Skift Business Traveler: Streaming Video Comes to Boutique Air Carriers

What to Know Now

Fresh on the heels of Virgin America announcing a partnership with Netflix to provide free streaming onboard, JetBlue just shared that it’s wrapping up the install of its fleet-wide ultrafast Fly-Fi service and getting ready to launch Amazon Prime Streaming.

The matchups are part of the next generation of inflight Wi-Fi coming to the world’s skies — internet fast enough to not only check your email but also connect to a video source of choice and stream content. From where we are today, that’s a pretty big leap.

Will the higher bandwidth be enough to woo legacy travelers away from their favorite airlines? Perhaps. For those that require a high speed connection, VX and JetBlue are bringing forth a solid proposition. But for those who still thrive in the analog world, high speed internet will probably just be an expensive (and welcome) distraction.

Social Quote of the Day

Hey @JetBlue, here’s the very first #FlyFi selfie from an E-190!

– @MHJohnston | Morgan Johnston

Airlines

Singapore Airlines to Resume World’s Longest Flight Between New York and Singapore: Singapore Airlines has announced that it will bring back the world’s longest flights on A350 ultra-long-range aircraft to New York, resuming non-stop flights between Singapore and New York. Read more at Skift

Flying American This Weekend? Be Prepared! This weekend the last major step of the integration will occur, whereby American and US Airways are combining reservations systems. Read more at One Mile at a Time

Finnair Brings Us One Step Closer to the Future of Long-Haul Flight: Finnair has recently taken receipt of its long-anticipated A350 Aircraft, which gives us a glimpse of dominant trends for long-haul flight. CEO, Pekka Vauramo, has declared the A350 “the future of flying,” and we tend to agree. Read more at Skift

U.S. Justice Department Sides With Gulf Carriers in Open Skies Debate: The U.S. Justice Department has raised concern about demands by U.S. airlines that the government limit flights of three Middle Eastern rivals to the United States, three sources familiar with the matter have said. Read more at Skift

Airports

Interview: Helsinki Airport CEO on Right-Sizing for the Future: During the CAPA World Aviation Summit in Helsinki, Skift enjoyed a little time on the side for an insightful conversation with Kari Savolainen, CEO of Finavia, the company that owns and operates Helsinki Airport. Read more at Skift

Denver International Airport CEO Kim Day on Building an Airport for the Future at Skift Forum: Day has led Denver International Airport, the fifth-largest commercial airport in the U.S., since April 2008. She recently updated the airport’s master plan and launched the Hotel and Transit Center Program, which will bring a 519-room at-terminal hotel to the airport in late 2015. Originally trained as an architect, Day’s leadership will lead to the opening of a commuter rail link for the airport with downtown Denver next year. Read more at Skift

Air Traffic Controllers’ Union Says the U.S. Is About to Face a Talent Shortage: U.S. air-traffic staffing is at a 27-year low that threatens to increase flight delays, particularly in the already congested New York region, the union representing controllers said. Read more at Skift

Tech

Business Travel Outlook Downgraded as International Trips Decline: U.S. business travelers are taking more trips this year, though companies are being stricter on authorizing international visits in the wake of global economic concerns and the collapse of oil prices. Read more at Skift

Bluesmart’s Diego Saez-Gil on Building a Travel Company Using Crowd Funding at Skift Forum: Saez-Gil launched Bluesmart, the world’s first self-tracking, connected luggage, via crowdfunding platform Indiegogo and raised a record $2.7 million in the process. Read more at Skift

JetBlue Moves Forward With All-Broadband Fleet and Amazon Prime Streaming: JetBlue has announced that passengers will soon find its high-speed Fly-Fi Wi-Fi connections, offering speeds up to 20 mbps per device, on every flight. Read more at Skift

Hotels

Hyatt Hotels’ Mark Hoplamazian on a New Perspective on the Hospitality Industry at Skift Forum: Hoplamazian’s talk “Reversing Your POV: A New Perspective on the Hospitality Industry,” explored the power of empathy and how that can be applied to the hospitality industry. Read more at Skift

This Hotel Wants to Time Your Shower: At the eco-friendly 1 Hotel Central Park, guests are encouraged to keep their shower to a five-minute maximum. Read more at Conde Nast Traveler

Starwood Hotels Founder Says Airbnb Is ‘Changing the Landscape: Starwood Hotels founder Barry Sternlicht made one of his regular stops on morning financial news shows today and entered into a conversation with the hosts about the sharing economy in general and Airbnb in particular. Read more at Skift

W Hotels Tries to Speak Millennial With Snapchat Filters: Hotels are in their own popularity contest of sorts, with brands looking for ways to position themselves as the most relevant to today’s consumer, be it through a brand refresh, launching lifestyle properties as part of their portfolios, or learning how to speak millennial. Read more at Skift

Your Turn

Skift’s Global Forum on the future of travel is going at full steam THIS WEEK. See how you can stay plugged into the action here.

Tips and Comments

Can be sent to gm[at]skift[dot]com or to @grantkmartin

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