Findings Reported In Recent Gogo Global Study On In-Flight Connectivity

A recent global study on traveler interest in in-flight connectivity and connectivity related products and services found that interest in these products and services is significantly higher outside the U.S. despite the fact that fewer connected aircraft are operating internationally as compared to within the U.S.

The study was conducted by in-flight connectivity provider Gogo. In addition to showing more interest in connecting in flight, air travelers outside the U.S. are more likely to carry their own Wi-Fi-enabled devices on a plane and are more willing to pay for the services when compared to travelers in the U.S.

When asked about their interest in in-flight connectivity services, 83 percent of air travelers in regions outside the U.S. said they were interested in using Wi-Fi vs. just 74 percent of U.S. air travelers.  When it comes to wireless in-flight entertainment, 71 percent of air travelers outside the U.S. show a strong interest vs. 59 percent in the U.S.

"The number of global passengers topped 3 billion in 2013 and has grown by 37 percent in the last four years.  Ubiquitous connectivity has become the norm around the globe and there are very few passengers these days boarding an aircraft without a Wi-Fi-enabled device," said Ash ElDifrawi, Gogo's chief commercial officer.  "What's surprising to us is that the demand and willingness to pay for these services is clearly higher outside the U.S.  We have found that air travelers outside of the U.S. index higher on affluence relative to the general population in their markets."

Other interesting findings from the study include: passengers outside the U.S. are 23 percent more likely to pay for in-flight Wi-Fi when compared to passengers in the U.S.; compared to the other regions included in the study, the U.S. had the lowest percentage of passengers boarding with a Wi-Fi-enabled device at 76 percent, and 1 in 3 passengers say they typically use at least 2 electronic devices on a plane.

The importance of Wi-Fi in choosing an airline continues to grow for passengers around the world.  Today, more than 20 percent of passengers say they are looking for Wi-Fi when choosing an airline, which is up from 16 percent in a Gogo study conducted last year.

This data was compiled from Gogo's global traveler research study and represents participants across sixteen countries and four regions. All participants had taken a round-trip flight in the past twelve months.

FMI: www.gogoair.com