Inflight magazine

An inflight magazine (or in-flight magazine) is a free magazine distributed via the seats of an airplane by an airline company.

Overview

Many airline companies produce inflight magazines to provide details about their fleet, as well as articles about destinations or other interesting information.

Inflight publishing is an unusual niche in the magazine world. Airline titles have minimal distribution costs, and readership figures come from existing passenger traffic. Most airlines use external publishers to produce their magazines,^[1] and Ink is currently the world's leading company in this sector.

More than 80% of passengers read the magazines airlines place in front of them, and readers average around 30 minutes a flight with the magazines, according to Arbitron.^[1] Despite the challenges facing the publishing industry, this is a healthy sector, and on a large scale, inflight magazines have suffered less than magazines overall.^[1]

While the quality of inflight magazines varies widely, their upscale, captive readership appeals to advertisers, particularly luxury-goods makers targeting men.^[1]

History and evolution

The first inflight magazine was that of Pan American World Airways, whereas the longest running inflight magazine is KLM's Holland Herald,^[2] first published in January 1966.^[3] The inflight market has grown in recent years,^[4] and there are currently over 150 inflight magazines titles.^[5]

Moreover, since the birth of digital technology, most airlines are distributing their magazines digitally via tablet computer applications, or over the internet.^[6]

Publishers

Among specialized publishers are:

• Maxposure Media Group, which produces Shubh Yatra for Air India, Spice Route for SpiceJet Airlines, Vistara Magazine for Vistara Airline (JV between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines), GoGetter for GoAir India, Trujetter for TruJet Airlines, Fly Smiles for Air Pegasus, Gulf Life for Gulf Air out of Bahrain, Nawras for Air Arabia in Sharjah and Morocco, Saudi Gulf Magazine for Saudigulf Airlines in Saudi Arabia and Salam Air in Oman. It has offices in India, United States, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The sales network spans more than 20 countries. It is the largest custom & inflight magazine publisher in Asia. The company publishes more than 30 inflight and custom magazines in over 20 languages and offers strong Mobile App, Digital and Social Media platforms to its aviation clients.
• Ink is a global media company specialising in content and advertising for the travel sector, headquartered in London. The company works with over 27 airline, rail and hotel partners worldwide (including American Airlines, United, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, easyJet and Norwegian), with offices in London, New York, Miami, São Paulo and Singapore. Ink produces over 27 inflight magazines in 18 languages, and airline mobile apps for their travel partners. Ink offers advertising across magazines, and passenger travel documents (print-at home boarding passes, booking confirmation emails), in airline mobile apps and online properties. Their media channels reach over 783 million passengers every year.
• GroupSixPro, producing KAConfidential | The Exclusive In-flight Magazine of KaiserAir
• ExiGent Magazine is the official and exclusive in-flight magazine of several airlines specialized in business jets throughout Europe and Africa. ExiGent Magazine also is the corporate magazine of one of the largest luxury real estate agencies. The company works actually with 6 airline & real estate agency partners. (including Afrijet Business Service, Dassault Falcon Service, Jet Net Alliance, Helipass, Coldwell Banker France et Monaco and Sparfell and Partners). ExiGent Magazine produces 6 inflight magazines in 2 languages, French and English.
• Spafax, a multinational editorial and content marketing company based in London, Montréal and Toronto with more than 70 clients around the world. Its 13 offices worldwide - London, Toronto, Montréal, Santiago, Lima, Dubai, Frankfurt, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, Miami, New York, California, Singapor - produce magazines and IFE products for clients such as British Airways, Air Canada, LAN, and Malaysia Airlines.
• Stream, producing around 10 inflight magazines, including Flybe and CityJet
• Agency Fish, whose main client is Srilankan Airlines and Garuda Indonesia
• Motivate Publishing, which produces the inflight magazine for, Open Skies, and Emirates' business- and first-class magazine, Portfolio
• Cedar Communications, which produces British Airways High Life, First Life and Business Life
• G+J Corporate Editors, which produces Lufthansa Magazin, Lufthansa Woman's world, Lufthansa exclusive and Holland Herald
• Lagardere France, whose main airline client is Air France
• Subcontinental Media Group, whose main airline clients are Biman Bangladesh Airlines from Bangladesh and Fly Africa Airlines in South Africa. It publishes Bihanga Magazine for Biman and Flyafrica.com Magazine for Fly Africa. It has own offices in Dhaka (Bangladesh), New Delhi, Kolkata in India and Johannesburg in South Africa. SMG has a sales network in over 15 key countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.^[7]
• Bentang Media Nusantara, whose main airline clients are Lion Air, Wings Air and Batik Air

Specialized advertising agencies of inflight magazines

• giO media (inflight specialist for Benelux, Cyprus and Middle East markets), representing, recommending and centralizing all aspects of Inflight media. It is working for over 75% of all the airlines worldwide, such as British Airways, Air France, KLM, United-Continental, Emirates and Virgin Australia^[8]
• IMM International (inflight marketing bureau for France, Switzerland, UK, Italy and China markets), representing, recommending and centralizing all aspects of Inflight media. It works with 150 airlines worldwide (more than 200 magazines)^[9]
• The Media Ant, representing, recommending and centralizing all aspects of a few airlines. It works with 3 of 12 of the airlines in the country, such as IndiGo, Jetwings and Air Costa.^[10]

List of inflight magazines

Similar magazines

Quite similar to inflight magazines, some railroad companies offer a comparable product aboard their long distance trains, e.g. Deutsche Bahn's mobil or Indian Railways' Rail Bandhu] magazine.^[46] This magazine is also distributed via the seats of the passenger cars.

See also

• Aircraft safety card
• Sickness bag

References