Travelers Choose WiFi Over Food on Planes
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: plane, travel, wifi, internet, food | Themes: The Internet
Which would you choose, food or internet?
Over the last year a several airlines have either rolled out (or announced plans to roll out) in-flight WiFi for domestic flights in the United States. Most have embraced the news, glad that they can send emails, talk to friends online and browse the web to help pass the hours in the air. However, what’s more surprising is that, despite it not being a standard on all flights, this amenity is already valued more than in-flight food.
According to a survey conducted by American Airlines and Hewlett Packard, almost half of passengers ranked WiFi as more important than food while traveling. The survey spanned more than 1,500 frequent business travelers (frequent in that they take more than twenty trips a year on three or more airlines). Maximum PC reports that just over 47 percent of people said WiFi was the most important, besting their desire for food by almost 30 percentage points. The group cited the lack of electrical outlets as the most annoying thing on a flight, with 24 percent putting it as the most important thing on a flight.
When you take a step back, it’s not exactly shocking news. Airline food sucks and whatever the speed of the WiFi, you can’t bring your own internet. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t bring some kind of food on the plane with me when I traveled. Which would you guys rank as most important? The WiFi or the food? I have to say, I quite like not having the WiFi because it means I’m not contactable for a few hours, which is a nice change from the usual constant stream of emails. However, I would gladly give up the chow if I was guaranteed an outlet to plug into. Feel free to let us know what else bugs you most about flying. The lack of leg room, the absence of electrical outlets, the crappy food or the obligatory crying kid?
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I happen to take 3-4 short flights within Europe (GVA-ZRH-PRG) every week and I have to say that for flights under an hour, taking a laptop out is not even worth the effort for a few mins of serious work (even when using X300 with SSD).
Flying is good for reading and eating (even with the lousy sandwitches they serve). The wifi connectivity is fine at the aiport launges.
forget the food, WiFi, and even crying kid. all of this is forgotten as soon as you step out of the plane. i'd be way more happier with more space - specially leg room. next choice is AC outlet, followed but WiFi. WiFi without extra leg room is not much since laptop needs some room too (not 6" from my face).
forget the food, WiFi, and even crying kid. all of this is forgotten as soon as you step out of the plane. i'd be way more happier with more space - specially leg room. next choice is AC outlet, followed but WiFi. WiFi without extra leg room is not much since laptop needs some room too (not 6" from my face).
I would say it depends on the length of the flight. Short flights of
Grrr. Last post got cut short by careless symbol use.
I would say it depends on the length of the flight. Short flights of less than 3 hours I don't care about the food. I would happily take an electrical outlet for my laptop (or other electronic device) over food on those shorter flights.
International flights however are a different matter (especially if they cross an ocean). No way I am sitting on a plane for that long without a meal (even if it is airline food).
Regardless of flight duration I at least want to be offered a bit of water to drink.
Hmmm, I wonder how long it will be before airlines are required to provide straps or other restraints for laptops and other devices to keep them from sailing across the cabin in the event of severe turbulence or other problems...
Airline food is actually better than the food you bought because at high attitude, it is your test bud that fail and not the airline food. Your delicious Subway sub is going to test like soggy cardboard while the specially prepared airline food will test like regular food.
ill take Beer/Vodka over Wifi thanks, as i only fly on vacation....
Airline food is actually better than the food you bought because at high attitude, it is your test bud that fail and not the airline food. Your delicious Subway sub is going to test like soggy cardboard while the specially prepared airline food will test like regular food.
Who do you fly with? I want airline food that doesn't taste like two day old cud.
I would rank them as 1.Outlets, 2. Wi-fi, and 3. If i need it to survive-airline food.
Considering what they usually call food on planes in domestic flights across America, I'll take my Wi-Fi... International flights, however, I'll take the food.
I'd much rather have wifi than crappy airplane food. You can bring your own food, but not your own wifi. Gotten sick from airplane food twice on international flights. Wifi never made me vomit.
Airline food is actually better than the food you bought because at high attitude, it is your test bud that fail and not the airline food. Your delicious Subway sub is going to test like soggy cardboard while the specially prepared airline food will test like regular food.
Are you just making this up? If airline food tastes bad, it's the food, not your taste buds as food I've taken and eaten on a plane tastes just as it did on the ground.
Airline food is actually better than the food you bought because at high attitude, it is your test bud that fail and not the airline food. Your delicious Subway sub is going to test like soggy cardboard while the specially prepared airline food will test like regular food.
I gotta call b.s on that one.
The plane is sealed and pressurized to ground level pressure, and the air in the plane is the air that was already there when that happened (not to mention it is probably filtered, and so even better than when you were on the ground).
The only physical or chemical change for people that I can think of (that isn't totally canceled out by the special environment of an airliner) is the change in gravity...and good luck convincing me that has anything to do with taste buds.
I would gladly take no outlet, no wifi, no food and a discounted ticket price. Short of that though, I agree with the consensus: outlet, then wifi, then food (and even then, I'll just take the peanuts / snacks / drinks, the meals are terrible).
if its airline food i would choose wifi too... if its somthing good then i would choose food
Airline food is actually better than the food you bought because at high attitude, it is your test bud that fail and not the airline food. Your delicious Subway sub is going to test like soggy cardboard while the specially prepared airline food will test like regular food.
Submit this to Mythbusters... Im thinken BUSTED
Vodka with OJ, Beer,Pepsi and Nuts all tastes the exact same when 35000 feet up or on the ground.
Vodka with OJ
Screwdriver? Where?? (Drooling)... I need a vacation.
Outlets first. Before a few days ago I would have added AC outlets, but I bought a power inverter on sale, so DC should be alright for me. I've never really gotten the urge to go online during a flight, but I'd take it over food. Of course, I only regularly fly domestically, and make sure to eat at the airports whenever possible.
Whenever I take a flight, it's usually across the Pacific, meaning flights are usually well over 10 hours. In that time, I only eat food out of boredom, and the stuff doesn't leave you feeling all that great.
I can survive without pretzels. Give me some wifi to kill the time, and I'm good.
Less food on domestic flights? Good! After a few more years, maybe we'll be able to fit in the seats!
Vodka with OJ...
Careful he doesn't murder you and write a book about it!
I would take WiFi, but not over food.
definitely take Wifi and AC over food
I fly regularly on 2 hour flights within the eu, so a power outlet for my laptop (to watch movies) would be great. dont really need wifi, but it would be a bonus.
of course i can live without all that IF THEY JUST GAVE ME EXTRA LEGROOM!
being tall is definitely a disadvantage at cruising altitude in a small plane.
oh and lufthansa and swiss air food is generally ok. the beer selection sucks though.
Fun to see that many posts about food on Tom's guide
If you get a chance, fly on Emirates Airline and you'll taste some excellent dishes accompanied by great wines
BYOF... If they lowest the cost of fairs by getting rid of the whole 'beverage with your uncomfortable seat sir?' thing, I would be all for it.
Think about it, less people to server, means less flight personel needed... less personal should mean cheaper seats. Cheaper seats means more people flying. More people flying means more people are spending money going on vacations, business, etc. More trips means more economic stimulation.
Look at that, the airlines can solves all our problems by simply getting rid of their crappy food and drinks... if only the American(world) consumer was smart enough to bring their own food... then pay the 3.50 for a bottle of water at the airport...
Or maybe a CRAZY idea - give a bottle of water to everyone before they board!
food and power. I hate sitting in a plane with 120 laptops pressing in to get a signal. Not to mention all the radiation going through me.
Powersockets are more interesting, for they allow me to bring my own DVD player/laptop to watch a movie/play a game.
Internet in the end will be abused anyways, having customers running bittorrent clients on the wifi, grabbing near to all connectivity for themselves, while it takes over 30 seconds to load a searchpage in google for the other customers.
On the other hand if the wifi is free, it's another thing...
In airport terminals you still need to pay for wifi. If I need to pay for it in flight too, then definitely give me food over wifi.
bandwidth limiting sir. Many routers support it - I'm sure they could figure out how to put it on the plane =)
food and power. I hate sitting in a plane with 120 laptops pressing in to get a signal. Not to mention all the radiation going through me.Powersockets are more interesting, for they allow me to bring my own DVD player/laptop to watch a movie/play a game.Internet in the end will be abused anyways, having customers running bittorrent clients on the wifi, grabbing near to all connectivity for themselves, while it takes over 30 seconds to load a searchpage in google for the other customers.On the other hand if the wifi is free, it's another thing...In airport terminals you still need to pay for wifi. If I need to pay for it in flight too, then definitely give me food over wifi.
Being 6'4", The only thing I can ever complain about in an aeroplane is the lack of leg room. I gave up touching the laptop years ago, and food I have always tucked away in my bag somewhere. I find it nice to just sit, sleep, and read for a while as opposed to the normal rush of life. Not much to do in the air, WiFi, as amusing as it sounds, would be a nuisance, people would expect me to be in even better contact than on ground because there's nothing else to do... Give me leg room, and I'll be your passenger for ever!
I'm 6'5" so legroom comes first. If I wasn't so tall though I would vote for 1. outlets 2. wifi 3. more room
I would rather have appropriate OXYGEN levels in cabin instead
.
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oxygenate air > leg room > food > ethernet > wifi