American Airlines is revamping the design of its in-flight magazine American Way and is entering into the digital age by enabling fans to read exclusive content on their mobile devices via the first-ever mobile application for the publication.

Travelers can now read the award-winning content within the app or on the redesigned Web site, americanway.com, both of which encourage readers to share specific content via Twitter, Facebook, email and other communication channels. The physical magazine, which appears on all American Airlines and US Airways flights, will also be revamped following the airline?s partnership with travel media company Ink.

?Providing more avenues for consuming American Way content is important, especially as consumers have come to expect that information available in print, is also accessible on their smartphones and tablets,? said Puneet Mehta, CEO of MobileROI, New York.

?This also significantly expands the opportunity for American Airlines to engage with its travelers across the entire customer journey, pre- and post-flight ? not simply during the few hours in the air when they may flip through the magazine. Now, if a consumer has enjoyed the content and found value in it, they can download the app to access articles in between their trips, opening the door for American Airlines to more regular interaction with travelers.?

Expanding reach
The airline believes that the move will expand the magazine?s reach, as consumers will now be able to read the in-flight content on their mobile device whether they are en route to a destination or on the ground. American Way already has an annual reach of 193 million people, but the mobile angle will likely yield even higher numbers.

?Sharing is a huge part of content engagement, particularly if it is of American Airlines content that is not available elsewhere,? said Lauren Moores, vice president of analytics at Dstillery, New York.

The new Web site and mobile app offer the same features as the physical copy of the publication, which include puzzles and quizzes, Sudoku, recommended destinations and a featured celebrity for each issue. The January magazine, the first issue of the expansion, features a double cover with rock star Dave Grohl and his band, Foo Fighters.

The airline aims to offer a mix of entertaining and informative content, such as new section POV, which highlights the magazine?s editors? and writers? opinions of various lifestyle, cultural and travel trends. Another section titled Maps & Legends provides a writer?s unique take on a travel-related subject.

?Airlines can eradicate physical magazines once travelers no longer have downtime between takeoff and the ability to use any screen,? Ms. Moores said. ?And it will be a great opportunity for the airlines to sell premium advertising and enter the programmatic space if they want.

?For now though, travelers still need to be provided with something they can pick-up and engage with when they cannot access a device.?

American Airlines is updating two other publications in addition to American Way: Nexos, a bimonthly publication written for Portuguese and Spanish readers, and Celebrated Living, the airline industry?s premiere magazine for premium cabin customers.

Leveraging personalization
The American Way magazine should also offer its fans a customization component in digital platforms to ensure that readership is retained and that the app is of relevant use to travelers.

?To find true success, the app needs to leverage data-driven personalization to surface content that would be of most interest to an individual person, based on where they have traveled to, destinations they have browsed and other American Way articles they have read and shared,? MobileROI?s Mr. Mehta said.

?For publishers, mobile is not just about disseminating content, but needs to be about personalizing the reading experience for each person, providing the most relevant articles to them, say pushing an article on the must-visit attractions in Honolulu when a person has booked a flight or is on the island.?

More airlines have been looking to mobile to connect more fully with their customers, as it has become a preferred method of communication for many travelers. Alaska Airlines and United Airlines have both revealed plans to offer consumers a personal inflight entertainment system with movies and films that can be streamed on personal mobile devices (see story).

?By bringing its content cross-platform, American Airlines is taking the proper steps to expand engagement with its publication and create more consistent interaction with consumers across the entire traveler journey,? Mr. Mehta said. ?What would be even more powerful, is if the American Way content was included in the carrier?s primary mobile apps ? creating a single mobile destination for travelers to book and track flights, find information, manage loyalty status and read content.

?Especially as the app is not going to be updated daily (not to mention in real-time) as the most successful publishing apps are today, getting people to come back to the app could prove difficult.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York