Amsterdam: This week at Aviation Festival in London, Arkefly Managing Director Hans van de Velde gave a keynote outlining the success of the TUI Cloud streaming IFE pilot program (using passenger’s own devices) which was fully deployed across the Arkefly fleet in an astonishing 12 weeks.
At the conference he also hinted that the entire TUI family of 140 active aircraft (comprising the fleets of Thomson Airways, TUIfly, Arkefly TUI Nordics and Jetairfly) might also be on a fast track to implement TUI Cloud – supported by the AirFi battery-powered Wi-Fi box – as part of the “One Aviation” carrier consolidation project underway within TUI Group.
“It took us literally two minutes to convince our board last week, Wednesday, that this is a very quick and easy solution,” he told delegates.
In a special Q&A interview designed for press distribution, van de Velde speaks candidly about the rapid deployment schedule, program logistics, early passenger usage data, plans for monetization, impact on crew, improvements in onboard service, Phase Two of the rollout, ongoing trials and how he thinks the AirFi box and TUI Cloud can create a harmonized passenger experience across Arkefly’s mixed fleet.
“We definitely want, within all TUI Group airlines, to harmonize the inflight experience as much as we can,” he reveals. “The rest of the group is watching closely, because at the end of this year we need to have a group-wide strategy in place to harmonize the On-Board Customer Experience.”
About AirFi
AirFi is part of MI Airline. MI Airline brings innovations to the cabin offering the unique platforms “AirFi” and “Connected Crew” designed especially for airlines to effectively and securely bridge the information gap between the company and its remote staff and passengers.
MI Airline is supported by Mainport Innovation Fund, founded by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Schiphol Group, Delft University of Technology and Rabobank. www.airfibox.com
About Arkefly
Arkefly is TUI Nederlands own airline and part of the extensive TUI international fleet. Arkefly’s Dutch fleet includes the Boeing 767-300, the 737-800 and the 787 Dreamliner. Arkefly flies to more than 55 holiday destinations on five continents. www.arke.nl
Question: How was the rollout? Was it hard to implement a fleet-wide IFE program in just three months?
Answer: In early April we decided we wanted to start with the AirFi boxes. We wanted to have them onboard by early July and that was only three months’ time to prepare.
Together with MI Airline and our project team at Arkefly we did a lot of work in order to get it up and running, and it went very well. I think this was due to detailed preparation work that we had done with all key players including, for example, the catering supplier Newrest where the boxes are stored, charged and uploaded.
At this moment the boxes are being stored, charged and uploaded in Amsterdam and we are using them only onboard. The next step might be that we roll out within the airports and our hotel transfer buses as well. We did a successful trial on the buses in mid-August.
Is this pilot with the AirFi boxes a test case for other TUI group airlines?
Answer: We definitely want, within all TUI Group airlines, to harmonize the inflight experience as much as we can.
The rest of the group is watching closely, because at the end of this year we need to have a group-wide strategy in place to harmonize the On-Board Customer Experience.
We are also looking at specification of the 737Max, and for us IFE is a very important element because the first delivery will be in January 2018 and the last delivery will be in 2024. An embedded IFE system that is modern in 2018 could easily be outdated by 2024, so we really need to make the right decision.
The trend towards BYOD (bring your own device) is a driver for all the next steps. We believe that almost all the passengers will bring their own iPads or smartphones with them onboard.
Question: How much time, money and energy is Arkefly saving by going with the portable AirFi boxes over an installed IFE solution?
Answer: I think we saved a lot, especially a lot of time. There is no need for a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) and I think that’s a very big plus. Of course there is some testing done, as we must prove to authorities that certain regulations are being complied with, but MI Airline looked after that very efficiently.
We lost no time on certification and spent no money on it either. When you look at the cost of an embedded IFE system (screens at every seatback), the AirFi box solution is just a fraction of that.
As from November this year, the Airfi box will replace the overhead system on our B737 aircraft. The enthusiastic reactions of customers about TUI Cloud eased the decision to stop IFE on overhead screens on the B737’s, saving us quite some money.
Question: Which functions are now enabled as part of Phase One?
Answer: Onboard each of our aircraft, guests can read the day’s newspapers, current magazines and our own inflight magazine. We have single player and interactive games, destination information, destination videos and feedback surveys. We are in the process of rolling out more non-DRM content.
*DRM = digital rights managed, also referred to as copy protection
Question: How are you notifying passengers that the system is live?
Answer: As it is still a pilot, we have decided to introduce the Airfi system as a soft launch. We first wanted to see how it was working. Now it’s looking great, so we have added an article to our inflight magazine which informs guests about the TUI Cloud. There is also an announcement at the beginning of the flight. We will begin a stronger promotional campaign shortly.
Question: Most of your wide-body aircraft already have embedded (seatback) IFE onboard. How do you feel about the box coexisting with embedded system?
Answer: I definitely think they will complement each other. We can show DRM content on the embedded system (seatback), but the system from MI Airline possesses much more flexibility. We can change or add content ourselves, which decreases interaction with the system supplier. We can do a lot of things quickly in-house that we once relied on third parties for.
From a passenger perspective, most people are now accustomed to second and even third-screen encounters. When I’m at home I often have my MacBook open, my phone on the table and a TV running somewhere in the background. This is also happening onboard. People are watching movies on the seatback, while looking at surveys and exploring destinations on their own device.
Question: TUI intends to monetize this solution by using it to sell destination activities and more. Is that happening yet?
Answer: It’s not ready just yet, but that will be part of Phase Two. We want to integrate everything from TUI into the box, so you’re able to look at the hotel, able to look at excursions and pre-reserve excursions or make other types of bookings.
After that is up and running, we will explore all the other possibilities the system offers, for example, third-party advertising and product sale.
Question: You’ve been using the system to improve food and beverage service. How does that work?
Answer: We have just trialed a new model on select medium and long-haul flights, where passengers can order from their mobile phone or another device. Normally on these flights, we have two café services. During the trials, we still did the first service, but the second one was removed and passengers were asked instead to order using the TUI Cloud systems supported by the AirFi boxes.
The order pops up on the iPads of cabin crew and they can prepare and deliver the order. We have a test team working through all the possibilities, and it isn’t just our corporate guys. The team includes a lot of cabin crew who will think with us. We really want to consider the insights of people working on the aircraft.
We definitely think this will help us sell more food and drinks.
How does this box figure into your eventual connected aircraft strategy?
Answer: We are looking into connectivity as well, but we want to provide the service when we can manage expectations for the passengers and at this moment I don’t believe that we can do that.
Passengers want to have the same experience on a connected aircraft as what they have on the ground and at this moment we are not currently able to deliver that.
