Chock it up to incredibly unfortunate timing.
Boeing placed its 747-8 mini mockup on display at this week's World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA) conference and exhibition in Palm Springs, California only to announce later in the week that the aircraft programme would be delayed again and that the airframer would take a pre-tax charge of "approximately $1 billion" against its third quarter.
Poking a bit of good-natured fun at Boeing this week, one WAEA attendee approached staffers at the Boeing booth and said something very close to the following: "I hear you're raffling the 747-8 mini mockup and that it costs a dollar to participate."
Boeing, which wasn't raffling the mockup, allegedly gave a quizzical look and asked what the nice gentleman was talking about, to which he replied something like: "Isn't there a raffle for the mockup to help pay for the $1 billion write-down?"
Who says the in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) industry - or IFE&C if you prefer - isn't a bunch of cheeky monkeys?
Meanwhile, check out the common area envisioned by Boeing for the 747-8. Comfy couches and a big-screen monitor. Oh-so-fun!
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