Airline Misses In-Flight Connection

US Airways has announced that soon it will drop its in-flight entertainment service from most of its domestic flights.  The reason:  Airline representatives say the system weighs about 500 pounds and that adds to the price of fuel.

While I'm all for saving money, I think US Airways is acting like someone who wants to lose weight by chopping off an arm.  When you consider all the weight on a plane, the entertainment system is not that big a deal.  Especially if you consider it a viable revenue source that can off-set the weight issue.  Think about it, an airline has a captive audience.  Why not charge a few bucks for on-demand use of the entertainment system.  People won't pay it, you think.  Maybe not but look at an airport terminal.  People pay a lot of money for overpriced food, water, and coffee.  Would they not do the same for something that would keep them occupied on a plane.  

Of course in today's world, people can watch movies from their laptops and listen to music on their i-Pods.  The in-flight service shouldn't look to compete with  that but rather find a way to give the passengers unique content.  What if the airlines showed videos about the flight's destination cities.  These could be made in collaboration with the city's Chambers of Commerce.  Wouldn't you like to learn more about a city's sights, hidden treasures, and fantastic restaurants before you arrived?

The challenge of high fuel costs should not be seen as a reason to reduce services.  It's an opportunity to find ways to improve the travel experience for both the passengers and the airlines.