwork for global connectivity, covering hard-to-reach areas over oceans and remote Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTOS: PANASONIC AVIONICS; KOK WEE LIM

Panasonic

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destinations like Greenland and China’s red-tape-bound airspace, where Panasonic is the only IFC supplier currently providing connectivity to Chinese registered airlines on both domestic and international flights. The global network is part of a massive project that’s been eight years in the making, but Bruner says, “It’s taken that long to actually figure out how we would do it.” Unveiled at APEX EXPO in Singapore last year, Panasonic Avionics’ ZeroTouch is a dashboard that provides an overview of airline operations. It’s also a workflow management tool that can be configured for the individual user. The route network manager, customer service agent and chief executive could each have a different view showing tasks, information and analytics that are relevant to them. What will make this service so powerful is its ability to show real-time data, such as the condition of a piece of equipment or the data storage available on an aircraft.

Panasonic

“The volume of content has grown exponentially .” Julie Lichty, Panasonic Avionics

“We want the airplane to remain connected so that [airlines] can push or pull anything at any time,” says Paul Kent, Panasonic Avionic’s manager of Global Communications Services Products. This could include alerting ground crew of a broken seat or a wet carpet so a technician can be called before landing, reducing the time an airplane is grounded for maintenance. >

Panasonic Avionics showcases its latest technologies at APEX EXPO in Singapore

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volume 7, edition 2

Equipment and mechanics on aircraft are expensive assets. Monitoring enables airlines to keep track of their condition. “Every minute it’s out of service is lost revenue to the airline,” Bruner says. “So keeping it healthy, being able to fix things very fast so that it never misses an operation, is really important.”

breaking the cycle

As critical as the operation of actual flights is to airlines, the real driver behind ZeroTouch is the cycle of loading movies onto airplanes. “This is a machine that runs all the time; just knowing what planes have been loaded with the new content, which ones haven’t, [is an] unbelievable logistic nightmare,” Bruner says. “We were doing it manually and we knew how frustrating and difficult this was.” Every 30 days, Panasonic receives a batch of media files from different content service providers to perform quality control, checking for inaccuracies in the metadata 80

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or film edit and then packaging them onto a hard drive to be delivered onto airplanes by a ground technician. Multiply this across 300 airlines, some with fleets of more than 400 and various configurations of IFE systems and add the custom edits for different regions, licenses, subtitles and closed captioning – titles like Rogue One have up to 80 modifications. As demand for content expands, so does the problem. “The volume of content has grown exponentially,” says Julie Lichty, director of Media and Creative Services, Panasonic Avionics, explaining that airlines use content to differentiate themselves. To satisfy passengers’ appetite for content, airlines are carrying larger IFE catalogs, but Kent says this is a gamble. “They’re purchasing titles that they’re hoping will get watched.” With ZeroTouch, airlines would be able to see which movies are performing well, whether a VIP passenger has a special movie request and essentially push and pull content on demand. >

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Inside Panasonic Avionics’ Mission Control Center

“We want the airplane to remain connected so that [airlines] can push or pull anything at any time.” Paul Kent, Panasonic Avionics Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTO: PANASONIC AVIONICS

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Movies might have been the impetus for the platform, but Bruner believes it’ll be the catalyst for something bigger. “This whole system is more than movies; it’s more than live news and things like that,” he says. “It’s going to change the entire way [airlines] operate, the way they fly aircraft.

power shift

Airlines often load the same content across their entire fleet despite how different passenger preferences may be between different routes. Bruner says content could be more dynamic with ZeroTouch. “You know you’re going to have different demographics on a flight to a certain destination. Now you can actually differentiate that list of titles,” he says.

Panasonic Avionics’ Firsts 1981: IFE system, on a B767-200 1998: Audio and video on demand 2003: Digital IFE system, eFX 2006: Digital twin-aisle system, eX2 2011: IFEC system, eX3, and wireless IFEC solution, eXW

Kent and Bruner believe the technology could be a game changer for the industry. “It gives the power to the airline,” Kent says, “to go back to the content service providers, to go back to the studios and potentially reshape the way some of their contracts and negotiations and deals are done.” This could result in less custom edits, reducing some of the complexity of the process. “It won’t make the spend go down,” Bruner says, but “they’ll buy more titles, they’ll carry a larger inventory, which is really what passengers want.” ZeroTouch is currently in phase one of development, delivering payloads of 700

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megabytes multiple times a day. More than ten airlines are currently using the platform for in-flight entertainment and connectivity content updates. Later this year, Panasonic will introduce a more robust infrastructure and management console, with full commercial availability to follow by the third quarter of this year. “By changing the infrastructure that supports the business, where does this lead us? We look out on the horizon and we have a view of it, but we won’t know until people start taking advantage of it,” Bruner says. ZeroTouch will be the first step toward that.

“The volume of content has grown exponentially.” Julie Lichty, Panasonic Avionics

PHOTO: PANASONIC AVIONICS

ZeroTouch is expected to be commercially available by the third quarter of this year

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are bringing broadband Internet in a way that will enable benefits and efficiencies.â&#x20AC;?

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THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT WILL BE:

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Connected

Chairman and CEO SmartSky Networks

PHOTO: NATALIE CARTER HYDE

Haynes is a former CEO of Vanguard Cellular Systems, which he took public in 1988 and sold to AT&T in 1999, and has also served as chairman of CTIA. As founding CEO of SmartSky Networks, Haynes will help bring affordable, bidirectional broadband connectivity to the aviation industry with the completion of its nationwide network later this year.

To read Hayne’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > APEX.AERO/ HAYNESGRIFFIN

Airline Passenger Experience Association

f you weren’t doing your current job, what would you love to be doing? Another job like my current one: long hours and hard work toward an exciting outcome that has the potential to not only be economically successful, but also make a meaningful and important impact. What does your typical workday look like? It starts early and goes late – which is how I like it. Working hard on a satisfying project is fun. Every job has a cool factor. What’s yours? For the first time, we are bringing broadband Internet in a way that will allow the aviation industry to take advantage of the tools, benefits and efficiencies that terrestrial businesses have had access to for years. Some of our applications will become indispensable to both business and commercial aviation because of the operational efficiencies and corresponding money savings that will result. Best advice you’ve ever received? “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” – Albert Einstein

How can the airline industry become more efficient? By combining vast amounts of data on things like weather and air traffic location information in conjunction with each airplane’s three-dimensional location in real time, our Flight Path Optimization application has the potential to save between seven and 12 percent of fuel. But this application can only work if you have affordable, high-bandwidth, low-latency, bidirectional connectivity. This is what SmartSky will be uniquely providing. Do you have any crazy ideas to improve the passenger experience? How would it affect the passenger experience if one could provide a broadband experience in the air that mirrors what passengers are used to in their offices or homes? Once passengers find that this capability is available, they will make purchase decisions based on this service offering. What’s the one item you can’t travel without? My smartphone.

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LOPA

Premium Real Estate Seating layout becomes a game of musical chairs when fully flat-bed seats are added to the mix. by Marisa Garcia | illustration Alexandre Affonso

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OPA, an industry acronym for “layout of passenger accommodation,” more commonly referred to as seat configuration, helps airlines maximize cabin real estate and compete on passenger experience. Over the past 20 years, designers have been arranging and rearranging the seats at the front of the airplane and experimenting with various layouts. What started all the shuffling was British Airways’ introduction of lie-flat seating in 2000: The larger footprint of a lie-flat seat suddenly altered cabinspace economies.

pitch perfect

According to Aysegül Durak, Turkish Airlines’ chief engineer of Cabin Interior, a fully flat bed needs a minimum seat pitch of 76 inches, while a standard economy seat requires 31 to 33 inches. And if you consider the 50-percent seat loss in cabin width, that’s “three to four times the space of an economy seat,” Durak says. Configurations that came after British Airways’ original

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forward-aft pair model, such as herringbone and reverse herringbone, had angled seats and used hollow spaces (for footwells) to offer lie-flat comfort without decreasing passenger capacity as much. But because airlines operate different aircraft, and have different service models, determining the ideal LOPA for a new interiors program is not straightforward. It depends on aircraft type, width of cabin and distance between the first and second doors. During this stage, airlines are looking for optimum comfort and maximizing passenger capacity. Sometimes it’s about the numbers, says Daniel Baron, CEO of LIFT Strategic Design, a Tokyo-based studio specializing in airline brand, cabin design and passenger experience development, which has worked on programs for Philippine Airlines, Skymark, HK Express and China Airlines. “[Management] say to their staff: ‘We need X number of fully flat seats in business class, Y number of seats in economy,’ even if it means cutting galley stowage or closets.” >

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British Airways Club World

PHOTO: BRITISH AIRWAYS

LOPA

British Airways’ Club World business-class seating configuration

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Airline Passenger Experience Association

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LOPA

Reverse herringbone layout in international business class BELOW: Air France RIGHT: Air Canada

PHOTOS: AIR FRANCE; AIR CANADA

who sits here?

Surveys by Turkish Airlines suggest passengers prefer forward-facing seats, but still find angled, staggered or nested seats acceptable as long as they have a fully flat bed and don’t feel confined. These preferences are often cultural, Baron says. “Japanese business travelers want high walls and do not want to see the faces of others, so a yin-yang [forward-aft] configuration is probably out of the question. Others prefer less privacy. And for some, being seen in business class is a mark of social status.” Service models also play an important role in seat configurations. “In Asia and the Middle East, the ability for the cabin crew to easily assist customers with table deployment, bed making and placement of service items also comes into play,” Baron says. “In all of my projects, a considerable amount of time is spent discussing such issues, as mistakes are too expensive.”

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Reverse Herringbone

thinking from the belly

As market dynamics change, designers are exploring new ways to earn revenue from the aircraft belly. “Each centimeter in horizontal plane is already in use, while the vertical space could be reclaimed by new seating concepts,” Durak says. Her idea is to move everything but the seats to the lower deck – stowage, galleys, perhaps even lavatories – and use the extra space to increase seat numbers, or create common areas such as exercise corners or rented bunks for hourly use. PriestmanGoode, which has worked on cabin programs for Air France, Qatar Airways and South African Airways, is also probing for solutions in the belly of the aircraft. “What we’re looking at is how we can make use of underutilized spaces, such as belowdeck areas, to free up galley space on the main deck, or create special experiences,” says Luke Hawes, designer and director at the London-based design consultancy. >

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LOPA

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Formation’s blended seating concept showing single lie-flat seats in pairs with suites

will it blend?

Considerations of pitch, capacity and passenger preference have led to LOPAs that borrow from the hotel industry and do away with traditional cabin class structures airlines have used as their sales model. Seymourpowell has proposed a first-class cabin with blended seating, which would see passengers booking a single or double room in lieu of a seat. And a concept proposed by Formation Design Group intersperses pairs of single lie-flat seats with suites. 90

volume 7, edition 2

Formation suggests this layout would offer a 43 percent higher lie-flat seat count over existing staggered and herringbone LOPAs, a 36 percent higher lie-flat seat count over nested “V” or parallel 2-2-2 cabins and over 50 percent more combined usable bed surface area. In a face-to-face configuration, seats could do double duty as work areas for business passengers traveling together. But would blended cabins generate envy among passengers with a view of others in better accommodations? Bob Henshaw, a partner at Formation, believes that just as travelers are aware that hotels offer various types of rooms, blended cabins can be more aspirational than antagonistic. “When you [compare] economy with lie-flat seats, there’s such a giant chasm of comfort that it makes people mad,” Henshaw says. “But if you’re in a premium cabin, and you are in a lie-flat seat, and there’s a suite that’s got a bigger bed, I don’t think it’s going to be that much of a conflict.” >

Blended Seating

PHOTO: FORMATION

Currently, almost all commercial aircraft fly 50 to 70 percent empty in the cargo hold, Durak says. “Newly designed aircraft might have lowered floor levels, which will enable two-tier rows to be the new standard.” While there have been some certification concerns regarding the load weight of stacked rows, Baron believes material innovations will ultimately address these. “With the advent of lighter and strong materials, this will definitely happen,” he says.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

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Zodiac Lifestyle

moving parts

As premium cabins establish common areas such as bars and lounges, LOPA innovations are also considering activities other than sitting or sleeping. “These have been particularly useful marketing tools and work very well for groups of passengers traveling together,” Hawes says, “as it provides a comfortable place for passengers to socialize during the flight.” Zodiac Aerospace’s Lifestyle Cabin concept presented in 2016 features different zones for activity or privacy, sleeping berths, lounges for eating and drinking, self-service catering – even private apartments – all made possible by maximizing the vertical and horizontal space in the aircraft. Another concept is Transpose, by Airbus’ Silicon Valley innovations lab A3, which would see cabin modules with seating, play zones or bars being swapped the way cargo containers are loaded and unloaded, offering airlines the flexibility to customize their cabins according to the needs of a particular flight. The logistics-intensive process of reinventing the LOPA makes doing so often costly, slowing innovation in seat configurations. There is

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“We’re looking at how we can make use of underutilized spaces.” Luke Hawes PriestmanGoode a degree of fear of going too far beyond the norm, getting it wrong and having cabins fly empty. In fact, this is what makes the initial introduction of lie-flat seating almost two decades ago so remarkable. When British Airways took a bet on a seat with such a variable cabin footprint, there was every chance it might not have sold. History has shown business travelers appreciate arriving at their destinations better rested, and innovation in this section of the cabin has since flourished. But these are the chances airlines take maybe once in a generation.

PHOTOS: ZODIAC AEROSPACE

LOPA

Zodiac Aerospace’s Lifestyle Cabin concept that was unveiled in 2015

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Effective aggregation, innovation and segmentation of technology hold the key to success.â&#x20AC;?

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> FAST FACTS LOCATION:

DUB

NOW READING:

Miracle in the Andes, Nando Parrado

John White

FAVORITE AIRCRAFT:

787

SEATBACK OR PED?

Seatback

FAVORITE SOCIAL NETWORK:

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Inflight Dublin

PHOTO: LAURENCE MCMAHON

John has been Inflight Dublin’s CEO since 2012, and has eight years of experience in the IFE market. He has successfully implemented IFE and ancillary revenue strategies for a range of airlines. Before joining Inflight Dublin, he spent 10 years as a management consultant. John holds an MBA from the Cranfield School of Management.

To read John’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > APEX.AERO/ JOHNWHITE

Airline Passenger Experience Association

hat trends do you have your eye on, in relation to in-flight entertainment? It’s not so much a trend, but a challenge. How do airlines optimize the balance between growing ancillary revenues and enhancing the passenger experience? With the technical advancement of seatback platforms and the probability that most aircraft will be connected within the next 10 years, passengers will be able to access a vast number of services. At present, there’s a lot of focus on installing and improving the technology, but once that is done, how should airlines exploit and manage the opportunity that the technology provides? Effective aggregation, innovation and segmentation hold the key to success. What’s the most overlooked aspect of the passenger experience? Personalization. Compared with other consumer-facing industries, the airline industry has a number of improvement opportunities such as tailored IFE, personalized meal service and individual destination programming. Although airlines have made progress in this area, greater focus on it will yield considerable benefits. How do content and entertainment expectations change for people when they are traveling? They increase. Most people who travel are “time poor.” About the only time they’re “time rich” is when they’re on planes, particularly long-haul. Hence, they want to be

entertained with quality content supported by a wide range of service choice. Every job has a cool factor. What’s yours? Being the “middle man” between glitzy studios and glamorous airlines… I couldn’t think of two cooler industries to be wedged between! Something that never ceases to amaze you in your industry? How global, yet intimate our industry is. What other industry has such a relatively small number of people from so many different countries, faiths and cultures, who know each other and generally enjoy each other’s company? Best advice you’ve ever received? Do it now! Whatever you need to do, don’t wait around, get it done now, otherwise you might get left behind. Something that only a frequent flyer would understand? How long you realistically have before a flight to arrive at the airport. With hand luggage only, boarding card on your smartphone and fast-track through security, you can arrive less than an hour before your flight and still have time for breakfast before boarding! If you weren’t doing your current job, what would you love to be doing? Formula 1 racing driver – skill, speed, glamor and globe-trotting. Unfortunately, globetrotting is the only one of those traits that currently applies to me! Your top three films of all time? The Usual Suspects, Argo and 12 Angry Men. volume 7, edition 2

Roundtable

apex experience

What Is Comfort? The Panel > Tom Eaton director of Design

LIFT by EnCore

> Flavia Renata Dantas Alves Silva Ciaccia engineer of Comfort and Ergonomics Embraer

> Mark Hiller chief executive Recaro Aircraft Seating

> Blake Emery director of i ia i Strategy Boeing

How do you design for passenger comfort within the confines of an aircraft cabin? Four design experts offer their insights. by Katie Sehl | Illustration Ă&#x201C;scar Matamora

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once asked three designers to draw their ideal version of an airline seat, and what I got back was three designers’ ideal versions of an airline seat. Sure, there were similarities: They all had backrests, seat pans, armrests and padding – which is good because most seat users have backs, legs, arms and bones – but that’s where the commonalities ended (for the chairs, not the seat users). Of course, most seat users also have thoughts and feelings, and that’s where the problem begins, since very few of us are like-minded when it comes to defining, let alone designing, comfort.

apex experience

“I have always regarded comfort as a state of mind,” says Tom Eaton, director of Design for LIFT by EnCore. “It is not something that can be easily quantified or identified.” Flavia Renata Dantas Alves Silva Ciaccia, engineer of Comfort and Ergonomics at Embraer, defines comfort “not as the absence of discomfort, but as a positive feeling of well-being and pleasure.” The sentiment is echoed, with slight variation, by Blake Emery, director of Differentiation Strategy for Boeing, who describes comfort as “an absence of worrisome attention

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combined with a sense of peaceful well-being.” Mark Hiller, chief executive officer of Recaro Aircraft Seating, breaks it down even further: “Perceived comfort is in fact always an interaction between two aspects: First, individual preferences associated with convenience and wellbeing … and second, physiological and biomechanical factors.” Comfort, then, is the absence of discomfort; but it is not only that, it is something better. In other words, comfort is complicated.

Comfort, in a Word We asked each panelist to share the first word that comes to mind when they think of comfort.

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Roundtable

Thresholds based on anthropomorphic reference data are commonly used to provide guidelines on the necessary requirements for knee space, legroom, seat width, egress and so forth. Recaro, and most of the design community, works around parameters to accommodate a broad range of users, starting with the fifth percentile female (roughly 5', 110 pounds) and ending with the 95th percentile male (around 6'2", 216 pounds). “There are some objective measures for predicting seat discomfort, such as pressure mapping, activity analysis and some physiological measures,” Ciaccia says. But all agree that the most effective way to eliminate discomfort is through trial and error.

going to extreme measures “The best processes to evaluate comfort are the ones that have a holistic approach and elements of context, human characteristics and product design,” Ciaccia says. In 2008, Embraer opened a Comfort Engineering Centre in São Paulo in partnership with the Federal University of Santa Catarina and the Federal University of São Carlos. The center holds two full-size mock-ups of Embraer 170 and 190 cabin sections, both designed to simulate in-flight conditions. >

discomfort is a state of body

Discomfort, however, is pretty straightforward. “Oddly, discomfort is more definable [than comfort], as it presents itself as a clear pain point,” Eaton says. “We were assessing the living space of a new prototype that had been modified to improve its comfort,” he recalls. “To our surprise, it felt worse; but we knew we had theoretically made it better through increasing the amount of space we were giving the passenger.” Perplexed, Eaton and his team observed the situation more closely and noticed that when people stretched their legs, they now came into contact with Airline Passenger Experience Association

a small edge on the seat in front of them. “We learned from this that it is not simply the additional inches that matter, but also the subtle nature of surfaces that define that space,” he says. As the fairy tale goes, despite sleeping on 20 feather mattresses, the princess still felt the pea. “Physiological and biomechanical factors are always dominant, and therefore have to be eliminated first,” Hiller explains. There are some general principles to start with in that regard. “For example, if pitch falls below a certain point, we can predict that no one will be happy,” Emery says.

“Discomfort is more definable, as it presents itself as a clear pain point.” Tom Eaton LIFT by EnCore

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“Passenger comfort perception is affected by different cabin environments.” Flavia Ciaccia Embraer

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attention to shift. They may then decide the seat cushion is uncomfortable, whereas before I asked, everything was just fine.” With several long-haul flights exceeding 15 hours, Hiller points out that duration is a critical factor in evaluations of seat comfort. Accordingly, that ethos led him to what some may view as extreme measures. In the development phase of the CL3710 long-haul economy seat, he asked his team to deliver a prototype to his home. He spent three nights and one whole day in the seat. “The product experience was superior, but the purser service could have been optimized,” he quips.

Roundtable

comfort is a state of mind

Service, despite having nothing to do with the physical characteristics of a seat, can play a major role in perceptions of comfort. A 2012 study conducted by Peter Vink, professor of Environmental Ergonomics and head of TU Delft’s Design Engineering department, and his colleagues found that variables such as “rude flight attendants and bad hygiene” have the ability to “reduce the comfort experience dramatically.” The research even finds that a flight delay would predispose passengers to rate their comfort level negatively. “A pain in the neck” may be less idiomatic than it seems. >

“The project generated tools and models for evaluating comfort and developing interiors focusing on user experience,” Ciaccia says. “We could understand how passenger comfort perception is affected by the combination of different cabin environments.” One notable finding Ciaccia’s team uncovered through mockup experiments was that the sense of discomfort is reduced when a person is focused on an activity of interest to the individual. A recent study published in 2015 by TU Delft researcher Suzanne Hiemstra-van Mastrigt also found that backseat passengers in a car felt significantly more fit and refreshed after playing an active game. “At Boeing, we lean toward controlled experimental methods,” Emery says. In 2002, Boeing opened its Passenger Experience Research Center in Everett, Washington, where a mock-up enables Emery and his team to gauge participants’ perceptions of different cabin attributes. “Knowing how to ask questions is very important,” he notes. “For example, if I ask the subjects to rate their satisfaction with a seat cushion, the very question causes their

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Experts dispel comfort myths > APEX.AERO/ COMFORT-MYTHS

“Nobody wanted to sit in the seat to test it because it looked uncomfortable.” Blake Emery Boeing

Judgment plays a big role in informing perceptions of comfort. “A few years ago, I was involved in the development of a modular economy-class seat for aircraft,” Emery recounts. “During the user testing of about the third prototype, we discovered that nobody wanted to sit in the seat to test it because it looked uncomfortable. Once 102

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they sat in it, they discovered it was quite comfortable, but they had to overcome their original rejection of the seat appearance.” So, what does a comfortable seat look like? “We are seeing an interesting shift on this topic,” Eaton says. “Historically, people have considered thick plush cushions, real leather and wood laminates as comfortable and cozy; but if you look at modern furniture today, it relies more and more on thin, lightweight structures, and smart, often knitted, fabrics that have the ability to morph or comply unexpectedly.” Indeed, a resurgence of Scandinavian-influenced minimalism, made popular by IKEA, has broadened the appeal of functional design. “This awareness is now entering our industry, and passengers are no longer looking for [the] classic indicators – which are, in fact, unsuited to the space and weight requirements of aerospace. They are looking instead for signs of innovation,” he says. A flight delay or an ugly seat can negatively influence a passenger’s

comfort experience, but perceptions can be influenced positively, too. In 2011, Norwegian Air Shuttle was already flying a fleet of Boeing 737NGs and had just taken early delivery of additional 737 aircraft – only these were outfitted with the Boeing Sky Interior (BSI). Boeing and the airline used the opportunity to evaluate the perceived difference among passengers. The results were illuminating: Despite having the exact same seats and the exact same amount of space, passengers reported being more comfortable on BSI-equipped aircraft. In fact, passengers with 29-inch pitch seating on a 737 with BSI were more comfortable than those with 31-inch pitch seating on the 737NG aircraft. One thing we can probably all agree upon is the fact that comfort is hard to agree upon. Anyone who’s shared a bed with someone knows this. That may sound like cold comfort for designers, but in fact, it’s the space in between that’s the providence of design. Airline Passenger Experience Association

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Social media has changed the relationship models in so many aspects of our lives.â&#x20AC;?

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> FAST FACTS FAVORITE AIRPORT:

Isle of Wight Airport (EGHN) GA Airfield FAVORITE AIRCRAFT:

Phil Brace

Concorde

NOW LISTENING TO:

My Universe, The Shires

SEATBACK OR PED?

Seatback

IFEC and Airborne Power Solutions Manager Pascall Electronics

PHOTO: STEWART GIBBS

Phil’s role at Pascall focuses on the development and supply of highly reliable airborne power solutions for in-cabin systems, including in-flight entertainment, connectivity and personal electronic devices. Pascall’s power line-replacement units and embedded power supplies have supported well-known industry OEMs for more than 23 years.

To read Phil’s full Q&A, please visit us online at > APEX.AERO/ PHILBRACE

Airline Passenger Experience Association

f you weren’t doing your current job, what would you love to be doing? Flying vintage aircraft and writing. As a longterm GA pilot, I’d love to spend more time in the air flying classic stick and rudder types. I’d write about the aviation history that inspires me. Did you choose the airline industry or did it choose you? It chose me and I’m very grateful. I’ve spent the best part of my career in the power electronics industry. With experience in space satellite equipment, cellular communications devices and airborne power solutions, the hashtags would be #performance, #efficiency, #reliability! The career path you considered but never followed? Naval aviation. The challenge of landing a fast jet on a very short runway that rolls and pitches in the ocean! I don’t think my coordination skills would have made the grade. I’d have been happy as an air engineering officer. Being born in Portsmouth [England], the Royal Navy is in the family. Best advice you’ve ever received? Probably a classic: You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen carefully, understand the problem and then you’ll be in the best position to propose the solution. How important is social media for an airline in the digital age? Social media has changed the relationship models in so many aspects of our lives. Business brands are both supported

and challenged by instant commentary dispatched from any number of users in increasingly wide demographics. These are powerful platforms to outline new services and receive immediate customer feedback. The key is to ensure clarity of message and not to dilute it. Something that only a frequent flyer would understand? How many “steps” you can accumulate as you transfer between international and domestic terminals. Travel veterans know that gate location, from security or transfer, is inversely proportional to the time you have available. After you’ve settled in your airplane seat, what’s the first thing you do? Put on my noise-canceling headphones, listen to music and see what movies are available; I see most of the latest releases on board. I’ll have my phone and laptop charge leads ready. What’s the most efficient way to pack a carry-on suitcase? Fold, pile, roll. Take half of what you think you’ll need – it will be fine! If you could sit next to anyone on a plane, who would it be? The test pilot who first flew that aircraft type. How interesting that would be. If I had a time machine, it would be fascinating to sit next to Joe Sutter, Chuck Yeager, Bob Hoover, Reginald Mitchell, Amy Johnson or Amelia Earhart. In honesty, I have a very long list. What did you do the first time you used in-flight Wi-Fi? I checked the ping speed. I just wondered! volume 7, edition 2

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ViaSat

Space Odyssey ViaSat probes the possibility of higher broadband capacity, better coverage and seamless connectivity with the launch of ViaSat-2.

PHOTO: NASA

by Howard Slutsken

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ViaSat

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Visit us at apex.aero

iaSat-2 sat quietly on its cradle in the clean room, no longer attended to by scores of gowned technicians. Antennas folded, solar panels and radiators tightly retracted. Its large rectangular structure could have been mistaken for an industrial appliance, rather than a highly advanced communications satellite bound for space. The satellite was ready to be enclosed in a specialized shipping container, like a cocoon, to protect it during its flight to Kourou, French Guiana. And soon after riding into space on a workhorse Ariane 5 heavy launcher, ViaSat-2 will stretch out its 158-foot-long solar panels, ushering in new capabilities of Ka-band connectivity. Using its conventional chemical, and low-power electric thrusters, the hybridpropulsion satellite will take several months to reach its geostationary orbital slot, 22,236 miles above the equator, roughly in line with the US East Coast. Expected to be operational by the end of 2017, ViaSat-2 will more than double the capacity of ViaSat-1, the company’s first purpose-built satellite. The new bird is expected to deliver bandwidth of about 300 Gbps, with seven times more coverage than ViaSat-1. That footprint will cover virtually all of North America, the Caribbean and Central America, and the northern part of South America. ViaSat-2 will also cover the North Atlantic, ensuring connectivity for passengers on intercontinental flights.

bridging the ocean

“It creates a bridge over the Atlantic that allows commercial airliners to travel from the west coast of the US all the way through Europe and into the Middle East, with a seamless handover between our satellite and our partner Eutelsat’s KA-SAT satellite,” says David Abrahamian, director, Space Systems, ViaSat. ViaSat currently provides in-flight connectivity for nearly 550 aircraft that are flying with United, JetBlue, Virgin America and El Al Israel Airlines. The company was recently awarded contracts with Finnair, Scandinavian

ViaSat Timeline november 2012

march 2013

december 2013

march 2014

april 2014

may 2015

ViaSat completes nationwide rollout of its Internet service, Exede in the Air, with a baseline bandwidth of 12 Mbps.

ViaSat sets Guinness World Records title for highest capacity satellite.

JetBlue launches Exede in the Air Wi-Fi service.

El Al becomes first airline in Europe to select ViaSat’s Internet service.

United expands ViaSat’s Ka-band Internet service to more aircraft.

ViaSat supports free Wi-Fi and streaming of Amazon Prime on JetBlue flights.

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ViaSat

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Boeing’s satellite facility in El Segundo, California. OPPOSITE PAGE: Looking into the thermal test chamber THIS PAGE: Satellite shipping container; Boeing 702 all-electric propulsion satellites in production

Airlines and Qantas. American Airlines has also chosen ViaSat for its new Boeing 737 MAXs, and has announced plans to retrofit more than 500 aircraft from its existing mainline domestic fleet with the ViaSat in-flight Internet system. With nearly 700,000 residential and consumer customers, in-flight connectivity accounts for only five to six percent of ViaSat’s available bandwidth, according to Keven Lippert, the company’s executive vicepresident, Satellite Systems and Corporate Development. “A few years ago, the airline business was a startup within ViaSat,” Lippert says. “ViaSat-2 will continue to grow the airline business, but the unknown is how much it’ll grow. It’s more airplanes, and it’s also more connected passengers. We want both.”

It creates a bridge that allows airliners to travel globally with a seamless handover between satellites. David Abrahamian ViaSat ViaSat has a 30-year history as a terrestrial hardware provider for communications networks, but is now making a fundamental change in philosophy. “We’re really evolving toward being what we believe is going to be the first global Internet service provider. And that is obviously powered by these incredible satellites – ViaSat-2, and the nextgeneration ViaSat-3s that we’re working on with Boeing,” Abrahamian says.

building the bird

PHOTOS: BOEING

ViaSat partnered with Boeing Satellite Systems for the construction of the soon-tobe-launched ViaSat-2. Boeing’s storied El Segundo, California, facility has built more than 300 satellites, dating back to the early 1960s. Then known as Hughes Space and Communications, the factory manufactured Syncom, the world’s first geostationary satellite. Less than three feet in diameter and massing just over 80 pounds, the drum-shaped satellite was used to broadcast the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics to the United States. Dwarfing its pioneering ancestor, ViaSat-2 has a mass of over 14,000 pounds, stands more than 20 feet tall, is almost 15 feet wide and has solar panels that generate 17.5 kilowatts of power. It’s based on Boeing’s mature BSS-702HP platform. >

september 2015

november 2015

february 2016

june 2016

september 2016

november 2016

At APEX EXPO, ViaSat announces free streaming of Netflix on Virgin America flights. Spotify and the New York Times are also made available in October.

JetBlue streams live sports games and content to passengers.

Qantas announces plans to use ViaSat’s Internet service.

American Airlines selects ViaSat for Internet on Boeing 737 MAX fleet.

Finnair and SAS each sign connectivity agreements with ViaSat: Finnair for its short-haul Airbus fleet, and SAS for its short- and mediumhaul fleets.

American Airlines announces plans to retrofit more than 500 aircraft from its domestic fleet with ViaSat’s Internet service. This same month, ViaSat acquires Arconics for added aircraft operations

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ViaSat

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Exede’s Expectations From launch to operation, ViaSat’s plan toward global satellite coverage will span approximately eight years.

ViaSat-1

Launch: 2011 Q4 Operation: 2012 Q1 Geographical coverage: North America Throughput: 140 Gbps

ViaSat-2

ViaSat-3 Class

(3 satellites) Planned launch: 2019, 2020, TBA Geographical coverage: Americas, EMEA, APAC Anticipated throughput: 1,000 Gbps (1 Tbps)

Planned launch: 2017 Q1 or Q2 Operation: 2017 Q4 Geographical coverage: North America, North Atlantic, Caribbean and Central America Anticipated throughput: 300 Gbps

testing, testing…

The second piece is the payload module, holding all the mission-specific electronics. “And then we have the antenna system – we bolt it on and that’s when we begin the testing. It’s a rigorous test program to make sure that [the satellite] is going to work for 15 years. You can’t go and fix it once it’s up there,” Dukat says. In Boeing’s million-square-foot facility, satellites undergo vibrational and acoustic testing that mimics the extreme stresses encountered during launch. That’s followed by 30 to 45 days in a massive thermal vacuum chamber, where the satellite’s electronics are tested in an environment as close to space as can be duplicated on Earth. 110

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“ViaSat-2 will continue to grow the airline business, but the unknown is how much it’ll grow.” Keven Lippert ViaSat A communications satellite’s lifetime is between 10 and 15 years, although about 20 percent of the 60 Boeing-built commercial satellites now on orbit have exceeded their service life. “There are two things that limit a satellite’s life,” says Mark Spiwak, president, Boeing Satellite Systems International. “First, the amount of fuel on board to keep it in position. Then there’s the degradation of the electronics from the space environment.” A satellite’s components are hardened and shielded to handle the harsh environment of space. In addition to extreme temperatures, a satellite in geostationary orbit has to withstand the equivalent of approximately 220 million chest X-rays a day, according to Spiwak.

Technological advancement is another factor that operators consider when looking to replace their valuable space assets. What might be state-of-the-art when a satellite is launched may very well be surpassed technologically 10 or 15 years later.

good things come in threes

But ViaSat won’t be waiting that long to advance on-orbit technology. Just two years from now, in 2019, the company is planning to launch its first two ViaSat-3-class satellites. ViaSat will design and build the payload module, and has contracted Boeing for the satellites’ buses. With their hemispheric footprints, the three satellites will eventually provide overlapping global coverage. Each ViaSat-3 satellite will have more bandwidth capability than all of the 400 communications satellites now in space and will be the world’s first 1,000-Gbps (1-terabit-per-second) satellite. “What matters is how much capacity is in the system,” ViaSat’s Lippert says. “The math is simple – if every passenger on every connected airplane uses their devices, how much capacity do I need in my network? We’re planning to take hundreds of gigabits and use them for the airlines, and hundreds for the consumer business. We believe that there’s a huge market, and that’s why we’re building these global terabit satellites.” Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTOS: VIASAT; NASA

“The satellite comes in three pieces,” explains Ron Dukat, ViaSat-2 program director for Boeing. “Piece number one is the bus module. It’s the piece of the satellite that does all the housekeeping for the vehicle. It keeps it at the right spot on orbit. It provides power through solar arrays and batteries, and it provides thermal controls.” With on-orbit temperatures ranging from minus 300 to plus 300 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s critical to maintain onboard systems at the right temperature. Remarkably, the satellite has a thermal control system that keeps most of its components at room temperature using heaters, insulation and radiators.

Family

apex experience

The Traveling Family Airlines will need to reconsider the solitary seating and refined cuisine that cater to adult passengers to win over parents who travel with their little ones in tow. by Valerie Silva | illustration Ă&#x201C;scar ChĂĄvez

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espite laments for the days when families ostensibly boarded aircraft as the royal court did their chariot, recent government legislation indicates that parents and their young remain top of mind in the air travel industry. Over the past year alone, the Federal Aviation Agency approved a bill requiring airlines to seat families with children together without additional fees, and President Obama signed the Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening (BABES) Act into law, instructing the Transportation Security Administration to better accommodate parents traveling with breast milk, infant food and other feeding equipment. The regulations have been heralded as major victories for traveling families and as an assurance of the turning tides. Families may not account for the most lucrative consumer group in the air travel industry, but they are perhaps one of the most reliable: “The average yield for families is lower than that for business travelers. However, as a large customer segment, families are also interesting for volume reasons,” a Lufthansa spokesperson explains. “Families mostly book further in advance, which is important for an airline in

Traveling families are set to be one of the largest growth segments

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terms of its base load factor.” And with an estimated 60 million millennials expected to become parents in the next decade, traveling families are set to be one of the largest growth segments in the industry. “With the advent of social media, millennial parents can find and be inspired by other parents who travel with their babies and children, thus dispelling a lot of the fear and anxiety that perhaps kept previous generations of parents closer to home,” says Marianne Perez de Fransius, CEO of Bébé Voyage, an online community of globe-trotting parents. “Millennials seek out experiences over stuff and so are more likely to spend on travel over products.” According to a recent survey by MMGY Global, this is especially the case for millennial families, who travel more often and more internationally than couples and singles of the same demographic.

family first

Airlines looking to bring a family focus to their operations will need to question the assumptions that underpin their facilities and offerings. Aircraft cabin architecture prizes privacy and limits interaction, menu revamps veer toward refined cuisine and online booking platforms rarely support the unique

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“For kids, the plane ride is just as exciting, if not more so, than the destination.” Marianne Perez de Fransius, Bébé Voyage demands of parents traveling with infants, such as booking a bassinet or purchasing a seat for a child under two. “Families have to call the airline and explain their situation to the customer service representative … I think families would greatly appreciate the ability to do all this online,” Perez de Fransius explains. The passenger experience industry hinges on the idea that the average customer is independent and of adult age, but parents are most concerned with how their younglings will fare. Six in 10 millennial families with children under 12 say their trips are entirely child-focused, compared with just a quarter of families with teenagers, reports MMGY Global. Airlines targeting these families, which the global marketing firm dubs “Brat Packs,” should appeal to the needs and preferences of their youngest members. Lufthansa is a pioneer in this regard, having launched creative family-focused services and products in the early aughts. The German carrier’s children’s meals, of which over 40,000 are served in a given year, are designed by prominent chefs and selected by international juries of children between five and 12 years old to ensure that even the fussiest of eaters are satisfied. In February, the airline debuted a refreshed children’s menu comprising dishes such as “turtle muffins,” “snow-covered pasta mountain,” “rabbit cake” and “flying chicken.” Chef Cornelia Poletto, the mastermind behind the dishes, is herself a mother, a patron of the Altona Children’s Hospital, where she regularly cooks for patients, and a proponent of serving nutritious meals at primary school cafeterias. Leaving no stone unturned, even children’s buffets in Lufthansa lounges are measured to the appropriate height so that kids can serve themselves – with multicolored tableware, of course. >

Airline Passenger Experience Association

PHOTO: LUFTHANSA

Family

Join the Crystal Cabin Award 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; take the opportunity to win one of the coveted trophies for your aircraft interiors innovation. Application period: October 2017 Winners will be presented on the occasion of the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg.

www.crystal-cabin-award.com www.hamburg-aviation.com

Family

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Visit us at apex.aero

Meet Two Families Who Travel These jet-setting families have covered the globe with kids in tow, and have picked up some pro tips along the way.

the hoang family Francois, Alyson Vu, one son (2 ½ years old) and a baby on the way. Follow their travels: @aoirostudio, #hoangtrip What are your priorities when you’re traveling with family? Wi-Fi: In-flight entertainment: Airline meal: Flight availability: Aircraft: Airline: Frequent flyer program:

curating family fun

We’ve all heard of captive audiences, but no audience is as captive as a child in flight. “For kids, often the plane ride is just as exciting, if not more so, than the destination,” Perez de Fransius says. Some 116

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Etihad’s flying nannies are trained to keep children entertained

airlines foster that excitement by reducing stressors with early boarding, parental controls on in-flight entertainment systems and seating families together; others go a step further, curating unforgettable experiences that highlight the magic of flight. Asiana Airlines works its magic with “special in-flight services” on select flights departing from Seoul to London, Paris, New York and other major US and European cities. From flying magic shows and family photo ops in crewmember costumes to birthday celebrations and caricature sessions, Asiana’s offbeat services can be enjoyed in all cabin classes. And should passengers find themselves separated from their kin, they can participate in the carrier’s OZ Love Letter activity, what the carrier calls “a chance to write a handwritten letter to a loved one – an analog experience in the digital era!”

How do you keep your child entertained on board? Francois: We tend to pick flights that fit our son’s schedule for naps, lunch, supper, snacks and even sleep. It’s important because it will affect how he will behave during the flight. What would improve family air travel? Maybe a section for families on the airplane? Airlines could improve their inflight entertainment selection for newborns and toddlers. We fill our tablet with videos from YouTube to trigger his curiosity. Any tips for the traveling family? Travel at least once a year! Get out of the comfort zone of your home. Explore the world and make moments that you will remember for the rest of your life. Traveling with kids ain’t easy, but if both parents share the effort, it usually goes pretty smoothly.

PHOTOS: ETIHAD AIRWAYS; FANCOIS HOANG

Another family front-runner, Etihad Airways first introduced the world to the concept of flying nannies back in September 2013. The airline’s nannies are trained at reputable UK-based Norland College – the same institution attended by caretakers employed at Buckingham Palace. A rigorous two-month program teaches them how to warm up milk bottles, prepare bassinets and keep children entertained with origami airplanes, finger puppets and magic tricks. One or two nannies are on board all Etihad’s long-haul flights and in the airline’s family rooms in all lounges at Abu Dhabi International Airport. “The number one comment we receive from parents is that they cannot believe that such a service is so accessible and available to families across all classes of services – from first class to economy,” says Etihad’s vice-president of Guest Services, Linda Celestino. “When they see that orange apron – a signature part of the Flying Nanny uniform – they know a helping pair of hands is on the way.”

Airline Passenger Experience Association

the cain family Carol, Travis and three sons Follow their travels: @girlgonetravel, #travelingCains What are your priorities when you’re traveling with family? Wi-Fi: In-flight entertainment: Airline meal: Flight availability: Aircraft: Airline: Frequent flyer program: How do you keep your child entertained on board? Carol: I have always encouraged my kids to play games, read or do something disconnected from electronics because you never know if you will be able to charge the device and it encourages creativity. Of course, if there is onboard entertainment, then that wins all the time.

Family

apex experience

Notwithstanding Asiana’s successes, curating interactive family-friendly experiences on board can be difficult, given space constraints and rigid seating configurations. “The airline industry could probably take a cue from the high-speed train in France (the TGV), which, on many of its trains, especially during the holidays, offers family cars,” Perez de Fransius suggests. Industry stakeholders have met the challenge with designs that afford greater opportunities for togetherness. B/E Aerospace’s Family Zone concept, shortlisted for this year’s Crystal Cabin Award, is a dedicated family space featuring coloring surfaces, hygienic seat materials and easyto-clean galley-style flooring, surrounded by noise-reducing curtains. For its part, Thomson Airways has floated the idea of family booth seating, which it plans to trial on its Boeing 757 fleet at an undisclosed date. Richard Branson famously proposed a designated kids’ cabin on Virgin Atlantic, but plans stagnated because of safety restrictions. Until regulatory hurdles are overcome, traveling families can revel in Air New Zealand’s Skycouch, a three-seat row that can be turned into a flat surface – so tots can stretch and play at will.

“Parents cannot believe such a service is available to families.” Linda Celestino Etihad Airways Whatever the case, millennial moms and dads are sure to take notice if the cabin environment provides an early start to the family vacation. Airlines can arrange quirky onboard activities or serve kid-approved culinary creations, but it’s the service mentality that makes families feel at home throughout their journey that’ll win their hearts. The appeal to passengers’ emotions is a cornerstone of Etihad’s philosophy. “We do not consider travelers who fly with Etihad Airways to simply be our passengers; they are our guests,” Celestino says. And it is this distinction between passenger and guest, between product and feeling, between service and hospitality that will undoubtedly resonate with this customer segment. After all, what passenger wouldn’t want to feel like one of the family?

What would improve family air travel? I would like to see more flexibility in providing families with seats together, at no extra cost or special request.

PHOTOS: CAROL CAIN; AIR NEW ZEALAND

What are the essential items on your packing list? We always pack snacks and toiletries for longer flights – as well as tons of books. Any tips for the traveling family? My kids are older now (10, 11 and 19), but we always talk about the length of the flight to prepare them. We also took long road trips when they were younger to teach them the etiquette and protocols of being on a long trip in an enclosed space with others. It helped to make them more patient and aware once we got to flying.

Air New Zealand’s Skycouch turns three seats into one flat surface for tots to stretch out

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The critically acclaimed mini-series returns

Drama Miniseries • • • • •

6 x 60 or 7 x 50’ • • • • •

Visit the BBC Worldwide booth at the Apex Multi Media Market 2017

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Travelogue

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Can We Please Fly Commercial? Flying commercial is a treat when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all too familiar with the pitfalls of private planes. by Jason Steele | illustration Pablo del Cielo

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Wherever youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going BBC World News travels with you

Hotels. Airports. Planes. Cruise Ships. BBC World News is available wherever you travel. Find out where to watch us when you travel: bbcwnpartners.com/travel

Apex 1-2 Hor.indd 1 APEX_Print_Ad_Magazine_V9.indd 2

2016-08-30 9:53 AM 30/08/2016 13:10

hen I was growing up, my father was a private pilot and our family owned a six-seat airplane called a Piper Lance. While my childhood friends flew commercially for their vacations, or just drove with their families, my two sisters and I mostly flew privately, which didn’t feel like much of a privilege at the time. In fact, we often begged our parents to let us “fly commercial.” If modern airliners are the buses of the sky, then our piston-powered aircraft was kind of like a family station wagon. But even that analogy would be too generous. For example, it wasn’t uncommon for us to pack our bags for a big trip, only to be informed by our pilot (aka dad) that our trip would be canceled thanks to the kind of weather that wouldn’t ground an airliner. One time, this meant visiting the local movie theater instead of Disney World. And when some small part of the plane wasn’t working, we couldn’t just “swap equipment” or rebook ourselves on the next flight. Instead, we had to call the local mechanic and ask him to squeeze us in at his earliest convenience. Once airborne, our small plane was confined to a cruise speed of about 160 mph – less than a third of the speed of

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most jet aircraft. So a typical flight from our home in Atlanta to visit my grandparents in New York would require five to six hours of flying time, and often a refueling stop. Like most airplanes this size, ours wasn’t pressurized, which meant that we were in for an ear-popping good time during takeoffs and landings. The interior noise level was similar to the volume of a Harley-Davidson idling inside of a small garage. The rear-seat legroom was tight enough to make the CEO of an ultra low-cost carrier blush (or perhaps be envious). Also, we made a point of eating light beforehand, since the ride could sometimes be like a dinghy on rough seas. And it could get very hot inside our un-air-conditioned plane during a typical Atlanta summer. It was a rare treat for us to fly commercial. Airline seats were more generous back then, or at least it seemed that way as a kid. There were no in-flight entertainment systems, but we were always thrilled to receive a deck of cards, a pair of wings and even an occasional cockpit visit. Best of all, the airplane even had bathrooms! To me, there was nothing like the thrill of visiting Atlanta’s vast Hartsfield International airport, and staring at the list of arrivals and departures to so many cities. As the robotic voice announced the next stop on the then futuristic automated people-mover system, I felt like I had stepped into a science fiction movie. And a commercial flight to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport was a treat beyond words, as I’d stare agape at 747s and contort my head to catch a glimpse of a Concorde. But flying privately did have a few advantages. Weather permitting, we could come and go as we pleased without considering the cost of purchasing expensive airline tickets with no notice. We avoided large terminals by flying from some of the 5,000 small general aviation airports in the

Travelogue

Our trip would be canceled due to the kind of weather that wouldn’t ground an airliner. United States, rather than the approximately 500 larger ones that accommodated commercial service. After several years of owning the Lance, my father decided it was time for an upgrade, and my mother’s only request was that our next airplane have air conditioning. Eventually, my father settled on a slightly roomier Cessna Centurion that cruised at 200 mph, but still lacked air conditioning. One steamy afternoon over the Florida Everglades, my mother decided to express her frustration by opening the window. Asleep in the back seats, my two sisters and I were awoken by tornado force winds while the contents of the cabin swirled around us. >

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After slamming the window shut, I think my mother and father had each learned a valuable lesson. He would take her requests more seriously before making a major purchase, and she would leave the windows closed and latched at all times during flight. And while you might think that these childhood experiences in small aircraft would have steered me clear of them, it turned out that the opposite was true. I ended up catching the aviation bug as well. I took it even further than my father, ending up

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with not just a private pilot’s license, but also a commercial and flight instructor rating. I once spent a summer flying small planes on scheduled charter flights carrying up to four passengers and some cargo between Denver and Wyoming. Some of our customers seemed to prefer this service so as to avoid TSA scrutiny of their belongings. I also owned a four-seat Grumman Cheetah that I flew everywhere, from Alaska to the Bahamas. I delighted in taking up anyone who would go flying with me, including a woman who would become my wife. Occasionally, my passengers would inquire, before seeing the airplane, if it had a toilet. I would chuckle, and let them know that it was right past the shower. After quite a few 18-hour round-trip flights between my home in Denver and my parents’ home in Atlanta, I realized it was probably better to stick with one of the 20 daily airline flights on that route, and sold the plane. Today, travelers have growing opportunities to fly in small aircraft. Scheduled charter services that operate small jets and turboprops are popping up around the country, and several companies

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A typical light jet lacks Internet service and 50 channels of entertainment. now sell empty seats in light jets that can be surprisingly affordable. But as more Americans experience flight in small aircraft, the advantages of commercial service will soon become apparent to them, too. They’ll find that a typical light jet lacks enough headroom to stand upright, let alone Internet service and 50 channels of in-flight entertainment. And if they’re lucky enough to have a bathroom on board, it will likely be far smaller than an airliner’s. Spend enough time plodding through the sky in a small airplane and you, too, might be wondering whether you’d rather fly commercial next time.

Airline Passenger Experience Association

Daily experience The APEX Daily Experience newsletter delivers the most important passenger experience news to your inbox.

ONE STOP SHOP

READ IT HERE FIRST See breaking news here before you see it anywhere else. WHY IT MATTERS

Today’s in-flight catering goes well beyond the traditional categories of dietary restrictions. Instead of ust “ egetarian,” flyers who eschew meat can choose from a wide range of options, including egan, o o-lacto, raw or e en ust a fruit plate. hile most airlines offer a children’s meal, airlines like Asiana aim to please by breaking it down by specific age group and offering a baby menu, a toddler...

IdeaNova Technologies has launched an in-flight entertainment data analysis tool focused on media playback and deployment. In how allows airlines and IFE endors to analy e their media streaming ecosystems, including data on customers’ playback experience, frequently watched mo ies and other system performance indicators. “Analysis of data is a common problem across any media deli ery system,” says ura iska...

ONLY THE BEST Each story is handpicked by a team of aviation experts.

yanair could be offering free seats on flights within a decade, says the airline’s chief executi e. Michael O’Leary disclosed his ambition to offer ero fares by making money...

Multiplying Menus: Carriers Cater to Increasing Number of Dietary Restrictions

What They’re Watching: IdeaNova’s IFE Analytics

Ryanair Chief Aims to Make Flights Free Within 10 Years

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Our team contextualizes each headline and provides astute insights.

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[PHOTOS] Inside American Airlines’ First Boeing 787-9

American Airlines took deli ery this week of its first oeing 7 7reamliner, ahead of its planned entry into ser ice on October . The aircraft comes linefit with AA’s...

Read all of the industry’s important headlines in one place.

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Upcoming APEX Events

For the most up-to-date event calendar visit > APEX.AERO/EVENTS

4 2

multimedia market 2017 24–26 April Berlin, Germany #APEXMARKET

expo 2017 25–28 September Long Beach, US #APEXEXPO

apex middle east 2017 November Dubai, UAE #APEXMIDDLEEAST

apex tech 2017 13–14 June Los Angeles, US #APEXTECH

apex tech 2017 November Los Angeles, US #APEXTECH

expo 2018 24–27 September Boston, US #APEXEXPO

Tweeting from one of our upcoming events? Be sure to use the designated hashtag so other members can join the conversation!

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Why You Should Attend APEX MultiMedia Market Passenger expectations for in-flight content options are soaring, and attending the APE MultiMedia Market is the best way to keep up. oin us April in erlin for the 17 MultiMedia Market This year, exhibitors will showcase an o erwhelming library of

content literally thousands of new and classic content selections to entertain passengers around the world. o e ent in the world offers the selection of in-flight content like the MultiMedia Market. Airlines can browse T shows,

mo ies, radio programs and podcasts in different languages and genres specifically licensed for airlines content that’s typically di cult to track down. For airlines looking to do a year’s worth of business in one swoop, that’s huge.

“It’s a great chance to find out about upcoming content for the year ahead.” Cathy Walters Virgin Atlantic Airways

What’s New This Year?

PHOTOS: RICHARD THEEMLING; ERNSTOL CC BY-SA 3.0

Freebies: This e ent has always been about connecting distributors directly with airlines, which is why we’re offering new incenti es. C Ps can attend the industry’s premier in-flight content market with an airline partner to recei e a F EE registration. Airlines also had the opportunity to win a free three-night hotel stay.

Limited non-appointment booths: If you felt you couldn’t see e eryone you wanted to in past years, the non-appointment area has been limited to 1 companies (in addition to the appointment booths). ou can isit during breaks, lunches and before and after the market.

In addition to your fa orite distributors, APE is happy to welcome new content distributors > Massi e > France T istribution > Ti o > onne ille > Peter odgers Organi ation > C adio International

And as always, MultiMedia Market attendees get exclusi e access to > A sold-out exhibit hall packed with distributors from all o er the globe > etworking lunches and breaks > Offsite networking e ent at the stunning Charlottenburg Palace > A full day of educational programming featuring atar Airways, Ti o, Press eader and others

Check out the impressi e exhibitor list in full at apex.aero mmm- 17.

And don’t forget to pick your teammates early for the popular MultiMedia ui

Airline Passenger Experience Association

To register for the MultiMedia Market or for further information, contact your APE staff at info apex.aero or isit us at apex.aero mmm- 17.

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Visit us at apex.aero

Why Airlines and CSPs Can’t Miss APEX MultiMedia Market Airlines will be gathered at APEX MultiMedia Market this year, taking place 24–26 April in Berlin. The content selection, future delivery options and opportunity to wrap up a year’s worth of content buying before May has kept airlines coming back for years. MultiMedia Market doesn’t just feature TV distributors – there are movies, games, radio, podcasts, GUIs and so much more!

Why do airlines and CSPs put such a high value on the MultiMedia Market? This is what they told us:

“Every year that we’ve attended, we’ve discovered new and exciting programs. Even if you use a CSP, I would still recommend that airlines attend so they can speak to distributors face to face, create valuable relationships and fully understand what each content supplier can offer. It’s your chance to make a difference to your airline’s IFE lineup. As a long-haul airline with its roots in the entertainment industry, content plays a ital part of the onboard experience. e go all-out to ensure that the mix offers something for e eryone the latest blockbusters, cutting-edge T shows and a lo ingly curated music collection that showcases emerging talent and exclusi e inter iews with iconic bands. IFE is high up on the list of drivers for achieving excellent customer satisfaction. We need to appreciate that today, our customers are used to massive amounts of content on demand, but they’re also a discerning group of indi iduals. o, we take pride in scheduling the best in curated content for them to en oy.” Cathy Walters senior manager of Onboard Media, Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.

“APE MultiMedia Market is a scaled down content-centric ersion of E PO that is valuable as a mid-year refresher for CSP and airline acquisition teams. Compared to E PO, which often does not allow smaller suppliers to get the attention of programmers, MMM is focused almost exclusi ely on content and aims to create an intimate enue in an interesting locale where people can immerse themsel es in the programming. A great number of the smaller companies do not attend E PO due to its sheer si e, so this is the only chance to meet them and see what amazing content they ha e to offer. The social e ents are much more intimate and offer an opportunity to meet many people that you would likely not ha e met at E PO. The recent expansion of MMM to include movies, games and digital platform developers has brought in a whole new group of suppliers and broadened its scope considerably. It is the perfect opportunity to pre iew the year’s slate of ollywood mo ies that were not a ailable during E PO due to release schedules. There’s something for everyone seeking the latest in airline content.” Lissa Laubertie vice-president of Client Services, Spafax MultiMedia Market Committee Member

Find out more at > apex.aero/events

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“Intimacy and its unique focus on IFE content are what make MMM stand out from other events. oday the de nition of content is much broader as it includes arious applications ames user interfaces etc. MMM is usually held in Europe where airlines get to meet their favorite content vendors and also discover new ones they would rarely meet in their local market. The main benefit for airlines is to be exposed to new sources of content with an international flair. e can be ept up to

date on the latest bloc busters but e can also meet smaller distributors from rance taly ermany and other countries that ha e local content to enrich the libraries of lar e lobal airlines. Content is often what differentiates one airline from another. m a true belie er that airlines and their s should continue to search and license content ems as the ealth of their offerin ma es them uni ue. Also, the installation of in-flight Wi-Fi systems will revolutionize the airline

“It’s important that APEX holds a contentfocused event; there’s a huge emphasis on hardware and technology in our industry, but the importance of sourcing quality movie, TV and audio content should not be forgotten. ontent is the lifeblood of all entertainment systems and a ey part of the passen er experience. For me, spending time with distributors and C P staff is really aluable. To learn what’s happening in the content industry gives us the chance to plan ahead more e ciently, to ensure we get the big hits as early as possible and also find those undisco ered gems or sleeper hits that can make all the difference. ould encoura e airline staff to ta e the time to come to the he better you no the content mar et the better your product ill be. nd there s free beer.”

“It is important to attend MMM because it s about more than ust the content but stayin in tune and in touch ith the industry. hin s are chan in at a rapid pace ith both content and technolo y and it s important that e are all a part of that chan e. What I love about MMM is the opportunity to meet and see endors from around the lobe at one time so you can imagine the variety you’re exposed to. In one booth I hear about French content, and in the next, it could be something completely different. It is indo shoppin for content and trust me lo e shoppin It’s the perfect place to explore a world of content and be surprised with unexpected hidden treasures that you wouldn’t have ordinarily discovered.”

Andy Grant manager of Passenger Entertainment and Communications, Emirates

content industry, as it will open the door to myriad possibilities while offering airlines a new way to distribute content to passengers in a similar fashion to how they consume entertainment content at home.” Eric Lauzon manager of Multimedia Entertainment, Air Canada, APEX Board Director MultiMedia Market co-chair, Finance and Awards Committee

“I attend APEX MultiMedia Market (MMM) because it is a one stop shop to see all the TV and some of the major movie distributors. Airlines and CSPs should attend so they can check out the latest content from a variety of distributors and plan their content for the upcoming year. The variety at MMM is good, from foreign film and T to comedy and drama to lifestyle to kids. t s a must attend e ent as all the important distributors ill be there. And it is great to see everybody and great for networking, too!” Daphne Braam-Rodgers VP of Client Services, Global Eagle Entertainment APEX MultiMedia Market Committee Member

Adlee Williams director of Content Acquisitions, Stellar Entertainment

APEX Education Committee Member

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IFSA

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Visit us at apex.aero

IFSA Regional Event

EU Task Force to meet in Hamburg

IF A kicked off 17 with a fantastic egional E ent in an Francisco. ith attendees, this was our most successful e ent yet Our members en oyed isiting with colleagues, meeting new members and en oying donated refreshments. Thank you to our generous sponsors Truitt Family Foods, eal Torino, ustic akery, AMI and id ainer. Please mark your calendar for our next e ent on une in ew ork City.

In April, during the orld Tra el Catering and Onboard er ices Expo, our E Task Force (a di ision of the IF A o ernment Affairs and Education Committee) will meet and continue strategi ing for 17. After a successful meeting in russels in late o ember, this group will continue to increase IF Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence among legislati e and regulatory groups, ad ocate for our members, and ensure there is a forum for addressing E issues.

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What to look for in the months ahead

Coming Attractions 1898, Our Last Men in the Philippines w

Director: Salvador Calvo Cast: Luis Tosar, Javier Gutiérrez, Eduard Fernández, Álvaro Cervantes, Karra Elejalde Barricaded inside a church for over 300 days in the small village of Baler, the last 50 men defending the Spanish Empire’s colony in the Philippines, battle illness, misery and incessant attacks by the country’s native Tagalogs. DISTRIBUTOR: ENCORE INFLIGHT LTD. CONTACT: EDWIN CHEUNG

Battle of Memories w

Director: Leste Chen Cast: Bo Huang, Jinglei Xu, Zishan Yang, Yihong Duan To move past the breakdown of his marriage, renowned novelist Jiang Feng erases the memory of his wife, Zhang Daichen, by undergoing a surgery called “Master of Memory.” But later, when the relationship improves, Jiang’s wife wants him to restore his memories.

Baywatch

Beauty and the Beast w

Director: Seth Gordon Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Priyanka Chopra, elly ohrbach a id asselhoff Devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchannon butts heads with a brash new recruit. Together, they uncover a local criminal plot that threatens the future of the Bay. DISTRIBUTOR: PARAMOUNT PICTURES CONTACT: JOAN FILIPPINI

Director: Bill Condon Cast: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson A live-action retelling of the animated classic, which refashions familiar characters from the tale as old as time for a contemporary audience, staying true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs. DISTRIBUTOR: DISNEY STUDIOS NON-THEATRICAL CONTACT: MARTIN SANSING

DISTRIBUTOR: ENCORE INFLIGHT LTD. CONTACT: EDWIN CHEUNG * EXCLUDING MAINLAND CHINA

DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS CODES

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N: NORTH AMERICA

I: OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA

W: WORLDWIDE

Airline Passenger Experience Association

*EXCLUDING NORTH AMERICA, LATIN AMERICA AND SPAIN

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Because I Love You

The Belko Experiment

Director: Joo Ji-hong Cast: Cha Tae-hyun, Kim You-jung, Seo Hyun-jin, Lim Ju-hwan

Director: Greg McLean Cast: Adria Arjona, Michael Rooker, John C. McGinley, Mikaela Hoover

When songwriter Lee Hyeong acquires the unusual ability to wake up in other people’s bodies, he makes it his mission to help others – including Hyun Kyeong, a stage-frightened singer, and Scully, a high-school student and the only one who knows Hyeong’s true identity.

A group of 83 American expatriates working in a building in o Paulo, ra il, find themsel es trapped in their workplace when a oice comes o er the speaker system, forcing them through a series of murderous moral decisions.

PHOTOS: © COURTESY OF EMPHASIS VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT LTD.; © 2017 ORION RELEASING LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; ©2016 BERLIN SYNDROME HOLDINGS PTY LTD., SCREEN AUSTRALIA; HBO; © 2017 DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.; © 2017 DREAMWORKS ANIMATION, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

DISTRIBUTOR: EMPHASIS VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT LTD. CONTACT: GRACE LAU

DISTRIBUTOR: TERRY STEINER INTERNATIONAL CONTACT: NADJA RUTKOWSKI

Big Little Lies

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley This sub ersi e, darkly comedic drama tells the tale of three mothers of first-graders whose seemingly perfect li es unra el to the point of murder. DISTRIBUTOR: HBO CONTACT: KALLIOPE DIAKOS

Berlin Syndrome

Director: Cate Shortland Cast: Teresa Palmer, Max Riemelt hile acationing in erlin, Australian photo ournalist Clare finds herself instantly attracted to Andi, a charismatic local man, leading to a night of passion – but their romance takes a sinister turn when Clare disco ers Andi has left for work and locked her in his apartment, with no intention of e er letting her go. DISTRIBUTOR: ENCORE INFLIGHT LTD. CONTACT: EDWIN CHEUNG * EXCLUDING BENELUX AND ITS FORMER COLONIES, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, EASTERN EUROPE EXCEPT FORMER YUGOSLAVIA AND RUSSIA, LATIN AMERICA, SOUTH AFRICA, SCANDINAVIA, THAILAND AND THEIR TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS

* EXCLUDING KOREA

IFE

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Born in China

Director: Lu Chuan An epic journey into the wild of China where few people ha e e er entured. Following the stories of three animal families, the film transports audiences to some of the most extreme en ironments on Earth to witness some of the most intimate moments e er captured in a nature film. DISTRIBUTOR: DISNEY STUDIOS NON-THEATRICAL CONTACT: MARTIN SANSING

The Boss Baby

Director: Tom McGrath Cast: Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, Miles Christopher Bakshi The Boss Baby centers on a se en-year-old who wants to win back the lo e of his parents after the arri al of his brother, a bossy baby, who has uncanny ways of hogging the spotlight. In the process, the brothers disco er a secret plot and must unite to sa e their parents and restore order to the world. DISTRIBUTOR: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX CONTACT: JULIAN LEVIN * EXCLUDING CHINA AND KOREA

DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS CODES

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N: NORTH AMERICA

I: OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA

W: WORLDWIDE

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Charming

Cars 3

Director: Brian Fee Cast: Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo, Armie Hammer

Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. DISTRIBUTOR: DISNEY STUDIOS NON-THEATRICAL CONTACT: MARTIN SANSING

Chips

Director: Dax Shepard Cast: Dax Shepard, Michael Peña, Kristen Bell, Rosa Salazar, Adam Brody, Jessica McNamee Jon Baker and Frank “Panch” Poncherello have just joined the California Highway Patrol. The inexperienced rookie and hardened pro must work together, but kick-starting a partnership is easier said than done. With Baker’s bike skills and Panch’s street savvy, it might just work – if they don’t drive each other crazy along the way. DISTRIBUTOR: WARNER BROS. PICTURES CONTACT: JEFF CRAWFORD

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DISTRIBUTOR: JAGUAR DISTRIBUTION CORP. CONTACT: ROSS VENOKUR * EXCLUDING CHINA, HONG KONG AND TAIWAN

The Eavesdropper

Director: Lasse Hallström Cast: Britt Robertson, Dennis Quaid, Josh Gad

Director: Thomas Kruithof Cast: François Cluzet, Denis Podalydès, Sami Bouajila, Alba Rohrwacher

The soulful and surprising story of one devoted dog who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love.

Two years after suffering a burnout, a man struggling financially is looking for work. e gets hired by a mysterious employer to transcribe phone tapped conversations, which propels him into the heart of a large-scale political plot and gets him trapped in the French secret services underworld.

DISTRIBUTOR: NBCUNIVERSAL CONTACT: CYNTHIA KLAR * US, CANADA, BRUNEI, CENTRAL AMERICA, JAPAN, MEXICO, MONGOLIA, PHILIPPINES, RUSSIA, SOUTH AMERICA, TAIWAN, THAILAND, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

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A Dog’s Purpose

In this fairy tale with a twist, Snow White, Cinderella and leeping eauty all find themselves engaged to the same man. Cursed as a child, Prince Charming compulsively proposes to every woman he encounters, until his father gi es him an ultimatum find true lo e before his 21st birthday, or lose all claim to the throne.

DISTRIBUTOR: PENNY BLACK MEDIA CONTACT: CATHIE TROTTA * EXCLUDING FRANCE AND TERRITORIES

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Director: Ross Venokur Cast: Wilmer Valderrama, Demi Lovato, Ashley Tisdale, Avril Lavigne, G.E.M., John Cleese

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Elementary

Director: Hélène Angel Cast: Sara Forestier, Vincent Elbaz, Albert Cousi, Ghillas Bendjoudi Florence is a young, single mother and elementary school teacher who works diligently to push her students, one of whom is her son, to succeed in the classroom. Her life is turned upside down when she shifts her focus to a new student who has been abandoned by his mother, resulting in jealousy from her son.

Fallen

Fist Fight

Director: Scott Hicks Cast: Jeremy Irvine, Joely Richardson, Lola Kirke, Daisy Head, Addison Timlin, ermione or eld

Director: Richie Keen Cast: Ice Cube, Charlie Day, Tracy Morgan, Jillian Bell, Dean Norris, Christina Hendricks

Lucinda Price is drawn to mysterious fellow student David Grigori without quite knowing why. But as she gets to know him better, she realizes he is hiding some dark secrets – some of which involve her! Based on Lauren Kate’s best-selling romantic novel.

Mild-mannered high school teacher Andy Campbell is trying his best amidst senior pranks and a dysfunctional administration. But things get worse when he accidentally crosses his tougher and deeply feared colleague, Ron Strickland, who challenges him to an oldfashioned throwdown after school.

DISTRIBUTOR: PENNY BLACK MEDIA CONTACT: CATHIE TROTTA

DISTRIBUTOR: CINESKY PICTURES CONTACT: MARK HORTON

* EXCLUDING NORTH AMERICA AND FRANCE

* EXCLUDING US AND CANADA

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DISTRIBUTOR: WARNER BROS. CONTACT: JEFF CRAWFORD

Free Fire

Director: Ben Wheatley Cast: Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer, Sam Riley, Sharlto Copley An electrifying action-comedy about an arms deal that goes spectacularly and explosively wrong in quite possibly the most epic shootout e er seen on film. This film is a spectacular parody – and biting critique – of the insanity of gun violence: Everyone’s got a gun, and absolutely no one is in control. DISTRIBUTOR: SONY PICTURES RELEASING CONTACT: RANA MATTHES

Fueled: The Man They Called “Pirate” w

Director: Takashi Yamazaki Cast: Junichi Okada, Haruka Ayase, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Shota Sometani

* EXCLUDING US, CANADA, IRELAND AND UK

Tetsu o unioka owns an oil company in postWWII Japan. With few employees left and the fate of his o erseas o ces unknown, Tetsu o must stand up for his country and his business, e en if it means risking e erything to find a secret route to Iran. DISTRIBUTOR: EMPHASIS VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT LTD. CONTACT: GRACE LAU * EXCLUDING JAPAN

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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF PENNY BLACK MEDIA; © COURTESY OF CINESKY PICTURES; © 2017 WARNER BROS. ENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; © COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES RELEASING; © 2016 “KAIZOKU TO YOBARETA OTOKO” FILM PARTNERS ©NAOKI HYAKUTA KODANSHA

IFE

W ORL D WI D E R I G H T S ( EXC L U D I N G C H I N A )

Cynthia Klar Cynthia.Klar@nbcuni.com

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Gifted

Ghost in the Shell

Director: Rupert Sanders Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbaek, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, Michael Pitt

The Ma or, a special ops, one-of-a-kind humancyborg hybrid, leads an elite task force known as ection . e oted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out anka obotic’s ad ancements in cyber technology.

Frank Adler is a single man raising a child prodigy his spirited young niece Mary in a coastal town in Florida. Frank’s plans for a normal school life for Mary are foiled when the se en-year-old’s mathematical abilities come to the attention of Frank’s formidable mother E elyn, whose plans for her granddaughter threaten to separate Frank and Mary.

DISTRIBUTOR: PARAMOUNT PICTURES CONTACT: JOAN FILIPPINI

DISTRIBUTOR: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX CONTACT: JULIAN LEVIN * EXCLUDING AUSTRALIA, FIJI, ISRAEL, NEW ZEALAND AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA (HOLDBACK)

Going in Style

Gold

irector ach raff Cast: Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, Ann-Margret, Joey King, Matt Dillon

Director: Stephen Gaghan Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Edgar Ramírez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Toby Kebbell

Lifelong buddies Willie, Joe and AI decide to buck retirement and step off the straight-andnarrow for the first time in their li es when their pension fund becomes a corporate casualty. The three friends risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the ery bank that absconded with their money.

Kenny Wells, a prospector desperate for a lucky break, teams up with a geologist and sets off on a ourney to find gold in the uncharted ungle of Indonesia. etting the gold was hard, but keeping it will be e en harder, sparking an ad enture through the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street.

DISTRIBUTOR: WARNER BROS. PICTURES CONTACT: JEFF CRAWFORD

DISTRIBUTOR: PARAMOUNT PICTURES CONTACT: JOAN FILIPPINI

The Great Wall

Director: Zhang Yimou Cast: Matt Damon, Tian Jing, Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe hen a mercenary warrior is imprisoned within The reat all of China, he disco ers the mystery behind one of the greatest wonders of our world. As wa e after wa e of marauding beasts besiege the massi e structure, he must oin an elite army to confront this unimaginable force in humanity’s greatest fight for sur i al. DISTRIBUTOR: NBCUNIVERSAL CONTACT: CYNTHIA KLAR * EXCLUDING CHINA

* EXCLUDING US AND CANADA

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Director: Marc Webb Cast: Chris Evans, Octavia Spencer, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate

NEW HBO LIMITED SERIES

NEW HBO FILMS®

THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS

Contact: Kalliope.Diakos@HBO.com · 212-512-1741

THE WIZARD OF LIES

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 w

Director: James Gunn Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker Set to the sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, the Guardians of the Galaxy team continues on their adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The uardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unra el the mystery of Peter uill’s true parentage. DISTRIBUTOR: DISNEY STUDIOS NON-THEATRICAL CONTACT: MARTIN SANSING

I Can Quit Whenever I Want: Reloaded w

Director: Sydney Sibilia Cast: Edoardo Leo, Valerio Aprea, Pietro Sermonti, Paolo Calabresi, Libero De Rienzo, Valeria Solarino The most highly cultured gang of criminals of all time is back in this epic trilogy. omething unexpected has taken place, and they’re coming back to protect us. DISTRIBUTOR: ENCORE INFLIGHT LTD. CONTACT: EDWIN CHEUNG

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A Kind of Murder

Director: Andy Goddard Cast: Patrick Wilson, Jessica Biel, Eddie Marsan, Haley Bennett A psychological noir thriller set in 1 s ew York. A successful architect is married to a beautiful woman and leads a seemingly perfect life, but falls into a spiral of chaos when forced to play cat-and-mouse with a clever killer and an overambitious detective. DISTRIBUTOR: CINESKY PICTURES CONTACT: MARK HORTON * EXCLUDING CANADA

* EXCLUDING ITALY (INCLUDING VATICAN, MONACO, SAN MARINO, ITALIAN SPEAKING SWITZERLAND AND MALTA), AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND CANADA

Kong: Skull Island

Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman, John C. Reilly, Tian Jing A di erse team of explorers is brought together to venture deep into an uncharted island in the Pacific as beautiful as it is treacherous unaware that they’re crossing into the domain of the mythic ong.

L for Love, L for Lies Too

DISTRIBUTOR: WARNER BROS. CONTACT: JEFF CRAWFORD

Director: Patrick Kong Cast: Stephy Tang, Louis Cheung, Elaine Jin, Nina Paw

Bo has recently lost a promotion and holds little hope of tying the knot with un, her boyfriend of se en years. One night she disco ers un is cheating on her. That same night, o befriends conman Louis, who persuades her to join his entourage. efore long, she’s uggling heartbreak with a newfound interest in fraud. DISTRIBUTOR: EMPHASIS VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT LTD. CONTACT: GRACE LAU * EXCLUDING CHINA

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IFE

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Landfill Harmonic

Directors: Brad Allgood, Graham Townsley, Juliana Penaranda-Loftus Cast: Favio Chavez

Lady Macbeth

Director: William Oldroyd Cast: Florence Pugh, Christopher Fairbank, Cosmo Jarvis, Rebecca Manley

ural England, 1 . atherine is stifled by her loveless marriage to a bitter man twice her age, whose family is cold and unforgiving. When she embarks on a passionate affair with a young worker on her husband’s estate, a force is unleashed inside her, so powerful that she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura is a Paraguayan musical group that plays instruments made entirely out of garbage. When their story goes viral, the group must navigate a strange new world of arenas and sold-out concerts. But when a natural disaster strikes their community, can the orchestra survive? DISTRIBUTOR: TERRY STEINER INTERNATIONAL CONTACT: NADJA RUTKOWSKI

Lego Batman Movie w

Director: Chris McKay ast ill rnett ach ali ana is ichael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes Big changes are brewing in Gotham, and if Lego Batman wants to save the city from the Joker’s hostile takeover, he may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others, and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up. DISTRIBUTOR: WARNER BROS. PICTURES CONTACT: JEFF CRAWFORD

Let’s Go, Jets!

Director: Hayato Kawai Cast: Suzu Hirose, Ayami Nakajo, Yuki Amami Hikari joins Fukui Chuo High School’s cheer dance club for the sole reason of cheering on a boy she knows from junior high. However, the club’s coach is a harsh, no-nonsense taskmaster who declares, “Our aim is to become US champions! No fringes or boyfriends allowed!” Will the club achieve their goal? DISTRIBUTOR: ENCORE INFLIGHT LTD. CONTACT: EDWIN CHEUNG * EXCLUDING JAPAN

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Life

Director: Daniel Espinosa Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, Olga Dihovichnaya The International Space Station is on the cutting edge of one of the most important discoveries in human history the first e idence of life on Mars. As the crew conducts research, their methods have unintended consequences, and the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected. DISTRIBUTOR: SONY PICTURES RELEASING CONTACT: RANA MATTHES

W: WORLDWIDE

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DISTRIBUTOR: JAGUAR DISTRIBUTION CORP. CONTACT: FRANCE CAPOR

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Logan

Director: James Mangold Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Dafne Keen

The Lost City of Z

Director: James Gray Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller

As powerful, dark forces converge on Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), he taps into a rage and honor he thought was lost to help an ailing Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and a mysterious young girl, Laura, who is the only hope for the survival of future mutant generations.

In 1925, famous British soldier and spy Percival Fawcett ventured with his son to explore the Amazon, believing the world’s largest jungle concealed the glittering kingdom of El Dorado – the lost City of Z. The pair never returned, and their disappearance remains an intriguing mystery to this day.

DISTRIBUTOR: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX CONTACT: JULIAN LEVIN

DISTRIBUTOR: CINESKY PICTURES CONTACT: MARK HORTON

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Maudie

Director: Aisling Walsh Cast: Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke Everett, a recluse, hires Maudie, a hunched woman with crippled hands to be his housekeeper. nexpectedly, E erett finds himself falling in love with Maudie who yearns to be independent. The film charts E erett’s efforts to protect himself from being hurt while Maudie rises to fame as a folk painter. DISTRIBUTOR: JAGUAR DISTRIBUTION CORP. CONTACT: FRANCE CAPOR * EXCLUDING CANADA

* EXCLUDING US AND CANADA

Mean Dreams

Director: Nathan Morlando Cast: Bill Paxton, Sophie Nélisse, Josh Wiggins, Colm Feore A tense and electrifying coming-of-age drama about a 15-year-old boy who steals a bag of drug money and runs away with the girl he loves while her violent and corrupt cop father hunts them down, embarking on a journey that will change their lives forever. DISTRIBUTOR: ENTERTAINMENT IN MOTION CONTACT: LYNDA HARRISS

Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer *

Director: Joseph Cedar Cast: Richard Gere, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Josh Charles, Michael Sheen, Lior Ashkenazi, Dan Stevens

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Norman Oppenheimer is a small-time operator who befriends a young politician at a low point in his life. Three years later, when the politician becomes an influential world leader, orman’s life dramatically changes for better and worse. DISTRIBUTOR: SONY PICTURES RELEASING CONTACT: RANA MATTHES * US ONLY

W: WORLDWIDE

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PHOTOS: © 2017 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. MARVEL TM & © 2017 MARVEL; © COURTESY OF CINESKY PICTURES; © 2015 MONGREL MEDIA; © MISTERSMITH; © COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES RELEASING

IFE

QUALITY, INDEPENDENT FEATURE FILMS WWW.PENNYBLACKMEDIA.COM

CTROTTA@PENNYBLACKMEDIA.COM

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Personal Shopper

Director: Olivier Assayas Cast: Kristen Stewart, Lars Eidinger, Sigrid Bouaziz An artful ghost story about a young American woman working in Paris as a personal assistant to a fashion designer, while trying to connect with the spirit of her departed brother in the moldering Parisian house where they grew up. DISTRIBUTOR: CINESKY PICTURES CONTACT: MARK HORTON

Power Rangers

The Promise

The Salesman

Director: Dean Israelite Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Bryan Cranston, Bill Hader, Becky G, Naomi Scott

Director: Terry George Cast: Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Le Bon, Christian Bale, Shohreh Aghdashloo

Director: Asghar Farhadi Cast: Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidoosti, Babak Karimi, Mina Sadati

Five ordinary teenagers must team up to become something extraordinary in order to save the world from being obliterated by an alien threat.

Set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, the film follows a lo e triangle between Michael, a brilliant medical student, Ana, a beautiful and sophisticated artist, and Chris, a renowned American journalist based in Paris.

Emad and Rana are a young couple enjoying their simple lives until they are forced out of their apartment due to construction damage. After they mo e into a flat they rent from one of their fellow stage performers, an incident linked to the previous tenant dramatically changes the couple’s lives.

DISTRIBUTOR: ENTERTAINMENT IN MOTION CONTACT: LYNDA HARRISS

DISTRIBUTOR: PARAMOUNT PICTURES CONTACT: JOAN FILIPPINI

DISTRIBUTOR: PENNY BLACK MEDIA CONTACT: CATHIE TROTTA

* US ONLY

* EXCLUDING US, CANADA, FRANCE AND TERRITORIES, IRAN, TUNISIA, ALGERIA, MOROCCO, BELGIUM, LUXEMBURG AND NETHERLANDS

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* EXCLUDING US, CANADA, FRANCE AND GERMANY

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The Shack

Director: Stuart Hazeldine Cast: Sam Worthington, Octavia Spencer, Tim McGraw Based on the New York Times best-selling no el of the same name, this film takes us on a father’s transformati e ourney that will show him the ultimate truth about lo e, loss and forgiveness. DISTRIBUTOR: ENTERTAINMENT IN MOTION CONTACT: LYNDA HARRISS

Sleepless

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Smurfs: The Lost Village w

Director: Baran bo Odar Cast: Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan, Dermot Mulroney, Gabrielle Union, David Harbour nderco er Las egas police o cer incent owns is caught in a high stakes web of corruption. hen a heist goes wrong, a crew of homicidal gangsters kidnaps owns’ teenage son. e will ha e to rescue his son, e ade an internal affairs in estigation and bring the kidnappers to ustice. DISTRIBUTOR: PARAMOUNT PICTURES CONTACT: JOAN FILIPPINI

Director: Kelly Asbury Cast: Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson, Joe Manganiello, Jack McBrayer, Danny Pudi, Mandy Patinkin A mysterious map sets murfette and her best friends rainy, Clumsy and efty on a thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest to find a mysterious lost illage before the e il wi ard argamel does. This roller-coaster ourney full of action and danger will lead to the disco ery of the biggest secret in murf history DISTRIBUTOR: SONY PICTURES RELEASING CONTACT: RANA MATTHES

Song to Song

Director: Terrence Malick Cast: Ryan Gosling, Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Rooney Mara, Natalie Portman et against the music scene in Austin, Texas, this story of sexual obsession and betrayal follows two intersecting lo e triangles. DISTRIBUTOR: TERRY STEINER INTERNATIONAL CONTACT: NADJA RUTKOWSKI * EXCLUDING US

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IFE

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Style Queens

Director: Tara Pirnia Cast: Kate Middleton, the Kardashians, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lawrence Follow in the footsteps of the world’s most famous fashion icons. These celebrities have made it their goal to look their best and have become role models for the fashion-forward. Take a closer look at how these women evolved their unique styles over the years, changing fashion as we know it.

The Sweet Life

Sword Master

Director: Rob Spera Cast: Chris Messina, Abigail Spencer

Director: Derek Yee Cast: Lin Gengxin, Peter Ho, Jiang Yiyan

An edgy and unconventional dramedy about the love story between Kenny Parker and Lolita Nowicki, each struggling with their own brand of demons, who first meet by chance in Chicago and form a pact to travel cross-country to the Golden Gate Bridge to commit suicide – together.

Tired of bloodshed, the Third Master of the Sword Mansion fakes his own death and rein ents himself as Chi, a simple anitor. Often mistaken for the Third Master, Yan’s only wish is to fight the man himself. hen an meets Chi, he does not realize that the janitor is actually his dream opponent.

DISTRIBUTOR: TERRY STEINER INTERNATIONAL CONTACT: NADJA RUTKOWSKI

DISTRIBUTOR: JAGUAR DISTRIBUTION CORP. CONTACT: FRANCE CAPOR

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DISTRIBUTOR: EMPHASIS VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT LTD. CONTACT: GRACE LAU * EXCLUDING CHINA

Table 19

irector effrey lit Cast: Anna Kendrick, Craig Robinson, June Squibb, Lisa Kudrow, Stephen Merchant, Tony Revolori Ex-maid of honor Eloise – unceremoniously relieved of her duties – attends her oldest friend’s wedding anyway. he finds herself seated in the back of the ballroom with a disparate group of strangers, most of whom should have known to just send regrets. As everyone’s secrets are revealed, Eloise learns a thing or two from the denizens of Table 19. DISTRIBUTOR: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX CONTACT: JULIAN LEVIN

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This Beautiful Fantastic w

Director: Simon Aboud Cast: Jessica Brown Findlay, Andrew Scott, Jeremy Irvine, Tom Wilkinson When a beautifully quirky young woman is forced by her landlord to deal with her neglected garden or face eviction, she meets her nemesis, match and mentor, in the grumpy loveless old man who lives next door and happens to be an amazing horticulturalist.

DISTRIBUTOR: ENTERTAINMENT IN MOTION CONTACT: LYNDA HARRISS

IFE

apex experience

Tommy’s Honour

Director: Jason Connery Cast: Peter Mullan, Jack Lowden, Ophelia Lovibond, Sam Neill Tommy Morris is blessed with a talent for golf. His father, Old Tom, is a golf legend in his own right. Tommy outshines him, drawing flocks of spectators to the sport and becoming its first touring pro. However, Old Tom makes a fatal misjudgment, stripping Tommy of everything he holds dear. DISTRIBUTOR: JAGUAR DISTRIBUTION CORP. CONTACT: FRANCE CAPOR

Unforgettable

Director: Denise Di Novi Cast: Katherine Heigl, Rosario Dawson, eoff tults sabella ai ice imon Kassianides, Whitney Cummings Tessa Connover is barely coping with the end of her marriage when her ex-husband, David, becomes happily engaged to Julia Banks – not only bringing Julia into the home they once shared but also into the life of their daughter, Lilly. DISTRIBUTOR: WARNER BROS. PICTURES CONTACT: JEFF CRAWFORD

A United Kingdom

Director: Amma Asante Cast: David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, Jack Davenport, Tom Felton, Charlotte Hope, Laura Carmichael The inspiring real-life romance of Seretse Khama, King of Bechuanaland (Botswana), and London o ce worker uth illiams, who married in 1 in the face of fierce opposition from their families and the British and South African governments. DISTRIBUTOR: ENTERTAINMENT IN MOTION CONTACT: LYNDA HARRISS

DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS CODES

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The Wave I Ride

Director: Devyn Bisson Cast: Paige Alms Paige Alms grew up on the island of Maui, where the spirit of Aloha was planted in her heart. With fearlessness, perseverance and one of the world’s best big-wa e surf spots in her backyard, Paige has become Maui’s big wa e ambassador, li ing a humble life dedicated to her passion.

Wild Oats

Director: Andy Tennant Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Jessica Lange, Demi Moore, Billy Connolly, Judd Hirsch, Howard Hesseman A retired widow hits the jackpot when she receives a Social Security check mistakenly made out for $900,000 instead of $900. She and her best friend take off for Las egas, only to become media sensations and fugiti es from ustice. DISTRIBUTOR: SONY PICTURES RELEASING CONTACT: RANA MATTHES * EXCLUDING US AND CANADA

ased on the graphic no el Wilson, Woody Harrelson stars as Wilson, a lonely, neurotic and hilariously honest middle-aged misanthrope who reunites with his estranged wife and gets a shot at happiness when he learns he has a teenage daughter he has ne er met. In his uniquely outrageous and slightly twisted way, he sets out to connect with her. DISTRIBUTOR: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX CONTACT: JULIAN LEVIN

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The Zookeeper’s Wife w

Director: Craig Johnson Cast: Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern, Judy Greer, Cheryl Hines, Isabella Amara

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Wilson

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Director: Niki Caro Cast: Jessica Chastain, Daniel Brühl, Iddo Goldberg This film tells the mo ing and incredible true story of Antonina Zabinski and her husband Jan, keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, who sheltered and then smuggled hundreds of ews to freedom during orld ar II. DISTRIBUTOR: CINESKY PICTURES CONTACT: MARK HORTON * EXCLUDING US, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

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Planespotting

apex experience

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#APEXPOTD Want to land your photos in print or in the APEX Daily Experience newsletter? Share your aviation snapshots on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #APEXPOTD for a chance to be featured.

Get your daily dose of planespotter pictures and top PaxEx headlines: > APEX.AERO/NEWSLETTER

@captain_in_sky Inside a Boeing 737 cockpit.

@simoncassonphotographer A pair of Qantas Boeing 737s.

@alec_basanec The classic sundown spot. @airport.coffee Winter looks gorgeous this way.

@julian32101 Passing the Doha skyline seconds after takeoff.

@shizenga1ban Shimmering neon lights.

@astro95media Jumbo lens, superjumbo jet.

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@flightline613 Anyone have a snowbrush?

@matt_czyzewski I spy with my fish eye.

Twitter @theapexassoc Airline Passenger Experience Association

Hotels

apex experience

Room and Board Whether you like to shop, sunbathe or sequester yourself, Los Angeles has what you need. Come for APEX TECH but stay an extra day to relax at one of these three luxury hotels, each offering a different take on the LA lifestyle. The hotels are a 30-minute drive from the airport – unless you get caught in the infamous LA traffic.

Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills

Shore Hotel

Hotel Bel-Air

Los Angeles

LAX, Los Angeles International Airport US Dollars

LAX, Los Angeles International Airport Calling code: +1

PHOTOS: FOUR SEASONS LOS ANGELES AT BEVERLY HILLS; SHORE HOTEL; HOTEL BEL-AIR

Commute time to airport: 30 mins

US Dollars

LAX, Los Angeles International Airport Calling code: +1

Commute time to airport: 30 mins

Calling code: +1

US Dollars Commute time to airport: 30 mins

why you’ll go

why you’ll stay

fun fact

This hotel’s central location is perfect for adventure. Stroll over to Rodeo Drive or Melrose Avenue for shopping – window or otherwise – and take advantage of the hotel’s complimentary luxury car service for stops within a two-mile radius.

Fresh flowers, private balconies or in-house spa treatments? The better question is, Why would you ever leave? With fine Italian dining at your doorstep, hunker down with a cappuccino and enjoy the view of the Hollywood Hills.

Cats and small dogs are welcome here. Not a pet person? Do not fear: Leashes are a must (for cats as well) and the restaurants and spa are pet-free zones. Airline Passenger Experience Association

The name says it all: For a sleek seaside experience, try this LEED Gold-certified option on Ocean Avenue. Take a swim in the hotel’s solar-heated pool, then head to the Santa Monica Pier, home to the world’s first solar-powered Ferris wheel.

Outdoor activities abound in Santa Monica, be it surfing, cycling or swimming. Check out the acrobats on Muscle Beach, and if you’re feeling brave, take a swing at Trapeze School New York’s beachside flying trapeze rig.

Santa Monica marks the end of the iconic Route 66. Grab a selfie next to the “End of the Trail” sign. Don’t worry: We won’t tell anyone where you started from.

Follow in the footsteps of Hollywood icons as you cross the footbridge over Swan Lake. Lounge poolside like a star or take advantage of complimentary transportation to its sister site, the equally historic Beverly Hills Hotel.

Privacy and exclusivity run high to protect the identities of celebrity guests. After dinner at Wolfgang Puck, lose yourself among the lush gardens, take a promenade by the pond and close out the evening with a cocktail by the fire.

Marilyn Monroe shot her last photo spread here six weeks before she died. Lindsay Lohan recreated the famous shoot as an homage to the star in 2008. volume 7, edition 2

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Monika Bessenrodt-Weberpals (left) cofounded Hamburg Aviation WoMen to support young women in aviation.

Path of Resistance Hamburg Aviation WoMen aims to make gender barriers in the aviation industry a thing of the past. by Katie Sehl

Despite her expertise in physics, Monika Bessenrodt-Weberpals has never chosen the path of least resistance. In the 1970s, when she was studying at the University of Düsseldorf, the right for women to attend university, especially in West Germany, was still in question. The prevailing sentiment was that the world of academia was reserved for bearded men of letters, a prejudice that until 1977 had been legally reinforced by Hausfrauenehe, a state sanction that obliged married women to perform housework and obey the will of their husbands. Things have changed, but barriers still hamper women pursuing traditionally maledominated fields, and Bessenrodt-Weberpals 154

volume 7, edition 2

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is still flying against the wind. As vicepresident of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, she sits as the only woman on the school’s executive committee, and is the only female member of Hamburg Aviation’s board. But she’s long been channeling her torque to turn things around. In 2013, she cofounded Hamburg Aviation WoMen, a group to support women in the aerospace industry. “We want to strengthen the appreciation for diversity,” she says, “and give women thrust, just as the airplane needs thrust to counteract gravity and air resistance.” With regular meetings and events, the group creates a platform for members, ranging from pilots to engineers to senior executives at Airbus, to share experiences. “The [group] believes in the power of exchange between women – and men, who are always invited to join – from all disciplines and career levels,” says Julia Grosser, manager, Marketing and Communications for Hamburg Aviation. Since its first meeting in April 2013, WoMen’s participants have nearly doubled,

from 48 to 90. With digitalization in focus this year, four scheduled kurzflüge (short flights) and a rundflug (scenic flight) will connect participants with women working in IT. In March, Women Boosting Aviation – an exhibition that was also showcased last year in partnership with the Hamburg Aviation cluster at Hamburg’s city hall, shopping malls and Hamburg Airport – will be on display again in one of the city’s largest shopping malls. “Mentoring and networking are important thrust forces,” Bessenrodt-Weberpals says. “They can help young women to become more visible, self-confident and better at self-promotion.”

If you are an APEX member who is interested in contributing to the Throwback page, please submit your story ideas to editor@apex.aero. Airline Passenger Experience Association

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