Will you pay for Wi-Fi on airplanes?

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Sullivan on September 1, 2009 at 9:02am

I remember the in-flight phones in the back of seats- some of them had jacks you could plug a computer into for dial-up connections. Conversations were hard because planes are loud, and the Internet connections were really, really slow and expensive. I only ever sent one email from a plane, and only ever got one that I knew was from someone in transit. And working on a plane is uncomfortable at best, and insecure at worst if the stuff you're working on is sensitive (even if you're using a Blackberry- and you'll want to check out SMobile or AtomicHelix for that even if you aren't in the air). Planes are still loud, and there's no conversation I really want to share with the person in the seat next to me (some airlines are looking at cellphone use, too). I haven't heard whether the Wi-Fi will be secure, but it's a whole lot faster at check-in not to give everyone a username and password. So, no, I don't think I'll use it, even on a really long flight. Nothing I've got to do is so important it can't wait until I get off the plane.

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Permalink Reply by Curt Alexander on September 1, 2009 at 9:21am

It's unlikely I would. I admit I pay too much attention to my e-mail account, but I also realize very few of my messages - to or from - are urgent. If I were flying 10 or 12 hours, I might, but not during a two or three hour flight.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Williams on September 1, 2009 at 10:04am

Most flights I take are just 2-3 hours long max. The only domestic flights I could see myself paying for wi-fi are when traveling to the west coast or somewhere like Vegas when the flight is 4+ hours. If offered on international flights, yes I would be willing to pay.

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Permalink Reply by Tricia Meyer on September 1, 2009 at 8:18pm

I get motion sick when I fly. So even though I would love to use the time to get work done, it wouldn't be worth it for me to sit and try to look at the screen. If one of my employees wanted to work on the plane, though, I would pay for it for them.

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Permalink Reply by Andrea Emerson on September 2, 2009 at 12:24am

I recently flew to Ft Myers and debated on whether to pay for in-flight Wi-Fi for about 2 seconds before deciding it wasn't worth it. The flight wasn't long enough and I told myself I don't need to be that connected to the world anyway.

These days I'm more intentional about disconnecting and limiting my media intake as a big chunk of my life is spent online.

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Permalink Reply by Dave Gibbs on September 2, 2009 at 8:19am

I don't think so. If I read on a flight, it is a book.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Seidle on September 2, 2009 at 1:20pm

Um... here's the deal:

If I'm flying Business Class, yes.
Coach, no. There's no room to open the laptop.

There's more people in coach.

#fail to airlines for not thinking this thing out.

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Permalink Reply by Andrea Emerson on September 2, 2009 at 2:25pm

On the other hand, there's the issue of perceived value... Before deciding against paying for in-flight Wi-Fi access, I pointed out the option to my husband: "Hey, check that out: Wi-Fi access. Cool." So this may still amount to smart marketing if it gives customers the impression of added options/benefits, even if few people actually use it.

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Permalink Reply by Judie Allen on September 2, 2009 at 5:15pm

The last thing we need in this world is one more environment bombarding us with electromagnetic radiation. With the close environment of an airplane, it wouldn't matter if you or your neighbor were connected. The electropollution would affect everyone, and some people have a strong sensitivity to EMR. WIFI availability will make me think twice about flying.
Because many European countries have issued warnings about the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation from cell phones and wireless technology, WIFI is being pulled from public places and electromagnetic sensitivity is a recognized illness. The U.S. is trailing far behind, but a second Congressional Hearing is scheduled for this September. This problem is a well-kept secret here.

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Permalink Reply by Chuck Lasker on September 2, 2009 at 6:07pm

I spent 10 years as the VP of Operations of a national health products company that sold products specifically to help with electromagnetic sensitivity. We gave training seminars on how to reduce EMR exposure, and did quite a bit of research on the effects of EMR (my degree in electrical engineering helped). So I understand your concern, especially for those who are highly EMR sensitive.

However, an airplane is effectively a giant electromagnetic coil, with miles of wire wrapping around the fuselage. There were very few locations worse than a commercial jet that we found for EMR. Anyone with EMR sensitivity already has a very hard time on an airplane, and many don't fly or leave a day to recover after a flight. Adding a wi-fi signal at the small level necessary to reach every seat would be like adding a drop of water to a gallon jug, or like adding a baby crying to a rock concert. I doubt even the most sensitive person would notice the difference between a wi-fi and non-wi-fi flight.

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Permalink Reply by Chuck Lasker on September 2, 2009 at 5:50pm

A recent survey shows a very high interest in in-flight wi-fi.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9137312/Business_travelers_w...

If I'm flying to Atlanta, I wouldn't pay $13. But, if I'm flying to San Diego, or Hawaii, both of which I do at least once a year, then I would gladly pay at least that. In fact, on the California to Hawaii leg, I'd probably pay $20 each way. If I knew this was going to be available, I'd have even more reason to buy the netbook I've been wanting, which would be plenty small enough to use even in coach.

I could also see InMotion (http://www.inmotionstores.com) offering netbook and touch-screen tablet PC rentals for flights with wi-fi. It's a whole new opportunity.

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Permalink Reply by Becky Pruitt on September 3, 2009 at 2:17pm

A couple of weeks ago, I flew on AirTran and received a coupon for free wifi access. If my memory serves me right, a day pass is $12 and a one time log-in was 5ish.....

Before I tried the free coupon, I probably would have never paid for it....however, in trying it out, I became a fan. The only drawback was that there was no outlet to plug my computer in so when it died, so would my connection. I would definitely use it if my flight was long....if nothing else, but for entertainment value......for $5, I could watch hulu or even a netflick movie, play on facebook, check email, listen to Pandora.....whatever.....

So....it would be worth it for me.

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