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As we have learned recently, there seems to be a lot of internal dialogue between the US management on what the airline should look like.
American identity crisis
After the merger between American and US Airways, American has adopted the slogan "Going for Great" and is trying to become a high-end airline. But apparently, this has been put aside, both after eliminating this slogan and gradually deteriorating the product offered on domestic flights.
In general, new planes spark enthusiasm – just look at Delta's A220s.
Delta A220 Cabin
Delta A220 Cabin
Meanwhile at American, their 737 MAX aircraft are their worst product on a domestic flight. They want customers to be enthusiastic about new aircraft, even if the older ones offer a better experience than the new ones.
American cabin 737 MAX
American cabin 737 MAX
The American 737 MAX planes (and other "Oasis" planes) have less leg room than previous planes, but American has also made the decision to eliminate personal TVs on these planes.
How Americans got there
In fact, I fully understand the decision-making process that led to that. Most consumers are price sensitive and will not choose an airline depending on whether or not they have a personal television on their domestic flights.
At the same time, the US management does not understand why it has a problem in terms of revenue it generates per seat and per thousand.
It goes to the heart of the problem. The debate on American flight entertainment has little to do with the fact that you personally use in-flight entertainment on narrow body plans. It has to do with the impression that Americans are creating the brand.
Why American Air Fun is Important
@xJonNYC points to a FlyerTalk message per user Jamesinclair that I think perfectly summarizes this situation. I share the message here (with permission), because for me there is no reason to rewrite something that explains the subject so well:
Much of the conversation about IFE tends to revolve around personal use.
Person 1: I do not use IFE, so AA is right to delete it.
Person 2: I'm using IFE, so AA is wrong to delete it.Im Person 2. However, I think IFE also plays a bigger role in the perception of the brand at large.
Imagine yourself registering in a beautiful hotel and the television offered is a 30 inch cathode tube dating back to 1998. This will leave you with a negative impression of the hotel even if you are not planning on lighting it.
Why? This sends the message that the hotel is cheap.
And let's be real. Nobody likes when things feel cheap. Yes, we all like to pay less, but people expect a certain level of luxury.
IFE is the same thing. You board a Delta or Jetblue plane and you feel at the forefront of technology and dare to say it. This leaves a good impression. Again, no matter if you do not use IFE, its existence means that the company is doing things to improve your trip.
On the other hand, a plane without IFE feels old and cheap. No matter if the plane is brand new, it looks more like a greyhound than a jet plane.
We are in a capitalist society that functions essentially on perception. Brands spend billions on marketing to make sure people associate their brand with positive feelings. They do it because it works.
AA management clearly had a hangover the day they taught these business school case studies.
"But look at Spirit" Yes, their business model is cheap. It's very good. You CAN operate a successful business by being as inexpensive as possible. Walmart intentionally uses ugly shelves and soft lighting to make its customers understand that they are inexpensive because they want people to associate the brand with low prices. But Walmart sells sodas at 79 cents, not business class seats at $ 9,000 in Japan. You can not have both.
That's it !!!
It's so good on it. For example, look at Virgin America's old planes. Whenever I sat in first class, I heard passers-by saying, "Wow, this plane is great" or "this plane must be brand new".
Virgin America Cab
In the meantime, not once, have I heard anyone board an Oasis plane (though it's mostly new) and say, "Man, that's nice."
Companies like American spend tens of millions of dollars on marketing, whether it's online advertising or the American Airlines Arena in Miami. Why? They want people to have positive associations with the brand.
At some point, in-flight entertainment is not about watching television, but about an identity crisis. If American Airlines tries to be Spirit Airlines, it is doing very well.
Spirit Airlines Cab
But otherwise…
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