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Study: Millennials Expect Same Wi-Fi Experience in the Air as at Home

Staff Report

Thursday, May 18th, 2017

Gogo, the leading global provider of broadband connectivity products and services for aviation, found that nearly 50 percent of millennial travelers expect their connected experience in the air to be the same as on the ground. This key finding from Gogo's Global Traveler study The Travelers of Tomorrow shows that connectivity anywhere and everywhere is no longer a hope, it's an expectation. This study uncovers in-flight connectivity trends from "future travelers" between the ages of 18 and 35, because their preferences will ultimately shape the future of travel.

"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."

Not only are these passengers expressing hopes for the future, but they also are making travel decisions today based on connectivity:

  • While 90 percent of future travelers have a preferred airline, 48 percent said they would choose another airline if Wi-Fi was not available on their preferred flight.

  • Future travelers are more likely to multi-task on their devices during flights with 46 percent of the 18 to 35 age bracket using Wi-Fi and watching a movie or show on their device compared to just 33 percent of travelers older than 35 doing so.

  • Ninety-two percent of future travelers are interested in using their own device in flight, and 48 percent said they prefer to stream their own content to their own device.

  • Sixty-three percent of future travelers think more flights should offer Wi-Fi, and 56 percent of them use their smartphone on the plane compared to just 27 percent of older travelers.

Gogo's 2Ku technology allows passengers to have the same experience in the air as on their couch at home. The new technology enables streaming video, fast browsing and multi-device viewing. 2Ku can be found today on more than 170 aircraft across several global airlines. More than 1,600 total aircraft are slated to receive the technology representing 13 global airlines.