Hi again ACW - interesting debate and just what forums are for.
I have to say I can only see Radarbox from the perspective of a paid up customer living in England who bought the box in the belief/hope that it would meet his personal requirements.
My interest centres on the activities at my local airport(s) and to this end I type in my local airport, click on "Airport" and hopefully I see some aircraft comings and goings on screen.
At least that's how it used to be but now, because of the lack of route details, I see very few comings and goings. In fact I see precious little and could be forgiven for thinking the airport had shut down.
I am not saying "ignore users seeing large airlines in China, Australia because I want mine only". I am not in fact saying anything about users elsewhere. Why? Because I AM NOT REMOTELY INTERESTED in users elsewhere. I don't care if there are boxes sited in the Outer Hebrides, Outer Mongolia or Outer Space but I do care, and care very much, that the box located in my home can't provide me with vital details of aircraft located 15 bloomin' miles away.
I bought my box from a little shop down the road on the understanding that it would provide coverage and data of the aircraft flying in MY area via signals received by MY aerial in MY house.
This is what you perceive as "a very selfish and self centric demand". Good Grief!!! What planet are you on? Why else would I, or anyone else, part with £400 plus another £120 for an aerial if it wasn't to see my local flights? Surely that's the basis on which the box was sold - or have I totally misinterpreted matters and Airnav is in fact a charity and I should be worrying about the folk in China!!!!
Maybe happiness is being a paid-up member of an international group of aviation enthusiasts? Perhaps we should be ecstatic about the fact that Airnav has users in Timbuctoo? All fine & dandy but it will cut no ice with people when their boxes don't deliver.
Now back, as you said, to the original topic. In the unfortunate event of some airlines being naughty and changing things, that is a problem for the manufacturer of the equipment. It may be unexpected and it may be tough but it's their problem and it's got to be solved.
Consideration will have to be given to this occurrence happening again, perhaps more frequently so any solution will need to be long term. Any solution also needs to be simple because many users are not particularly computer "literate" and no indication was given at time of purchase that they needed to be so. If the problems can't be fixed, then us "selfish" users with our purely National interests will go elsewhere - and Airnav will find that their large international number was in fact no more than many local numbers added together.
Not an easy problem, but after 50 years running various enterprises with a modicum of success, I know what happens if you don't anticipate and, worse, can't respond quickly to things going pearshaped.
Ask BP.
