US Airways must be trying to get on Rune Tapper’s good side. The airline is redesigning its air sickness bags, adding advertising to the bags you see in the seatback pockets.
US Airways already slaps ads on the tray tables, but admits to worrying that the inflight experience is becoming more and more like riding in a subway car, plastered with ads. They also admit that “the jury isn’t in on advertising on tray tables as a decent way to boost revenue,” so barf bags may not end up being a real cash cow. But the bags are easier to replace than the tray tables, should passengers react negatively.
I’d rather see the ads on the bags than on the plane’s hardware. Remember, onboard advertising could still get worse: Ads could still go on the underside of tray tables, on the overhead bin doors, inside the bins, on the bathroom door, on the cockpit door, on the flight attendant uniforms, on the windowshades, and perhaps even in a laser light show on the ceiling of overnight flights. (Please, don’t.)
In any case, if you see a new ad-laden bag, send it to Rune. He’ll appreciate it, and US Airways is missing from his online collection.
(image: ad-covered Ryanair “dual-purpose” air sickness bag, via sicksack.com)
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July 19th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Most of the ideas you write about, ads on the overhead bin doors, the flight attendant’s uniforms, etc. already exist on Tiger Airways. Everything is brought to you by Visa.
July 19th, 2006 at 7:30 pm
Thanks for the heads-up, Joe.
I knew that some were already in practice with Ryanair and other deep-discount airlines, but I’ve never experienced Tiger Airways.
I just looked up Tiger’s ownership, and I saw this:
“Our founding shareholders are: Singapore Airlines Limited (49%); Indigo Partners LLC, the investment firm founded by Bill Franke, (24%); Irelandia Investments Limited, the private investment arm of Tony Ryan and his family, (16%); and Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd (11%).”
I guess those 16% of Ryanair family ownership overshadow the 49% Singapore Airlines ownership.
But do they feature the laser show?
August 26th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
[...] are truly dangerous then ban everything. Ban SkyMall catalogs. Ban the safety cards. Ban barf bags (with ads, or with art, or anything on them.) Ban “American Way,” “Hemispheres,” and [...]