Air India knows its inflight entertainment offerings lag the industry. They also know that long haul business class loads hover around 50%. So they’re considering giving out laptops to business class passengers.

“In our long haul flights business class can be a money spinner for Air India. Our passenger load factor is only 50 per cent on these flights. We will try to see how to increase that, perhaps offer better quality of services. If our in-flight entertainment is not doing well, then we are thinking of alternatives. Laptops to business class passengers is a possibility,” [the airline’s Chairman] told reporters.

They haven’t decided, apparently, whether to give them out only when the inflight entertainment system isn’t working because on Air India that’s a thing, or if they should make it a standard offering. The airline’s chairman says that while inflight video works well on the airline’s Boeing 787s that’s not so true of older aircraft.

Laptops are an interesting choice, though, as several airlines offer tablets either preloaded with content or with which to stream content off a server on the aircraft.

Air India will take delivery of 3 new Boeing 777s — for which they have short term financing — but they’ll use two of them “for VVIP operations” as opposed to commercial routes. They’re looking to fly to Los Angeles, however. They must deploy these planes because “the airline exists and we have to manage it well.”

Air India Boeing 777-200LR, Copyright: boarding1now / 123RF Stock Photo

This recalls the Checkers burgers commercials that used the slogan, “you gotta eat.” You need food to survive, they offer something which constitutes food, so if you want to satisfy the bare minimum necessary conditions of survival delflying Air India buying Checkers burgers are one way to accomplish that.