Survey: Airport Wi-Fi More Important Than Food
The online study gathered results from 1,500 frequent travelers who log more than 20 trips a year on three or more airlines, and it also found that the largest complaint wasn't delayed flights, cramped areas, endless fees or the lack of an AC outlet in coach -- no, it was dead PC batteries. Yes, dead batteries, a problem that can absolutely be solved by simply buying a spare before the trip commences. Approximately 67% of frequent flyers say dead batteries (41.4%) and no available power outlets (26.3%) are the biggest problems. In addition, 90% of frequent flyers surveyed hit the road with either a notebook computer and/or a cell phone with them.
The survey also found that work efficiency drops dramatically while in the air, undoubtedly tied to the general unavailability of Wi-Fi in the skies. Of course, certain airlines are doing their best to change that, but largely, the major legacy carriers have been slow in adopting and implementing the technology. Comically enough, American Airlines purports to be taking this news to heart and helping out, but it's far and away one of the worst airlines to travel on if looking for ample connectivity at the gate and in the sky. Who knows, maybe the tide is turning, but we've still got quite awhile before Internet on the airplane is the rule and not the exception.
|
So good to see that the business travelers have their priorities straight! |
|
I wonder when the airlines will finally get a keen sense of the obvious. Hello? Be a forerunner in personal connectivity and the customer will have a better experience with you. Waiting on a delayed flight isn't as big a deal if you've got a WiFi connection. This is not rocket science people... The airlines need to get with the times. Jet Blue has gotten a clue it seems. Wonder if others will follow and if Jet Blue will continue to innovate. |
|
I can say as an airline pilot, Wifi is such a precious commodity. I think the problem is most airports have signed contracts with companies like Boingo, that charge for wifi access. Which only makes the user even more upset that once they get out their laptop they have to pay for access. But I agree, I look for wifi as the first thing when I have a delay, or sit at any airport. As far as wifi in the planes, one of the biggest hurdles was overcame last year, that is weight. I am not sure what on earth they had in the old systems, but it would weigh several hundred pounds. That not only decreases amount of product (be it people, bags, cargo), but also increases the fuel burn. I heard the new systems now are under 100lbs., but the cost is still really high. It is not as simple as buying a unit and plugging it in. It has to be certified for the airplane, have to have maintenance personal install it. Probably has a power button that all your aircraft, and pilot logs have to have an update to know about. FAA has to sign off on every single step. It is a process that can take a simple $100k device, and make it suddenly cost $500k. _____ The Running Tally http://www.therunningtally.com/ |
|
Having to wait for your flight, pulling out your laptop only to ifnd you have to pay for wifi is pretty annoying. Best experience I had at an airport was one I had free wifi at, and the airport looked like crap. It was being rebuilt and half of it was closed off, but free wifi made my wait go by like nothing. |
stuff on Hot Hardware
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
