Contrary to some reports elsewhere, a recent survey of 1,000 British travellers revealed that 67% would not be prepared to pay for inflight wifi access if it was readily available onboard.

 

These are the findings of the World Travel Market London 2017 Industry Report this month, although three-in-ten (29%) said they would be interested in the service on long-haul flights, with only one in ten happy to pay on short-haul services.

 

CONFLICTING RESEARCH FINDINGS

These UK-focused findings from the World Travel Market London 2017 Industry Report are in sharp contrast with the headline findings from the 2017 Inflight Connectivity Survey, produced by Inmarsat and GfK.

 

This consisted of responses from 9,000 travellers in 18 countries, claiming that 77% of passengers said they would pay for inflight connectivity on short-haul flights – with 89% also declaring a willingness to pay on long-haul flights.

 

This latest survey follows substantial investments made in this new technology by some airlines to their fleets, with a handful also offering business and first class passengers free access as part of the service.

 

Some airlines have also made wifi available to frequent fliers, while others have introduced tiered-pricing options.

 

MEDIUM-TO-LONG-TERM REVENUE STREAM..?

Inflight access in Europe and the UK has been led by some long-haul full service carriers, with Virgin Atlantic recently claiming to be the first airline in Europe to offer wifi on all flights. British Airways is also rolling out wifi on its flights – including short-haul – while Emirates is said to be committed to offering wifi on every plane it operates.

 

According to a recent study by the London School of Economics, inflight connectivity has been identified as ‘a medium-to long-term revenue growth line for airlines’. It even suggests that revenue from charging for broadband access alone could reach as high as $15.9bn by 2035, compared with just $822m in 2018.

 

The LSE says airlines can also expect to earn money through advertising, e-commerce and destination shopping and by charging extra for premium content.