Song belts it out
Airline's launch of high-tech entertainment system seen as bid to trump rival JetBlue
Laura Douglas of Ipswich watched CNN to catch up on Saddam Hussein's capture; Neil Davis of Brighton watched music videos on BET, and Barbara O'Connor of Winthrop just channel surfed. They all watched from different seats on the same flight from West Palm Beach to Boston yesterday, as Song, Delta Air Lines' low-fare unit, surprised passengers on that route by unveiling its high-tech entertainment system.
Instead of free peanuts, passengers on the flight got free access to 24 channels of satellite television and music and a music trivia game at the touch of a screen.
While it won rave reviews from passengers, the system has greater significance: Airline specialists say the rollout foreshadows a fiercely competitive battle for market share between Song and low-fare rival JetBlue Airways, whose inaugural Boston flight is set for January.
Both carriers deny that their business strategies are affected by competition with the other, but their short-term plans for entertainment offerings tell a different story.
Song has its system on three planes and plans to have all 36 of its jets outfitted with the system by March. JetBlue is expected to announce a deal with a major Hollywood studio next month that will give its passengers digital pay-per-view movies at each seat.
The move will preempt Song's planned launch of the second phase of its system, which will also include pay-per-view movies, more games, and downloadable digital music.
"These guys are absolutely competing with one another, and they're competing with one another like dogs," said Henry Harteveldt, a principal analyst at Forrester Research in San Francisco.
"The good news is that once they're both rolled out, you're going to have a better-quality travel experience from Boston down to Florida than you have from Boston to the West Coast, or from Boston to Europe. How ironic is
that?" JetBlue and Song's battle in Boston has been a long time coming. Both have made routes between northeastern cities and Florida leisure markets like Orlando and West Palm Beach their bread and butter, and both actively compete with troubled legacy carriers like US Airways and American Airlines by keeping operating costs -- and thus fares -- dirt cheap.
Song launched Boston service in June, serving five Florida cities and Las Vegas. JetBlue announced four months later that it would start Boston service in 2004. The routes: three of the same Florida destinations as Song, plus Long Beach, Calif., and Denver.
Yet neither carrier will admit that they are headed toward direct competition on price or amenities here, even as they head for a duel of one-upmanship with their entertainment offerings.
"It isn't that Song and JetBlue are coming into Boston to compete," said Tim Mapes, Song's managing director of marketing. "We're simply making sure that we've got a mix of products that people want.
"We don't really pay attention to what other airlines are doing, we're paying much more attention to what customers want out of a particular market."
Todd Burke, a spokesman for New York-based JetBlue, would not discuss specifics of its coming entertainment upgrade. JetBlue became known as an innovator in the industry for giving away 24 channels of DirecTV service for free at each seat.
Burke said the system was built with expansion in mind and could accommodate any number of interactive services.
"Stay tuned, because in January, we will be making some announcements," he said.
Song plans to upgrade its system in April, installing digital servers that will hold the movies and MP3-format music passengers can dial up by touching their screens. Mapes said several other rounds of upgrades are already being researched, based on what passengers indicate their interests are.
Passengers on yesterday's Palm Beach-to-Boston flight said they were satisfied with what was already onboard.
"I think it was a good innovation, and I wonder why it took them so long to have it," said Richard Malatesta, who accompanied O'Connor on the flight. Malatesta said he flipped channels, catching up on news and sports for the whole three-hour flight.
Douglas said her husband flies Song for Florida business trips regularly, so she knew the system was coming. But she said she was surprised to learn that her flight was one of the first from Boston to get to try it out.
"When they announced it, it was just awesome," she said. "It just makes it seem like the trip is shorter. If there's turbulence, you're distracted."
Kristen Kazanjian of West Palm Beach said she carried a laptop computer, three DVD movies, and a magazine to keep her occupied for the trip to Boston, but put none of them to use after seeing the five-inch screen in the seatback in front of her.
"I didn't even pull them out," she said.
Keith Reed can be reached at reed@globe.com.
