I can’t say for sure that Freesky and their so-called ‘reports’ should be trusted but something about their latest regarding in-flight broadband leads me to believe that they’re dumb, like, really dumb. They’re suggesting that airlines should change the pricing plan of in-flight Wi-Fi services like Aircell’s GoGo from a flat fee to pay per minute. Umm. What are you smoking over there? Who in their right mind would pay some asinine amount per minute?
While I don’t agree with this tactic at all, I do, however, agree with the subscription service, but even that won’t fly. It would all depend on the pricing and who flies more than two days a week?
“If the airline broadband industry wants to move beyond the wait ’til next year philosophy that has defined it since 2001, it needs to lose its fixation with per flight pricing,” according to David Gross, author of the report. “Either it needs to charge exceptionally high per minute rates like providers serving business jets and cruise ships do, and serve a high-end niche only, or move to subscription services like most terrestrial hotspot services. The mushy middle approach of charging more than a ground service, but less than a business jet service will neither attract the mass market, nor maximize revenue among price-insensitive travelers.”
via i4u