Posted on 07/09/2008 12:29:24 PM PDT by Eepsy
US Airways Group Inc. plans to discontinue in-flight movies on about 10 percent of its flights, due in large part to rising fuel costs.
Airline spokeswoman Valerie Wunder said the current in-flight entertainment systems are being pulled from roughly 196 of its planes. "These systems weigh about 500 pounds, and whether a movie is showing or not, the plane has to bear that weight," Wunder said.
And, she said with changing customer behavior, fewer people are shelling out the $5 to rent the headsets to listen to the movies. "A lot of people bring their own personal devices and their own headsets on airplanes," she said.
A newer, lighter fiber optic in-flight entertainment system will be tested on aircraft beginning Oct. 1, Wunder said, and if fuel costs go down, the movies may be reinstated in the future. "Ideally we wouldn't have removed the systems until we had a newer, lighter one to replace them, but the fuel costs made it necessary to pull them sooner," she said, adding that removing the in- flight entertainment systems could save the airline $10 million a year.
The change will go into effect Nov. 1. Movies will still be shown on transatlantic flights and flights to Hawaii, Wunder said.
Pittsburgh International Airport is no longer a hub for Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways (NYSE: LCC), but the airline still carries the most passengers to and from Pittsburgh.
OH NO! Where will I go to see new releases now?
Is lightening a frickin’ airplane by 500 pounds going to do a damn thing??
That’s like me saying I’m saving energy by lightening myself by not having a pack of gum in my pocket.
Smart move.
They’d do better to install power distribution througout the aircraft for laptops and DVD players.
I disagree. I think they would be better served if they were actually nice to passengers.
Why not cycle driven generators at each seat for your electronic accessories? Flintstones Airway’s
-PJ
First it was the peanuts, then it was the other snacks, followed by meals. Now, movies? Headsets shouldn’t cost $5.00. Heck, they could be comped. In the end, what do you have? A seat. Why not pull out all the seats, and have folks bring their own? Lawn chairs weigh less, so do pillows.
Seats soon to be replaced with strap hangers.............
After you go through the Gestapo to get on the plane you are nickel and dimed to death. I love to travel, but crap like this is getting really old.
Looks like I have seen the airline version of Apes-A-Poppin for the last time.
On longer flights, lightening the airplane by 500 pounds saves 500 pounds of fuel.
Fuel is pushing a dollar a pound.
For domestic flights, this would probably save $500 every day the airplane is in operation.
After you go through the Gestapo to get on the plane
______
It’s good you’ve managed to keep your perspective about this. Going through that metal detector, and putting your stuff through the scanner is really quite the hardship. /s
Bring back the Pony Express.
Jet-A on contract isn't any $6.70 per gallon, at least not yet.
It will allow them to carry 500 pounds more payload (i.e. freight), which will allow them to make more revenue per flight.
Absolutely.
I do a lot of overseas travel and I never have found a movie worth watching. The movies appeal to the lowest intellectual common denominator and taste.
Somehow, air travel has not progressed quite as I expected.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.