I put this link here for the video/article in question as i don't know how to embed a video into this forum:
http://wp.me/p2mH8F-58
But this is for discussion as I'm generally curious to know people's reactions...
Whilst the pretty nifty video (http://wp.me/p2mH8F-58) might appear somewhat self-serving considering its creator is Ink, the world’s largest inflight magazine producer, they do highlight an interesting topic in aviation right now. Is the in-flight magazine dying? Apparently not if this months Aeroflot magazine is to be taken seriously weighing in at a whopping 340 pages. People do read them, but is it just because it’s in front of them rather than it actually appeals to them?
Do you know of an airline magazine that you really think offers something different to the rest of it’s competitors? Which is your favourite and stands out from the crowd? Do you think the in-flight magazine has already died, or will it live forever?
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RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
From what I see they have become a platform for advertising to a captive audience. From that point of view they may stay around for a while.
An IPad on the Wifi (or preloaded) could provide a LOT more entertainment.
I do miss the days (say 1970's) when these mags were fun and informative ..
The crystal ball is cloudy, but I think 10 years from now they will be collectors items (like my kids' Eastern Airlines pins!!)
An IPad on the Wifi (or preloaded) could provide a LOT more entertainment.
I do miss the days (say 1970's) when these mags were fun and informative ..
The crystal ball is cloudy, but I think 10 years from now they will be collectors items (like my kids' Eastern Airlines pins!!)
RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
The magazine has to pay for itself and also the extra fuel associated with its weight. Pounds really do matter when it comes to fuel burn on the scale of an entire fleet. When they don't pay off, magazines disappear. On airplanes with PTVs, the content can be covered via the IFE like some airlines such as Air New Zealand have done.
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- DocLightning
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RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting jonnyclark (Thread starter): People do read them, but is it just because it’s in front of them rather than it actually appeals to them? |
It does not matter "why." It matters that they do. In-flight magazines are a huge source of advertising revenue for airlines and I guarantee you that they will not go away.
| Quoting skymiler (Reply 1): The crystal ball is cloudy, |
sure it's not a snowglobe?
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- jonnyclark
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RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting DocLightning (Reply 3): It does not matter "why." It matters that they do. In-flight magazines are a huge source of advertising revenue for airlines and I guarantee you that they will not go away. |
But advertisers are putting less and less budget into print, and if people are flicking through a magazine surely they aren;t really 'looking at it closely' in which case, advertisers wouldn't see any benefit in their advetising in the long run, as perhaps they won't get any real boost in their revenue for placing the ads. It's a bit like advertising inside a box that no one really ever opens?
It's funny how Virgin Atlantic just don't want an editorial based magazine at all, as that would have the ability to be a pretty cool magazine.
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- deltaflyertoo
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RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting jonnyclark (Reply 4): It's funny how Virgin Atlantic just don't want an editorial based magazine at all, as that would have the ability to be a pretty cool magazine. |
I've always thought the exact same thing. In flight magazine's give a sort of personal touch to the flying experience. Its always fun to read the CEO welcome aboard messages, see a spotlight on an operational aspect, the route maps, etc.
But indeed I agree, I've always thought Virgin indeed would have the best magazine if they did one-complete with a welcome aboard message from Branson himself as well as a visual layout in the back of all the movie and audio offerings. I bet every month they could come up with a dope article on London and some hidden gem the average person may not know about.
RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
Well... I have flown on Virgin Atlantic before. They did put the advertisements on the duty free magazines and inflight entertainment magazines as well though. Probably they want to save money and weight. However, Virgin Australia and other virgin airlines have inflight magazines as well.
RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
I was actually thinking that it's not the inflight magazine that's dying: rather, it's the duty-free catalog that's dying! Some airlines (like AF, KL and BT) have merged their duty-free catalogs and inflight magazines into a single magazine!
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- jonnyclark
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RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting Akiestar (Reply 7): I was actually thinking that it's not the inflight magazine that's dying: rather, it's the duty-free catalog that's dying! Some airlines (like AF, KL and BT) have merged their duty-free catalogs and inflight magazines into a single magazine! |
That is probably more a strategical move to generate more sales from the male audience (surprisingly the bigger purchaser of duty free than women on board i believe) Men read magazines from the back (believed because sport sections are at the back of newspapers, therefore subconciously we think there is more important information at the back of publications as males) this means a man is now more likely to flick through a duty free magazine rather than if it was a stand alone entity.
Also don't forget it saves money, those magazines covers weigh a lot, if you can remove them off a flight, you'll save yourselves a few kilos in weight.
That said, the video at the top of the post is created by an inflight publishers? Why would they be trying to deny print is dying if it wasn't?
So what is currently your favourite magazine?
RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting jonnyclark (Reply 8): So what is currently your favourite magazine? |
enRoute (Air Canada inflight magazines)...it has lots of information about "ask pilot" and aviation stuff such as "how to fly", "What's flight planning?", etc.
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- jonnyclark
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RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
From all inflight mags I have seen Lufthansa's Magazin is the best. Informative articles about destinations, airplanes, passengers and other aviation related stuff, excellent photography and graphics, and only a moderate amount of advertising.
I dont see why these mags should vanish. They fill a role electronic gadgets cant.
I dont see why these mags should vanish. They fill a role electronic gadgets cant.
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- jonnyclark
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RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
I'd certainly agree that the magazines are often chock-full of ads and not much else, but I think that DL's Sky magazine has made some real efforts to become a "real" magazine (for lack of a better term), as opposed to merely a platform for the company itself. It's well put together, and I certainly enjoy reading it.
On a related note:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/its...s-it-delta-inflight-magazin,10699/
On a related note:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/its...s-it-delta-inflight-magazin,10699/
RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
Ironically enough, I was just thinking about this the other day.
With the advent of IFEs/PTVs or what ever acronym you chose to use, I believe they should eliminate the in flight magazine and move the content to the airline's IFE system. Obviously this will not work for those aircraft that do not have any type of IFE system, but it would save on printing costs and the weight of the magazines.
With the advent of IFEs/PTVs or what ever acronym you chose to use, I believe they should eliminate the in flight magazine and move the content to the airline's IFE system. Obviously this will not work for those aircraft that do not have any type of IFE system, but it would save on printing costs and the weight of the magazines.
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- jonnyclark
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RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting EricR (Reply 14): With the advent of IFEs/PTVs or what ever acronym you chose to use, I believe they should eliminate the in flight magazine and move the content to the airline's IFE system. Obviously this will not work for those aircraft that do not have any type of IFE system, but it would save on printing costs and the weight of the magazines. |
That said, i think the weight of the magazine is less than the TV and the hardware required to run them. (and the electricity drain off the engines) Plus... we've all had a dodgy screen from time to time. Then what? Sheer boredom sets in!
RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting jonnyclark (Reply 15): That said, i think the weight of the magazine is less than the TV and the hardware required to run them. (and the electricity drain off the engines) Plus... we've all had a dodgy screen from time to time. Then what? Sheer boredom sets in! |
I am not advocating the installation of TVs for the sake of eliminating the magazine. What I am saying is if the TVs are already installed, why not eliminate the magazine in favor of placing the content on the PTV.
| Quoting jonnyclark (Reply 15): Plus... we've all had a dodgy screen from time to time. Then what? Sheer boredom sets in! |
But can an inflight magazine hold your attention for the entire flight? They are nice to look at, but from my personal experience, there is not enough valuable content within the magazine to hold my attention for the entire flight. I need a book, work, or something else to occupy my time for the duration of the flight.
RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting jonnyclark (Reply 15): Sheer boredom sets in! |
That's what the window is for!
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- jonnyclark
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RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting nwaesc (Reply 17): That's what the window is for! |
for a third of the passengers anyways!
| Quoting EricR (Reply 16): But can an inflight magazine hold your attention for the entire flight? They are nice to look at, but from my personal experience, there is not enough valuable content within the magazine to hold my attention for the entire flight. I need a book, work, or something else to occupy my time for the duration of the flight. |
I agree, but what if the magazine was engaging, could it hold your attention? I doubt that much will push that 25 minute captive audience time that a magazine currently offers.
RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
I personally like the inflight magazine. I collect them. My colleagues bring them back for me when they fly as well. They are different than the regular magazines. They are heavy on the advertising but I don't mind that. Not for everyone maybe but I think they are still going to be around for at least the next decade.
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- DocLightning
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RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting nwaesc (Reply 17): That's what the window is for! |
Ever flown LAX-SYD? 1) You're flying at night 2) Even if you weren't, there is nothing to see except a lot of sky and a lot of water pretty much until you are descending over Sydney.
Watching the collision-avoidance lights blinking is only entertaining for so long...
| Quoting jonnyclark (Reply 15): That said, i think the weight of the magazine is less than the TV and the hardware required to run them. (and the electricity drain off the engines) Plus... we've all had a dodgy screen from time to time. Then what? Sheer boredom sets in! |
I guarantee you that at every airline that has a magazine, it is someone's job to know exactly how much it costs to fly said magazine around and to ensure that the advertising revenue from that magazine more than compensates.
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- jonnyclark
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RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting DocLightning (Reply 20): I guarantee you that at every airline that has a magazine, it is someone's job to know exactly how much it costs to fly said magazine around and to ensure that the advertising revenue from that magazine more than compensates. |
Actually as I used to work for a publishing company for inflight magazines, and it was us that used to forecast the costs for the airline based on a fairly simple formula. The more complex formula was the financial implications of having the magazine, how big it was, how much advertising etc...
...But yes, the product normally falls into the airline marketing, branding and inflight product departments. The reason the Korean Airlines Duty Free Magazine is 300+ pages alone, and the fact they ripped out rows of seats off their A380 was that the Duty Free was such a big ancillary product for the airline, a 300 page HEAVY magazine paid for itself.
RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting jonnyclark (Reply 18): I agree, but what if the magazine was engaging, could it hold your attention? |
Absolutely.
RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting EricR (Reply 14): With the advent of IFEs/PTVs or what ever acronym you chose to use, I believe they should eliminate the in flight magazine and move the content to the airline's IFE system. Obviously this will not work for those aircraft that do not have any type of IFE system, but it would save on printing costs and the weight of the magazines. |
Or perhaps drop the print aspect entirely and switch to an online model. As Wi-Fi becomes increasingly common, airlines that charge for it could provide free, ad-supported browsing of the in-flight magazine website.
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- jonnyclark
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RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting OB1504 (Reply 23): Or perhaps drop the print aspect entirely and switch to an online model. As Wi-Fi becomes increasingly common, airlines that charge for it could provide free, ad-supported browsing of the in-flight magazine website. |
I believe this has already been launched, and I am pretty sure Air Tran did offer it's online magazine website for free a few years back now, with anything beyond the website as a pay for service. Good idea though, i'm sure we will see more and more of it.
RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting OB1504 (Reply 23): Or perhaps drop the print aspect entirely and switch to an online model. As Wi-Fi becomes increasingly common, airlines that charge for it could provide free, ad-supported browsing of the in-flight magazine website. |
This may sound silly & I'm not trying to be offensive. It's only based on personal observation but if I take a look around at the passengers on long haul flights, not everyone can operate the technology. There are a significant number of people who have trouble with the food tray or seat adjustment or IFE & based on that I'm not sure they would be able to use Wi-Fi. Many flyers are first timers or elderly or simply are not exposed to the technology. Even though I am I would prefer a simple magazine to a tablet sometimes as well. Just my opinion.
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- jonnyclark
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RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting pnd100 (Reply 25): Many flyers are first timers or elderly or simply are not exposed to the technology. Even though I am I would prefer a simple magazine to a tablet sometimes as well. Just my opinion. |
Indeed, that, and a lot of aircraft still don't have in-seat power in most economy seats... means you have limited reading time!
RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
| Quoting jonnyclark (Reply 4): It's funny how Virgin Atlantic just don't want an editorial based magazine at all, as that would have the ability to be a pretty cool magazine. |
That is interesting. VS was actually one of the first airlines to introduce PTVs in Y; they must have seen obvious trade-offs in the value proposition magazines provide, hence they did away with them.
| Quoting Akiestar (Reply 7): I was actually thinking that it's not the inflight magazine that's dying: rather, it's the duty-free catalog that's dying! Some airlines (like AF, KL and BT) have merged their duty-free catalogs and inflight magazines into a single magazine! |
Even though the magazines are more heavy, I personally like this idea. It's a good way to consolidate, and likely saves a bit (but perhaps not much) on printing fees.
| Quoting jonnyclark (Reply 10): EnRoute is a nice mag but you like it for a very specific reason. That said it does win a lot of awards so it must be doing something right! |
enRoute is phenomenal, even aside from the airline junkie stuff. The quality of the articles always reflect good writing and refined taste. I'm continually impressed by their content.
Lufthansa Magazin makes up for a few of the areas in which LH is otherwise lacking/falling behind competition.
Delta's is solid. United Hemispheres[/i/] is usually hit or miss, but the Three Perfect Days is a good theme.
I will say one magazine that has plummeted in quality over the years is [i]American Way. The thing is legit the size of a small brochure now. I used to love reading it.
Southwest's Spirit has always been pretty sub-par, but I don't think they're really aiming high in that category.
| Quoting pnd100 (Reply 19): I personally like the inflight magazine. I collect them. My colleagues bring them back for me when they fly as well. They are different than the regular magazines. They are heavy on the advertising but I don't mind that. Not for everyone maybe but I think they are still going to be around for at least the next decade. |
I hope so as well. I have a legit trunk-sized case full of magazines I have collected as far early as 1995. I think there is huge value-added for the magazines because they give the airline a personalized feel.
Just because the markets for e-readers and tablets has grown, doesn't mean that the print industry will disappear entirely. Similarly, I don't believe the in-flight magazine will go away, either.
RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
Lufthansa and Qantas inflight magazines are now in ipad. Qantas have installed the movies and inflight magazines for the ipads on a Boeing 763ER only. Also, you can also bring your own ipads and can install inflight entertainment in them.
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- GolfBravoRomeo
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RE: Is The Inflight Magazine Becoming Extinct?
In the days when air travel was less affordable, less common and more glamourous/prestigious the ad space was much more valuable. After all, the ad was being seen by someone who was actually flying!
You can also see that in the decline in the presence or at least quantity and diversity of free magazines on board.
You can also see that in the decline in the presence or at least quantity and diversity of free magazines on board.
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