Close to one in three (29%) travellers from India would be willing to
stand for the entire duration for the flight if it meant access to
reliable Wi-Fi onboard, an air passenger travel survey has revealed.
Travellers across APAC are also willing to trade for connectivity.
About 36% of respondents in the 2022 APAC Passenger Experience Survey
said they would be willing to view advertisements and 32% claim they
would even give up alcoholic drinks inflight if it meant having access
to quality and consistent connectivity.
The survey was conducted by satellite service provider Inmarsat,
which found – somewhat predictably – that connectivity remains one of
the leading factors that influence 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, an increase from 78%
in the previous year.
As for travel confidence, the survey found Asia Pacific airline
passengers are 12-times more confident about taking a flight than last
year, with travellers from India the most confident in the region.
Travellers from Australia, Singapore and South Korea indicated they are
very confident to travel again.
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, with
Australian passengers (56%) feeling the most strongly about it.
Four in five (80%) APAC passengers also believe that Wi-Fi should be
free on long-haul flights, with fewer than half (49%) saying the same
for short-haul flights.