The big brands haven’t been waiting for the digital era to understand and take advantage of it: the onboard passengers that are bored tend to buy something, to divert themselves!
Inflight promotions: when the digital comes onboard to sell better to the passengers
The inflight promotions therefore find their genesis in the magazines distributed onboard long-haul flights for nearly 90 years: the first one, Air France Revue, was edited in the early 1930s. Always luxurious — coated paper, airy model, well-produced photos — these self-financed magazines (thanks to advertisers), promote destinations by praising the beauty of their landscapes but also some hotels comfort or the interest of local attractions. Moreover, reports are often disguised advertorials, cut with big brands’ ads.
In the last pages, a catalog lists the items sold onboard, with a reduced price since they are duty-free (the sky doesn’t belong to any state) — watches, jewelry, perfume, pens and other luxury gadgets. But this medium has several limits: its page number reduces the advertisers’ one, the advertising area is thus expensive. Furthermore, the shared information are very succinct, when 80%* of the passengers want more details about their destination and the offered services.
Attentive passengers, willing to choose with suitable financial means
However, with the digital, inflight promotions are very effective: the paper is now replaced by the screens — on a 2-hours flight, passengers spend on average 31 minutes* on their screen — or also the passengers’ tablet/smartphone, with 97% of them using it aboard.
The fact that passengers have time to kill, financial means and attention to give is a unique opportunity to seize, because these 3 advantages are rarely gathered. What to promote to answer their needs? Taxi or car rental services, hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, sports, cultural or fun activities at their destination, beauty care, relaxation… These passengers are even more sensitive to these offers since 78%* of them haven’t planned their trip before taking their flight, and 85 to 97%* of their activities are scheduled once they arrive.
Better targeted offers and concrete sales
Inflight promotions offer them the possibility to compare the offers and experiences (reviews) during the flight, in order to calmly refine their trip. Moreover, 84%* of them said they were interested in a digital and interactive travel guide onboard. 86%* of them want to see where to shop souvenirs before arriving at their destination.
Since the digital is intelligent, the inflight promotions can be targeted: family discounts for those whose travel in family, for example, in other words 70%* of last summer’s passengers. Inflight promotions on smartphone offer the possibility to access the advertisers’ websites or digital sales point, thanks to call-to-action buttons, to make the passengers buy. In 2017, the CTR on these digital adverts was 2%*!
