United have invested significantly in their IFEC offering in recent years. From upgrading all aircraft for Starlink-powered WiFi, to partnerships with streaming giants, we got the lowdown from the airline’s Director of Inflight Entertainment, Dominic Green.

Our strategy at United is to elevate the customer experience and drive a premium brand loyal customer base.

Starlink rollout has begun at pace to deliver the seamless connectivity experience passengers increasingly come to expect. Fitting around an aircraft a day with Starlink capability, the plan is to equip more than half the fleet by the end of this year.

This process doesn’t come cheap, but United have not directly monetised the new WiFi service. Instead, internet access is free for all MileagePlus members, and travellers can sign up to the programme on their flight. Green sees value in  adding loyalty customers in this way, but also in providing a more personalised experience on the seatback screens. Some revenue is generated through direct ads and promotions, but it’s more about fostering a more curated dialogue between passenger and technology.

It’s not always about the direct money and the dollars that we get from charging for the service or selling ads. It’s about the overall value that we get from providing this service to our customers, and to power some of the other capabilities that we’re deploying.

Personalisation projects have been underway for several years now at United’s IFE team. Using the data they have on each passenger could go some way in delivering a unique in-seat experience, with every individual on the plane receiving targeted messaging, notifications, and promotions. While success in this area can deliver great results, Green is aware it’s a delicate balance to get right:

Personalisation, as the name suggests, is very different for every individual. We’ve done a great job of driving high engagement and satisfaction with the IFE systems. We don’t want to break that credibility and trust with our customers by getting personalisation wrong.

But getting the basics right and providing a wealth of high-quality inflight content is what ultimately unlocks this top level IFE strategy. United have struck new partnerships with streaming providers, including Spotify and Peacock, to bring popular entertainment onboard. An extension of the Spotify partnership even means customers can log into their own account onboard and access their own music ecosystem. United are looking to expand this capability to other streaming services, allowing customers to continue watching the shows or films they began at home.

One of our key requirements is with TV shows is access to full seasons. We’re not interested in teaser episodes, because that only works for the streaming partner. A customer can watch the first two episodes and is encouraged to go and subscribe, but it’s not necessarily a great experience.

Live TV is also a focus for United: Green oversaw several tests covering key sporting events such as the NFL Super Bowl. A live TV solution is now in deployment, while the airline continues to search for more content partners that can meet high customer expectations.

🎥 Watch the video to get the full interview with Dominic Green.

  • United recently began installing Starlink across the fleet. What drove this strategy and how has the rollout gone so far?
  • How are you looking to get the most out of the Starlink investment? As well as connectivity, is it opening further avenues for monetisation/retail?
  • How can we effectively incorporate personalisation with IFE systems? 
  • How do you choose new partnerships to deliver the best service to customers, and are there any new channels you’d like to add to United IFE in the future? 

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