HA has announced that all their digEs will have card swipe. This suggests that they turned in all their older digEs and got the enhanced version (and further suggests that HA was one of the airlines doing trials of the enhanced version). So what happened to all those older digEs? I strongly suspect that they went to AlaskaAir, which just announced that they will offer digEs free on their new D-FW/Seattle route. Don`t really need a card swipe if you`re handing them out free - and the take up number should be much larger (75%? Why not, it`s FREE!).

Now look at that Alaska new route announcement. They are in head-to-head competition with American on that route. Both are offering same-priced fares. Assuming that seating/leg room is comparable, as well as convenience, etc., the big differentiating factor will be the digE. Will American notice? It will be interesting to see what happens on this route (if we could ever get such detailed data; but you can bet American will).

And how can AlaskaAir afford to hand them out free? Will, I`d bet that their earlier acquired digEs have more than paid for themselves via rental charges. As with any enterprize, I would think that Alaska has set a budget for IFE. That budget/expense is now no longer an expense, but a revenue generator. Buy more, and budget still allows free use in highly competitive markets (at least until the specific market is clearly dominated). The only way the FREE promotion would continue perminently is if AA matched the move (please do! LOL).

So, all summed up, things are looking really good for EDIG with its single selling product. And I think EDIG and APS/Wencor have fully reconciled any differences and concerns. Any reconciliation not accomplished through negotiation and posturing (AMS) has come about as a natural consequence of increased business. Making money has a way of influencing people to back off (power issues) and just go along for the ride. That is, if they are smart.

So all these things, plus those testimonies from two users/second hand inputs from Steve and some dude named Rick (LOL...still!) suggest a very pleasant surprise come month end (or sooner, or a little later).

All these things, in all three volumes of this SGE novel, I think I KNOW!

SGE