Mobile phones not wanted on planes
Less than 5% of passengers want in-flight mobile and internet access according to a survey by search engine, Fly.com.
The September survey, which questioned 1300 frequent travellers, found that more than 30% of travellers would actually be put off airlines offering these services.
Objections included disturbance from people talking on phones and interruptions from emails and social networking sites while travelling.
Meanwhile, 62% of travellers are still concerned about the safety risks of having mobile phones on board despite assurances from airlines.
This comes as airlines are battling to improve in-flight connectivity.
Gulf Air has just launched its first aircraft with a ‘Sky Hub’ allowing full broadband, mobile phone services and live television, which will be installed across its whole fleet.
Aaron Ritoper, general manager of Fly.com in the UK, owned by Travelzoo said: "These results really highlight the perception UK travellers have that connectivity on flights could be more of an interference than an enhancement.
“We believe this perception will change as services are introduced, given that people already enjoy wireless connectivity when commuting by train.”
The survey results also showed that most British passengers would not pay more than £5 per flight for internet access and less than one per cent would be willing to add more than £10 to the cost of their flight for this service.
By Diane Evans
Diane
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