Photo courtesy of SITAONAIR
Saudia Airlines has deployed new in-flight connectivity (IFC) technology across 76 aircraft with a unique business model. According to SITAONAIR, supplier of Saudia’s IFC, first and business class passengers will receive free Wi-Fi access by entering their e-ticket code in the access portal.
The Middle Eastern carrier has also taken steps to eliminated the need for passengers to take their credit cards out and enter their information while airborne. Passengers traveling in coach cabins on Wi-Fi equipped Saudia airplanes will be able to purchase their access during the initial booking phase for their flight. SITAONAIR worked in collaboration with the airline and Amadeus on an Application Programming Interface (API) integration project to give passengers better control over their inflight connectivity experience.
Saleh Al Jasser, director general of Saudia Airlines, says the new Wi-Fi equipage and business model implemented alongside SITAONAIR, “has enabled us to reconfigure our Wi-Fi price plans for all our passengers, enabling us to offer the service for a lower cost.”