Business
Most Indian air passengers want to stay connected on board flights, says survey
MUMBAI: International travel restrictions have eased in the past few months, boosting passenger confidence in air travel, said a survey by a telecommunications company. Indian passengers emerged the most confident in the Asia Pacific region, the company said, adding that last year only 6% of the total polled passengers had expressed confidence in flying again, while in the latest survey three-quarter respondents gave a thumbs up to boarding flights.
British satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat said that its latest `passenger experience’ survey covered 4,000 airline passengers who had flown in the past 12 months. “On a country-by-country basis, India topped the list (88%), followed by Australia and Singapore (79%), and South Korea (53%),” it said.
In the wake of renewed confidence in air travel has come the demand for enhanced flying experience, it said. “Inflight connectivity remains a leading factor that influences which airline is selected by APAC passengers, with more than four-fifths (83%) more likely to rebook with an airline if quality inflight Wi-Fi was available, extending the increase from 78% in the previous year. This factor is particularly compelling for passengers in India, with more than 9 in 10 (92%) saying they are motivated to do so,” said the company. “The heightened desire to stay connected while traveling is also evident with 90% of travellers from India saying it is important to stay connected during a flight, compared to the APAC average of 74%. Among the APAC countries surveyed, travellers from India are the most willing to pay more for their tickets if it meant reliable inflight connectivity, with 44% happy to do so compared to an APAC average of 29%,” it added.
David Coiley, Asia Pacific regional vice president, Inmarsat Aviation, spoke about the changed expectations and behaviours of passengers since the pandemic. “Inflight connectivity is a prime example. Passenger demand for fast and reliable Wi-Fi has never been higher, so providing access to such services is absolutely essential for airlines. Passengers are even telling us they would go without an alcoholic drink or a seat to ensure they get good inflight Wi-Fi.”
The volume of APAC passengers who use digital devices inflight remains high at 96% – mostly for administrative tasks and entertainment. In addition, 78% have connected to inflight broadband when available on a flight, more than double the percentage from the previous year (38%). Watching downloaded movies or TV shows was the most popular onboard activity passengers would engage in while connected – a figure that is unsurprising, considering that 45% of Indian travellers indicated they would pay more to access exclusive inflight entertainment content while flying (compared to the APAC average of 32%), said the survey. “In addition, Indian travellers would pay more for both unlimited downloads (34%) and social media usage (33%),” it said.
“Although results show APAC passengers are willing to pay for better or more connectivity-enabled experiences during their flights, cost remains the single most prohibitive factor across all markets. Three in four (75%) Indian passengers also believe that Wi-Fi should be free on long-haul flights, with fewer than half (46%) saying the same for short-haul flights,” it added.
British satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat said that its latest `passenger experience’ survey covered 4,000 airline passengers who had flown in the past 12 months. “On a country-by-country basis, India topped the list (88%), followed by Australia and Singapore (79%), and South Korea (53%),” it said.
In the wake of renewed confidence in air travel has come the demand for enhanced flying experience, it said. “Inflight connectivity remains a leading factor that influences which airline is selected by APAC passengers, with more than four-fifths (83%) more likely to rebook with an airline if quality inflight Wi-Fi was available, extending the increase from 78% in the previous year. This factor is particularly compelling for passengers in India, with more than 9 in 10 (92%) saying they are motivated to do so,” said the company. “The heightened desire to stay connected while traveling is also evident with 90% of travellers from India saying it is important to stay connected during a flight, compared to the APAC average of 74%. Among the APAC countries surveyed, travellers from India are the most willing to pay more for their tickets if it meant reliable inflight connectivity, with 44% happy to do so compared to an APAC average of 29%,” it added.
David Coiley, Asia Pacific regional vice president, Inmarsat Aviation, spoke about the changed expectations and behaviours of passengers since the pandemic. “Inflight connectivity is a prime example. Passenger demand for fast and reliable Wi-Fi has never been higher, so providing access to such services is absolutely essential for airlines. Passengers are even telling us they would go without an alcoholic drink or a seat to ensure they get good inflight Wi-Fi.”
The volume of APAC passengers who use digital devices inflight remains high at 96% – mostly for administrative tasks and entertainment. In addition, 78% have connected to inflight broadband when available on a flight, more than double the percentage from the previous year (38%). Watching downloaded movies or TV shows was the most popular onboard activity passengers would engage in while connected – a figure that is unsurprising, considering that 45% of Indian travellers indicated they would pay more to access exclusive inflight entertainment content while flying (compared to the APAC average of 32%), said the survey. “In addition, Indian travellers would pay more for both unlimited downloads (34%) and social media usage (33%),” it said.
“Although results show APAC passengers are willing to pay for better or more connectivity-enabled experiences during their flights, cost remains the single most prohibitive factor across all markets. Three in four (75%) Indian passengers also believe that Wi-Fi should be free on long-haul flights, with fewer than half (46%) saying the same for short-haul flights,” it added.
