The economics of in-flight Wi-Fi • Hacker News Board

Re: The economics of in-flight Wi-Fi

#31

Post by BMFX » Mon, Jul 06, 2015, 12:18 AM UTC

nly wrote: post #26

aurelianito wrote: post #10

The economics of airplane wifi remind me of the economics of the hotels wifi. Go to a 5-star hotel and you will pay 15 extra dollars for the priviledge of having a lousy internet access. Go to a small hostel and you will get good internet access for free.

Marriott are throwing in wifi these days, but you have to pay for premium access if you want to stream some Netflix

I am at a Marriott now, and am streaming just fine...

Re: The economics of in-flight Wi-Fi

#32

Post by caf » Mon, Jul 06, 2015, 12:18 AM UTC

aurelianito wrote: post #10

The economics of airplane wifi remind me of the economics of the hotels wifi. Go to a 5-star hotel and you will pay 15 extra dollars for the priviledge of having a lousy internet access. Go to a small hostel and you will get good internet access for free.

It's the same reason that hotel minibar pricing is so high.

Re: The economics of in-flight Wi-Fi

#33

Post by tw04 » Mon, Jul 06, 2015, 12:18 AM UTC

reagency wrote: post #18

mcescalante wrote: post #9

This is why JetBlue won best customer service in 2014 and it doesn't seem like they really have serious competition; they actually make an attempt to make customers happy. I book JetBlue every single time I can (even when it's more) because I can actually use WiFi without spending more than my (already expensive) ticket cost, and I get more than a single miniature water bottle.

You'll pay extra for Jet Blue, to avoid paying $10 for WiFi??

The $10 for wifi nets you something akin to 28.8K modem speeds. So yes, I'd gladly pay more for a ticket that provided something approaching usable speeds. When google.com takes 45 seconds to load, the connection is basically useless.

Re: The economics of in-flight Wi-Fi

#34

Post by thaumasiotes » Mon, Jul 06, 2015, 12:20 AM UTC

yishanl wrote: post #15

Does anyone really expect anything of airline flights anymore? At least those of us in commercial/economy class? Years ago great customer service was defined as giving someone the can and some free peanuts. Now it's touch screen "entertainment in-flight systems." Not like any of those things have made the flying experience any better. So I just pick the cheapest flights available. Sure, Wi-Fi is a plus, but the envir…

> Now it's touch screen "entertainment in-flight systems." Not like any of those things have made the flying experience any better.

I couldn't disagree more. A fourteen-hour flight with in-flight movies is vastly superior to a fourteen-hour flight with the back of the seat in front of you.

Re: The economics of in-flight Wi-Fi

#35

Post by delecti » Mon, Jul 06, 2015, 12:22 AM UTC

sgnelson wrote: post #21

aurelianito wrote: post #10

The economics of airplane wifi remind me of the economics of the hotels wifi. Go to a 5-star hotel and you will pay 15 extra dollars for the priviledge of having a lousy internet access. Go to a small hostel and you will get good internet access for free.

You have to take advantage of that business traveler who is expensing everything has "has to have internet access for work."

My understanding (though I don't have any sources and it could just as easily be hearsay) is that nicer hotels jumped onto the new business model and signed long-lasting contracts with providers of internet service when things were just getting established. So it's less that nicer hotels are necessarily trying to milk you, and more that the nicer hotels jumped onto the bandwagon when it was still a bad financial decision, and are passing their bad luck onto you.

Of course, I wouldn't at all be surprised if your suggestion is right, and they're just trying to milk the more well off clients.

Re: The economics of in-flight Wi-Fi

#36

Post by iGoPro_HD » Mon, Jul 06, 2015, 12:23 AM UTC

aurelianito wrote: post #10

The economics of airplane wifi remind me of the economics of the hotels wifi. Go to a 5-star hotel and you will pay 15 extra dollars for the priviledge of having a lousy internet access. Go to a small hostel and you will get good internet access for free.

The exact reason people are resorting to WiFi hotspots more and more.

Re: The economics of in-flight Wi-Fi

#37

Post by Gustomaximus » Mon, Jul 06, 2015, 12:24 AM UTC

yishanl wrote: post #15

Does anyone really expect anything of airline flights anymore? At least those of us in commercial/economy class? Years ago great customer service was defined as giving someone the can and some free peanuts. Now it's touch screen "entertainment in-flight systems." Not like any of those things have made the flying experience any better. So I just pick the cheapest flights available. Sure, Wi-Fi is a plus, but the envir…

Cheapest is the main variable but when it's a reasonable difference (probably under 10%) I'll choose based on flight experience expectations - planes,food, entertainment, wifi, FF program etc. Personally I wouldn't write off the customer value of these add-on segments.

Re: The economics of in-flight Wi-Fi

#38

Post by bane » Mon, Jul 06, 2015, 12:25 AM UTC

aurelianito wrote: post #10

The economics of airplane wifi remind me of the economics of the hotels wifi. Go to a 5-star hotel and you will pay 15 extra dollars for the priviledge of having a lousy internet access. Go to a small hostel and you will get good internet access for free.

It tends to also be location based. I find wi-fi at hotels in big cities almost universally bad, while the same hotels outside the cities to be generally good.

Re: The economics of in-flight Wi-Fi

#39

Post by delecti » Mon, Jul 06, 2015, 12:26 AM UTC

joezydeco wrote: post #23

yishanl wrote: post #15

Does anyone really expect anything of airline flights anymore? At least those of us in commercial/economy class? Years ago great customer service was defined as giving someone the can and some free peanuts. Now it's touch screen "entertainment in-flight systems." Not like any of those things have made the flying experience any better. So I just pick the cheapest flights available. Sure, Wi-Fi is a plus, but the envir…

Now it's touch screen "entertainment in-flight systems"... Enjoy that while it lasts. United is moving to a BYOD system where you use your own phone or tablet to watch in-flight entertainment. The new cabins have removed all screens and armrest audio systems (oh yeah, and headphones too) http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/inflight/ente...

Honestly, I prefer that anyway. I've got no shortage of devices with plenty of my own media, and now I don't have to be stuck 12" from a screen I can't reliably turn off, that will be shining advertisements and redundant safety lessons in my face when I'm trying to sleep.

Re: The economics of in-flight Wi-Fi

#40

Post by jmspring » Mon, Jul 06, 2015, 12:28 AM UTC

tw04 wrote: post #33

reagency wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You'll pay extra for Jet Blue, to avoid paying $10 for WiFi??

The $10 for wifi nets you something akin to 28.8K modem speeds. So yes, I'd gladly pay more for a ticket that provided something approaching usable speeds. When google.com takes 45 seconds to load, the connection is basically useless.

Paid for inflight wifi on United earlier this year (FRA to SFO) streamed one way video all hands just fine.

Gogo wifi on Alaska between SJC and SEA, service is quite variable.