Methods and systems for communicating messages to passengers on a transportation vehicle

A method for communicating with a passenger on an aircraft, the method comprising:

• generating an encrypted message by an airline computing device for an aircraft passenger, based on an aircraft identifier identifying the aircraft and a passenger seat identifier identifying a passenger seat;
• providing the encrypted message to a ground server;
• identifying the aircraft by the ground server and transmitting the encrypted message to an onboard computing device;
• decrypting the encrypted message by the onboard computing device;
• validating the passenger seat identifier based on an authorized login by the passenger to an inflight entertainment system and pairing of a passenger electronic device with the inflight entertainment system;
• and
• after validation, presenting the decrypted message to a device accessible to the passenger by the inflight entertainment system.

A system for communicating a message to a passenger on a vehicle, the system comprising:

• an entertainment system carried with the vehicle, the entertainment system including an onboard management system, in which the onboard management system includes a ground communication interface, and a communication module;
• a plurality of passenger seats including a seat device for use by a passenger, in which each seat device has a different identifier, the seat device including a display and a seat communication interface in communication with the onboard management system;
• a ground server including a communication module in communication with the onboard management system via the ground communication interface of the onboard management system, the ground server including logic which when a message is communicated thereto having an identifier, identifies the vehicle and transmits the message to the onboard management system of the vehicle;
• wherein the onboard management system after receiving the message, validates the identifier based on an authorized login by the passenger to an inflight entertainment system and pairing of a passenger electronic device with the inflight entertainment system;
• and
• after validation, displays the message on the seat device having that identifier.