There were more American travelers this 4th of July weekend than any 4th of July since 2007, the eve of the Great Recession era. Many of those travelers took to the skies. If that was you, then how was your in-flight Internet experience?
I ask this because on all airlines, Internet use is an economic booster. But they’re not all the same. On major carriers like American, you could pay up to $20 for not great service. However on carriers like Jet Blue, WiFi is not only complimentary, but runs smoother than butter. Don’t forget these are the same airfares that offer free baggage check-in, unlike the big boys. Jet Blue can pull off free WiFi because of it’s generous relationship with Internet provider ViaSat. Jet Blue writes one check for all the bandwidth, and 40% of it’s passengers take advantage of this service. But there’s Internet providers like Gogo, which is used by American, Delta, United and even Virgin America. Gogo makes profit by charging a small number of people crazy amounts for Internet services. Maybe that’s why only 7% of these passengers even use in-flight WiFi. Gogo can charge as little as $5 an hour to $60 for a monthly subscription for frequent flyers. There’s Row 44, who works with Southwest Airlines. Southwest charges $8 a flight for their services, but frequent fliers can use it complimentary. United is also partnering with Panasonic, which will charge $20 a flight. No thank you.
It’s crazy I find out about this when the US government is about to investigate collusion in the airline industry. I also find it interesting the same companies who charge a ton for checked baggage are the same who charge a ton for WiFi use. Only 7% of passengers who are forced to pay for in-flight WiFi actually do so. But when WiFi is offered for free, 40% use it. Shouldn’t that be a clue to all airlines? What conclusions do you find from this report?