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Amazon, JetBlue partnership brings Prime Instant Video to skies

Author

Alex Samuely

JetBlue is partnering with Amazon to bring the ecommerce giant's Prime Instant Video service to airplanes this year, enabling fliers who are Prime members to access tens of thousands of television shows and movies via their mobile devices while in-flight and further augmenting the airline sector?s move to mobile-enhanced entertainment systems.

As more airline marketers begin to offer in-flight entertainment that consumers may view on their personal tablets, laptops and mobile devices, Amazon?s partnership with JetBlue suggests that these entertainment systems may be taking a more branded turn. If JetBlue passengers who wish to access the slew of movies and shows are not Prime members, they will be able to rent a title from the Amazon Instant Video store over the broadband Internet connection onboard.

?Amazon?s complete digital video library will be available on JetBlue planes for customers to access and instantly stream to their own devices?that?s a big deal for our mobile offering, and we?re proud of the compatibility we have across mobile,? said Michael Paull, vice president of digital video at Amazon, New York. ?Flyers will be able to watch movies and TV episodes from our library on Android phones and tablets, iPads, iPhones, Fire devices and also laptops, like they would even if they weren?t inflight.

?This showcases another way we are delivering on our customers' desire to access the movies and TV shows they love while on the go.?

Boosting in-flight commerce
With JetBlue?s Fly-Fi broadband Internet technology, consumers will now have unlimited access to Amazon?s full catalog of digital titles, proving that streaming services on airlines are growing in demand. The free Internet service means that travelers will not have to rush to download episodes or movies onto their personal devices prior to takeoff, and can watch their favorite series at any time during the flight.

?Our inflight entertainment experience is moving to a multi-screen approach, where you use multiple connected devices much like you do at home,? said Philip Stewart, manager of corporate communications atJetBlue Airways, Long Island City, NY. ?JetBlue's vision is to provide customers with the inflight entertainment options they want, whether it's streaming movies, reading, learning or watching a TV show.

?But we believe the JetBlue inflight experience stands out from other carriers because we utilize the best technology available at speeds ranging from 12-20 Mpbs to the individual device. By comparison our competitors offer about 6 Mpbs to the entire plane.?

The broadband Internet connection is set to arrive this year to JetBlue?s A321 and A320 aircrafts. The Embraer E190 aircraft will receive the technology in 2016.

Travelers will be able to stream any of Amazon?s Original Series, including the award-winning Transparent, in addition to a plethora of top network series, providing a branded experience to all.

?The combination of 100+ channels of live television, new release movies on seatback and a wealth of on-demand content through Amazon?s library provide a full-suite of complimentary entertainment options for the customer,? Mr. Stewart said.

This also provides an excellent way for Amazon to boost mcommerce and subscriptions to its Prime Instant Video service. If a passenger decides to purchase programs from the service aboard a flight and enjoys it immensely, he or she may be more inclined to use Amazon for streaming in the future.

Streaming on airplanes
JetBlue is the latest airline to offer mobile-enabled streaming services for guests? personal devices. This past January, Alaska Airlines also rolled out an in-flight entertainment system that enabled guests to watch a myriad of pre-selected shows and movies on their mobile devices.

Airlines have discovered that passengers feel more comfortable using their own devices to stream content.

Amazon and JetBlue are taking streaming one step further by also allowing travelers who are Prime members to access the more than one million songs currently available on Prime Music. Any JetBlue passenger will be able to buy and download songs from Amazon?s catalog while in-flight, in addition to eBooks from its Kindle store and apps from the Amazon Appstore.

When purchasing within specific categories, customers may also be eligible to earn True Blue rewards points, playing up the loyalty aspect.

?We are always looking for new ways for our customers to earn True Blue points,? Mr. Stewart said. ?For example, we recently introduced things like family pooling and eliminated point expiration dates.

?Earning points through Amazon purchases is in line with these recent changes to the loyalty program.?

The partnership appears to be the first of its kind, and may have a significant effect on the airline sector, especially as it suggests that branded streaming services such as Netflix may find additional distribution channels on aircrafts.

?We?re always looking for new ways to ensure our Prime members and customers can access entertainment anytime, anywhere, and we see airline travel as an important channel for that,? Amazon?s Mr. Paull said. ?Today?s news marks the first time Amazon has partnered with an airline, and the next great way Prime members and customers can access the complete library of movies and TV episodes that they love from Amazon.

?This is just the beginning.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York