Passenger Perspectives: A conversation with our CEO, Josh Marks
As we head into 2026, the conversation around what passengers actually value has never been more important. Inflight entertainment and connectivity continue to improve, and passenger expectations are becoming more discerning, and less forgiving, when experiences fall short. What once felt like innovation is now a given, and value is increasingly defined by relevance, consistency and how onboard experiences mirror life on the ground.
We sat down with our CEO, Josh Marks, to discuss the thinking behind key decisions we made in 2025 and what will matter most to passengers in 2026 and beyond.
From passenger centric choices, to aligning IFEC strategies, Josh shares a grounded perspective on delivering meaningful passenger value without losing sight of long-term returns.
"Enhancing the passenger experience" is often used as an industry catchphrase. What does it take to actually live it?
Better IFEC passenger experiences require objectivity by both airlines and suppliers, balancing quantitative measurement of customer satisfaction with airlines’ return on investment.
Passengers’ expectations are subjectively simple. They demand at-home frictionless internet connectivity in the air, content libraries that are localized and targeted, and hardware that’s reliable and consistent through journeys.
Since the pandemic, we’ve advanced free, streaming-class connectivity, but neither GEO nor LEO satellite systems yet deliver 100% coverage, 100% of the time. The better inflight internet gets, the more passengers notice when it’s unavailable. Passengers are similarly discerning on IFE content. At home, recommendation engines micro-target titles and series to individual passengers based on their language, location and past histories. On board, seatback hardware still forces a one-size-fits-all library. We’re getting better at targeting within that library, but micro-targeting in flight requires a new paradigm of global content licensing that has yet to develop.
The threads of enhanced experiences are coming together – we’re making rapid progress on Internet connectivity, and content is evolving fast. As airlines prioritize IFEC investments in their budget, objectively measuring progress through rigorous surveys remains critical.
What’s one decision we made in the last year that you believe best reflects thinking from a traveler’s point of view?
In 2025, we partnered with Apple TV to distribute its premium content across our airline clients, reflecting how passengers associate content quality with subscription brands.
In the past, we’ve curated content on a title basis. That’s still relevant for international content licensing where language, edit and theme-based localization remains critical. However, the major platforms continue their shift to episodic content, tailoring that content to their subscribers’ preferences. Passengers trust Apple TV, Paramount+ and Netflix and their recommendation engines.
Last year, we pioneered bringing the Apple TV brand and portfolio onto aircraft to deliver an at-home experience, with 4K and high-definition audio over seatback screens far beyond over-the-top delivery via IFC. It’s been a strong performer for us and for Apple TV, and we’re continuing to build our platform partnerships this year.
Looking forward to 2026 and beyond, what do you think is most important to people when choosing how to travel?
IFEC suppliers tend to overthink their importance in how people choose airlines. Passengers buy tickets based on schedule (fastest itinerary within desired times), value (price versus seat and services) and loyalty programs. IFEC supports the airlnie value proposition – IFC is table stakes, and seatback supports premium positioning – but customers don’t put a lot of thought into IFEC before the flight.
That’s a massive opportunity for our clients to overperform and delight, because streaming-class connectivity and relevant content engage passengers and directly drive customer satisfaction. That translates to loyalty and higher perceived value. IFEC is a means to an end and understanding how IFEC contributes to passenger satisfaction helps us increase ROI for our clients.
How can connectivity and content come together to create meaningful passenger value in 2026? How should airlines align both strategies?
In 2026, passengers expect premium airlines to deliver both streaming-class free Wi-Fi and robust content libraries via high-definition seatback screens. For low-cost carriers, basic connectivity is now a minimum requirement, leveraging content and retail services over IFC to drive customer engagement. High-speed IFC (over GEO and LEO) is now the enabling pipe for new content and ancillary services – all driving loyalty program engagement and monetization.
However, as airlines invest in free Wi-Fi it’s critical to target IFE investments in order to work within budgets. Data-driven, objective measurement of passenger engagement is essential. We’re working with our top-tier clients to differentiate content libraries, measure passenger responses, and drive monetization and affinity program sign-ups over both seatback and wireless IFE systems. We’re also working with studios and subscription platforms to showcase content via seatback and drive sign-ups over free Wi-Fi connectivity.
Combining high-speed connectivity and engaging seatback content drives new ancillary revenue opportunities as much as NPS improvements.