Would you pay for airborne access to the World Wide Web?
Emirates’ recent announcement to equip all 90 of their new Airbus A380 aircraft with Wi-Fi networks is generating a lot of buzz among travellers.
According to a Bloomberg report, the paid-for-service will be made available in June 2012 and will allow the use of devices such as laptop computers, Apple iPhones and Research In Motion’s BlackBerry smartphones while in flight.
Some responses to a question posed on Yahoo! Answers, “How will Wi-Fi networks on airplanes change your flying experience?” revealed mixed reactions.
Some respondents raised concerns, such as the possible issue of the Wi-Fi signal causing interference with the airplane’s navigation instruments, and the possibility of terrorists taking advantage of the network to create chaos.
One user, “lady”, highlighted that connectivity on the plane may not be a good thing as bosses might expect their employees to work on the plane instead of resting.
“Arnaki” also lamented that his time on the plane was “the only sanctuary I have to shut off my Blackberry”.
Despite concerns raised, the general public sentiment was positive.
One respondent, “Ricky”, emphasised that a Wi-Fi connection would be useful for businessmen and that cost would not be an issue as it would be shouldered by the company. However, he added that pricing would need to be carefully considered, to make the service attractive for ordinary travellers’ use.
Felicia Goh, 23, a public relations coordinator, agreed. “It’ll be good to stay connected with friends and family through social networks, but I don’t think I want to pay for the service as it is not a necessity.”
Undergraduate Terence Chang, 24, offered a more practical view – he would be willing to pay a reasonable price for the service if on a long-haul flight as the cost would likely only be a small fraction of the plane ticket.
So are more airlines likely to offer Wi-Fi networks on their aircraft in the near future?
Singapore Airlines spokesman Nicholas Ionides told Yahoo! Singapore: “There are no immediate plans as yet to feature Wi-Fi on our aircraft, but we do monitor trends and listen to feedback provided by our customers and we have been studying it. Should there be any changes to our in-flight product offerings, an announcement would be made.”
According to a Bloomberg report, the paid-for-service will be made available in June 2012 and will allow the use of devices such as laptop computers, Apple iPhones and Research In Motion’s BlackBerry smartphones while in flight.
Some responses to a question posed on Yahoo! Answers, “How will Wi-Fi networks on airplanes change your flying experience?” revealed mixed reactions.
Some respondents raised concerns, such as the possible issue of the Wi-Fi signal causing interference with the airplane’s navigation instruments, and the possibility of terrorists taking advantage of the network to create chaos.
One user, “lady”, highlighted that connectivity on the plane may not be a good thing as bosses might expect their employees to work on the plane instead of resting.
“Arnaki” also lamented that his time on the plane was “the only sanctuary I have to shut off my Blackberry”.
Despite concerns raised, the general public sentiment was positive.
One respondent, “Ricky”, emphasised that a Wi-Fi connection would be useful for businessmen and that cost would not be an issue as it would be shouldered by the company. However, he added that pricing would need to be carefully considered, to make the service attractive for ordinary travellers’ use.
Felicia Goh, 23, a public relations coordinator, agreed. “It’ll be good to stay connected with friends and family through social networks, but I don’t think I want to pay for the service as it is not a necessity.”
Undergraduate Terence Chang, 24, offered a more practical view – he would be willing to pay a reasonable price for the service if on a long-haul flight as the cost would likely only be a small fraction of the plane ticket.
So are more airlines likely to offer Wi-Fi networks on their aircraft in the near future?
Singapore Airlines spokesman Nicholas Ionides told Yahoo! Singapore: “There are no immediate plans as yet to feature Wi-Fi on our aircraft, but we do monitor trends and listen to feedback provided by our customers and we have been studying it. Should there be any changes to our in-flight product offerings, an announcement would be made.”
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