Episode 008: Google Glass and Virgin Class - a podcast by Runway Girl Network

Welcome to episode 008 of the #PaxEx Podcast. On this week's show we look at how Virgin Atlantic is now getting “up close and personal” with passengers, by having concierges at its Upper Class lounge at Heathrow wear Google Glass. Is this a gimmick or is Virgin Atlantic really onto something here? Has 'Big Brother' officially arrived, and aren't we 'opting in' with voracious social media use?

Our guest, Gavin, recently wrote an OpEd for the #PaxEx Forum on Runway Girl Network that references another Virgin brand, Virgin America. Gavin did some data mining, and has drawn the conclusion that Virgin America faces some very serious challenges ahead. We discuss the vast amount of premium capacity being thrown at the transcon market, and whether US majors and JetBlue will - like a pride of lions attacking a Gazelle - go for the kill. We also talk about how connectivity has become a very important competitive factor, and why it's essential for Gogo's ground to orbit (GTO) system to be flying on Virgin America soon.

Finally, we discuss two important actions involving personal electronic devices (PEDs) on board aircraft in the US. The FAA has issued a final rule disallowing pilots from using PEDs for personal use in all operations, and the House Transportation Committee has passed legislation that seeks to ban the inflight use of cell phones for voice calls. And we highlight the fact that pilots are using inflight WI-Fi for their own personal use, despite prohibitions.

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