In flight wi-fi for the birds?
More and more airlines are adding Wi-Fi but there’s a drop-off when travelers must pay for the service, according to recent reports.
Alaska Airlines even tested the service for just $1.
“The result: a lot fewer laptops, BlackBerrys and iPhones signed on,” said The Wall Street Journal.
"There’s a very substantial decline in passenger usage the minute you start charging for the service,” said Michael Planey, a consultant specializing in in-flight passenger technologies told the newspaper. He added:
"It really begins to invalidate the model on which this service is being built for the next 10 years."
But the paradox here is that business travelers value in flight Wi-Fi access more highly than meals, free movies or other airline services, according to a study by the Wi-Fi Alliance and the US-based Wakefield Research.
Well over two-thirds in a survey of 480 frequent corporate travelers said they choose an airline based on Wi-Fi availability.
By David Wilkening
David
Have your say Cancel reply
Subscribe/Login to Travel Mole Newsletter
Travel Mole Newsletter is a subscriber only travel trade news publication. If you are receiving this message, simply enter your email address to sign in or register if you are not. In order to display the B2B travel content that meets your business needs, we need to know who are and what are your business needs. ITR is free to our subscribers.































Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025