The horrible situation that airlines are in is having quite an impact for many suppliers. For example, American Airlines’ nut supplier has a huge surplus, and is selling them directly to consumers.
Continue reading: Hah: United Airlines Now Mailing Inflight Magazine To Elite Flyers
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That's as bad as companies that mail their quarterly or seasonal catalogs. Straight into the trash.. waste of money.
Fortunately my recycle bin is between my mailbox and my back door so I dont need to make an additional trip.
American Way is still being published and on AA flights, thought it is noticeably thinner
@Jetiquette, amusing ignorance.
They only mail them *because* it makes them money.
As for this United magazine, they know much it will cost, and they know how much advertisers are paying in advance.
what a waste of money.
no one reads it anyways and the only people that do are the losers who get on planes with absolutely nothing with them.
United’s premium class in-flight magazine, Rhapsody, was actually very good, and I would go out of my way to read it. I would have loved to receive it at home. It’s a shame they discontinued it. 70% of Hemispheres is fluff.
I’ll be a dissenting voice, but I think it’s a good idea both the digitally available and the mailing to its elite members. They could change the content to fit the COVID situation with articles that are actually very useful. I’m not a UA loyalist but if I were, I’d give it a read.
I receive regular COVID-related email from my usual hotel in Paris that I use for business trips with reports of what is going on over there. The content includes the hotel business, the restaurants, tourism activities and, of course, COVID updates for Paris. I’m very happy to get these reports every few weeks as I’m going over in September on my first business trip since February.
I actually enjoy inflight magazines and collect them. Got around 600 so far. It will be sad day if they are discontinued. I always fall in love with the route map 🙂
Actually kind of (really, just kind of) looking forward to receiving the first issue. I've always liked the random collection of articles in in-flight magazines in general. And during these days of being grounded, it is kind of a small reminder of times in the air (though not on a UA flight necessarily)
I do like inflight magazines. IFE is not enough. For one thing, I like the maps. Unlike IFE, I can draw on the magazines.
I have, a few times, redrawn country boundaries, drew in imaginary flights, and other stuff on maps. For the drawings of the airlines' aircraft, I have added stuff like a huge radome or AWACS type radar antenna or in flight refueling. For example, making a Delta 757 into a Delta KC-757 or a Delta 737-900ER into a Wedgetail with a huge flat antenna.
I like the crossword puzzles, Suduko, and brain teasers in the mags. Once in a great while, a terminal map comes in handy before landing if making a connection in an airport that I don't frequently connect thru. Most of the ads, like online ads, I have blinders to and don't pay them any attention.
@Jackson: Cool - first thing I do is go to the route map also! And then the airport maps. Especially when I fly a new or different airline. (I know, I am a nerd)
But seriously will miss UA's "Three Days in.............." Actually looked forward to reading that on the first flight of every month.
I agree with everything you said about the wastefulness and lack of cleanliness of seat-back magazines. However, Skymall was such a treat for me. I will miss that.
Actually Qantas has been doing that virtually all year. Unlike the US flight Magazines, it is not a vehicle for a product catalog, it actually has some very interesting and good travel articles and recommendations. Its always had its own instagram @qftravelinsider & of course has now pivoted towards domestic markets rather than international but with the long closure of our borders and the death of both domestic and international tourism, not sure which advertisers will be able to stick with them, if any. In reality, another QF cost cutting measure under the guise of Covid and it will probably never come back in its original form which is a good thing for the environment but I do love the touchy feely of a travel glossy!!
To anyone who has received a copy via USPS, are the crosswords pre-filled, like every magazine on the plane?
I have received a couple of issues of En Route, Air Canada's in flight magazine, during the lock down. I've appreciated the articles and the sense that they are trying to maintain a connection. Sure, part of this is to provide numbers to the Audit Bureau of Circulation to justify their advertising rates, but I've still appreciated the gesture. I don't necessarily love every article, but who does? If you find one article in an in flight magazine that's interesting, informative or amusing, it's worthwhile.
Not sure the publisher and advertisers would like this, but they could add a field somewhere on the united.com profile to opt out of the magazine mailing.
@Sam - not when that would dramatically increase the print run with legacy 1MMers who aren't actively flying as much
For those of us of an indecisive nature, I do hope that the drinks selection gets published on a card placed in the seat back!
Plus I also liked looking at the route map and the page of aircraft information.
I have always read the route map and the airline fleet pages of the magazines even when I bring things to do. Otherwise they’re all pretty much a dud.
Air Canada has been sending out enRoute, its inflight magazine, for a few months now. I'm SuperElite (their top tier status) so I don't know how widespread the distribution has been.
I think they should continue the Hemispheres magazine on United flights, I look forward to reading it when I fly.