A passenger experience survey on the subject of in-flight connectivity has been published which collected the views of over 11,000 people worldwide who have travelled by air over the last 12 months.
The report was commissioned by satellite provider Viasat. Perhaps unsurprisingly it revealed that three quarters of passengers (75%) would be more likely to select or rebook with an airline if quality inflight Wi-Fi was provided, while one in five (22%) wouldn’t even consider flying a long haul route that didn’t offer connectivity.
Again, it will come as little surprise that passengers want connectivity for free or at a low cost (36%). In fact, the desire for free in-flight Wi-Fi is so great that the majority of passengers (87%) are prepared to watch adverts in order to gain access to this service, with almost half (47%) actively happy to do so, believing it a fair exchange for the service it enables.
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The vast majority of passengers also want to be able to use multiple devices to access different digital and entertainment services at any one time to further personalize their in-flight experience. For flights where seatback entertainment is provided, an overwhelming 94% of respondents still want to be able to use their personal devices, highlighting the growing trend of ‘dual screening’ when travelling. Almost half want to use their own devices to browse the web (46%) and social media (46%), while 29% want to use them for online shopping or to access work applications respectively.
Passenger dreams don’t stop at personalized entertainment services, with almost all respondents (92%) already curious about the exciting innovations that may be possible on planes in the future. Over half (55%) are keen to see enhanced entertainment and sensory in-flight experiences – including panoramic, floor-to-ceiling windows; mixed reality windows displaying digital information about passing landmarks; and VR entertainment systems on immersive, wrap-around seatback screens, while 51% want services that improve their comfort and wellness on flights, including access to biomimetic seating that adapts to their bodies; health and wellness sensors, and in-flight spa and gym areas.
“This report is a glimpse into the future of connected air travel, where low cost, high quality connectivity is increasingly non-negotiable,” said Don Buchman, Vice President & General Manager, Commercial Aviation at Viasat. “Flying in the near-future will be characterized by unprecedented levels of personalization and choice within a more technologically advanced environment – all of which can only be enabled by highly robust, reliable connectivity.
“The airlines that are the first and fastest to embrace this direction of travel are likely to enjoy considerable commercial advantage and customer loyalty as a result. By harnessing the power of high-speed, reliable connectivity, we can unlock a new era of passenger experience with our airline partners – those that ignore this, risk getting left behind.”
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