Wifi sign onboard a commercial aircraft. Photo: GettyImages/Businesswire
Gogo said that almost 50% of “millennial travelers expect their connected experience in the air to be the same as on the ground.” The company’s study, called The Travelers of Tomorrow, focuses on “future travelers” between the ages of 18 and 35 because it believes their preferences will shape the future.
“Passengers simply expect more from inflight connectivity today — no longer is there a distinction between enjoying movies at home, sending emails from a café or binge watching at 35,000 feet,” said Alyssa Hayes, director of insights at Gogo. “As our research suggests, younger travelers are most comfortable with headphones on, laptop open and smartphone in hand. As the leader in inflight connectivity, we can help airlines keep pace with passenger expectations now and in the future with Gogo 2Ku high-speed connectivity.”
Of those who participated in Gogo’s study, 90% of millennials have a preferred airline, but 48% said they wouldn’t board their preferred plane it there is no available Wi-Fi. Inflight entertainment provided by the airline won’t even cut it. Gogo said 92% of millennials who participated are interested in using their own device in flight, and 48% prefer streaming on their own devices. This can be compared to 33% of travelers older than 35 who use Wi-Fi to stream movies and shows on their devices.