Last I spoke about airlines I discussed the fact that we are seeing such problems is because we consumers are what folks often call “greedy.”
Now I’m sure that we’re gonna get the usual hand-wring about greedy airlines and all sorts of nonsense about corporate profits. But what we DON’T point out is the insatiable greed of the consumer. It’s the consumer that has this never ending desire to find the absolute cheapest fare on the internet. What with Orbitz, Amazon, Expedia and everything, the consumer is driving the airlines to produce the lowest possible basic fare so that they appear near the top in search windows.
Airlines are trying to make a buck in the same way that all companies are trying to make a buck. Your company tries to make a profit. The company you work for tries to make a profit. Heck, even you as a family unit tries to make a profit. You hope that your income is more than your expenses. And one way to do this is to reduce your expenses.
Turns out that airlines are doing just that. Doing that by getting rid of the old and ushering in the new: via Carpe Diem
Singapore-based Scoot Airlines is ripping out aircraft entertainment systems weighing more than two tons to save fuel, and instead offering Apple iPads to passengers, loaded with movies, music, games and television shows. It eventually intends to have users access content via a wireless system onboard planes.
Offering iPads helped the carrier cut 7% off the weight of planes and cope with fuel prices that have jumped about 36% in two years. The budget carrier will offer the iPads free to passengers in its business-class seat and will charge economy passengers $17 per trip to rent the tablets.
By saving money the airline is actually saving the consumer money AND increasing their inflight experience.
