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How passengers use inflight connectivity
Inflight connectivity is still at an early stage but clear patterns are beginning to emerge about how it is used
The introduction of inflight connectivity has coincided with smartphones becoming mainstream which in turn has changed how we communicate when we are on the move. And in this sense, communication encompasses the functionality of a smartphone: calls, text messages, email and Internet browsing; a further point is that more and more websites are adapted for mobile use, and portals and apps are being developed to make browsing by phone a simpler process.
Many of us have become dependent on our phones and as ease of use improves further, so mobile devices will dominate our lives even more. Everyone uses their mobile phone differently, but some functionalities are used more than
On the ground most smartphones can use either phone networks or wifi, though typically it is the former when people are neither at home or in the office. And because the most- used applications are not very bandwidth-hungry, phone networks provide the speeds consumers need. It is useful to have wifi access available from time to time, for example to download a big email attachment. But entering credit card details can be cumbersome, meaning it is much easier simply to use GSM with costs coming in our normal monthly phone bill.
others, with calls, texts and emails unsurprisingly heading the list. Checking the news and accessing social media networks are also very popular activities.
That is very much what we are seeing with inflight connectivity: passengers use their mobile devices on a plane in the same way they do at the airport, in a taxi or on the train. And it is largely mobile phone use, though there are of course some passengers who prefer to use laptops for in- flight Internet access. Even then, the first year of Internet OnAir’s operation has shown average bandwidth consumption has been well below 20 MB per user per flight, confirming that in-flight Internet is not used for heavy downloading or streaming music or videos. This is not surprising at all considering that, on long-haul flights most airlines provide very sophisticated In-flight Entertainment Systems, meaning that passengers have free access to almost unlimited choices of video, music and entertainment. One of the mobile device ease-of-use developments is the use of mobile portals. Many airlines already provide them to make booking and check-in a very seamless process, and we are already seeing many travel apps that allow people to plan every aspect of their journey including taxis and car hire, hotel booking, and tourist attraction booking. Similar experiences can be provided through inflight mobile portals. A good example of a travel-focused one is BA Club Mobile, which OnAir developed in conjunction with BA and SITA Lab. Specifically designed for in-flight use it allows passengers to get up-to-date destination information or book to a limousine service, restaurant or other entertainment event. The conclusion: in-flight connectivity is fast becoming a “must have” for airlines around the world. Passengers have responded very well to this innovative offer and usage is increasing very fast with mobile phone based activities such as e-mail, voice and SMS leading the way.
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