Gogo’s most recent Global Traveller Study has found that more than 75% of travellers say that having in-flight internet makes them feel less anxious as they can stay in contact with friends and family on the ground.
The study also found that 65% say if makes them feel less anxious because they can stay connected to work.
“Today, we see a shift as in-flight internet moves from being a luxury to an expectation for travellers around the world,” said Alyssa Hayes, director of insights at Gogo. “The importance of internet in the booking process has been increasing as now one-third of passengers are looking for in-flight internet when they book their flights. The desire for people to stay connected and in contact with the ground is prevalent; passengers look to not just browse the internet but also engage with social media, read the news and check their email.”
The report found that in terms of devices brought onto the plane, 90% of passengers bring a mobile device, 59% bring a laptop and 48% bring a tablet. However, laptops tend to stay in bags as 62% of passengers use their mobile device in-flight, 35% use a tablet and 34% use their laptop.
The majority of passengers still say they want internet access for general browsing (75%), followed by social media (63%), checking emails (60%) and reading the news (60%). When it comes to streaming, 44% of passengers want to stream movies and TV shows in-flight. Youtube, Netflix and Spotify are the top desired sources for streaming content.
The study also found that 47% of air travellers prefer seatback screens in-flight, compared to 33% who prefer their own personal devices.
Those who prefer seatback screens say they like the ease of use and more than half say they like that they don’t need to worry about charging their device, while of those who prefer personal devices, 65% cited privacy as the primary reason.
The study also fond that multitasking in-flight is the expectation, with people comfortable watching a film on the seatback while texting on their smartphone.
Gogo’s Global Traveller Research Study has been significantly expanded for 2018 and now includes data gathered from more than 9,000 air travellers in 18 countries.
