Social Media and Marketing

AirTran Airways plans to outfit all of its 138 Boeing jets with seat back advertising.

Published: 20 Nov 2009

AirTran Airways plans to outfit all of its 138 Boeing jets with seat back advertising.

During the next two weeks, each seat will be outfitted with a 2 and 1/2 X 9 inch, easily-changeable, full-colour, advertisement.

This new advertising forum will increase ancillary revenue for the company and joins existing onboard advertising, including: its in-flight magazine, seat pocket advertising, advertising on catering items like napkins and flight attendant announcements.

Mother Nature Network is the first advertising partner, offering a chance to win a seven-night, deluxe cruise onboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas.

According to the airline, unlike other in-cabin advertisements, these messages will be fully visible to passengers throughout the boarding, taxi, takeoff, landing, and deplaning phases, offering companies a unique opportunity to reach consumers for periods ranging from a minimum of approximately 40 minutes to several hours depending on the length of the flight.

The patent-pending, self-enclosed, advertising system is provided by the OnBoard Media Group, an Atlanta-based, aviation media company and is in use by more than 10 airlines worldwide, including Jet Airways in India and Air Arabia in Dubai.

AirTran Airways is the first US airline to install this FAA-approved advertising device.

Ads can be changed in just minutes per plane, enabling frequent changes and new messages.