American air travellers would rather have access to a wireless internet connection than food during their flights, the results of a new study show.
In Kelton’s survey of more than 1,000 passengers, 37 per cent said they’d be disappointed to discover that a flight didn’t offer Wi-Fi, compared to just 35 per cent who said they’d be upset about a lack of food or drink.
The study, commissioned by Honeywell Aerospace, found that 66 per cent of passengers see Wi-Fi as a key factor when deciding on the airline with which they’d like to fly. Some 17 per cent have even ditched their preferred carrier due to a lack of connectivity, travelweekly.co.uk reports.
Honeywell Aerospace’s vice president of marketing and product management, Jack Jacobs, told aviationpros.com: “The commercial aviation industry has to pay attention to meet the demands of passengers, giving them the freedom to stay connected whenever and wherever they want.
“Honeywell’s survey affirms that consumers are accustomed to easy access to Wi-Fi, and they expect it to be fast and consistent like at home or work. Those expectations are expanding up into the sky.”
Mr Jacobs went on to say that passengers are able to pack their own food but have no option but to rely on their airline when it comes to wireless connectivity.
