by JQ Adams

Created on: April 05, 2010

Remember when in-flight meals were free? Once airlines started charging for the meals, they found that far less people would eat it. A very similar situation is occurring with in-flight wireless internet access – a perk airlines expected would increase revenues isn’t as desirable when passengers have to pay for it.

There are more than 500 airliners in the United States with wireless internet access available, including All of AirTrain Airways and Virgin America planes, 225 Delta Air Lines jets, and 100 planes from American Airlines. When airlines began charging for use, even just $1, the number of people taking advantage of the internet access decreased substantially.

While price is always a concern of travelers, another obstacle for traveling laptop and Blackberry users is the lack of power ports available for passengers. While many of the airlines aren’t revealing what percentage of travelers are buying wi-fi access on flights, Virgin America says 12% to 15% of their passengers are using the service. They may have a higher percentage than other airlines because Virgin America has the highest proportion of cross-country flights on schedule of all the airlines. Additionally, Virgin America provides power ports at all seats, making it easier for laptop users to plug in and power up during the flight.

Helping Ease Boredom of Passengers

Some airlines have decided Wi-Fi is an affordable solution for in-flight entertainment options, as it is more cost effective for them than installing television screens in the back of seats. At some point in the future, the Wi-Fi would make it possible for airlines to load their on-flight servers with movies and television shows that passengers could log in and watch from their own devices.

Helping Business Travelers Stay Productive

For business travelers spending several hours in the air each week or month, the ability to use the time productively is a big draw to in-flight Wi-Fi services. Aircell, a provider of in-flight internet access, thinks that pricing for the service will likely move to a subscription rather than a per-flight expense. This will allow passengers to buy a subscription for a set number of flights, which is ideal for business travelers.

The Future of Airline Wi-Fi

During testing, it’s been found that when Wi-Fi is free, the usage is extremely high. As soon as there is a price placed on the service, even as little as $1, the usage declines. But ultimately, the goal is that Wi-Fi will be free for most fliers, as it will enable airlines improved communication with it’s passengers, including the ability to update flight connection information, or baggage problems all in real-time during the flights.

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