Here is a little tidbit that may have gone unnoticed by you IFE followers out there. Last year, passengers for the first time had a say in the Avion awards for IFE Excellence. This effort attracted some 36,000 entries and the program has been rekindled this year. Starting now, airlines will be able to participate in the rating survey program by registering their airline in the program and beginning in May (thru June), airline passengers will be able to vote online for their favorites. The website link below has the URL's for registering but time is fleeting. Got it?

Here is a snippet from the WAEA release: "The World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA) is issuing a call for participation in the 20th Annual Avion Awards competition which honors excellence in inflight entertainment (IFE). Airlines from around the world are invited to participate in the inflight entertainment industry’s principal competition recognizing the leaders in IFE. Passenger online voting for airline IFE preferences will occur May through June 2008 and the award winners will be announced at the WAEA Annual Conference & Exhibition in Long Beach 8-11 September 2008.

Airlines will be judged in one of four regional categories: the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Australasia. Awards for Best Overall in both the small airline category, representing airlines with up to 25 IFE equipped aircraft, and the large airline category, representing airlines with more than 25 IFE equipped aircraft will be recognized as well. Two additional awards honoring Best Single Achievement in IFE and Best Achievement in Technology, will be judged by a panel of industry experts.

Last year, more than 30 airlines competed Avion awards and more than 36,000 passengers worldwide rated airline performance in IFE and selected their favorites. Passengers expressed their opinions using an online survey administered in various languages by Skytrax. The survey will evaluate all inflight entertainment including print. There is no charge to enter the competition and the deadline to register is 18 April. Once registered, airlines are encouraged to promote their participation to passengers using inflight guides, magazines, passenger lounges, or announcements onboard directing them to cast their votes online. Skytrax will collect and assess passenger feedback over a two-month period and finalists will be selected.

Airlines may now register online to participate in the Awards at http://www.waea.org/events/avion/200...