Travellers 'want to treat flights like homes'

An increasing number of air passengers want to do the same things inflight that they can do at home, according to one expert.

Speaking to Forbes Traveler, Tom Weigman, senior vice president of wireless services for inflight technology firm AirCell, said that airlines are quickly realising this.

"Passengers' greatest urgency is to do exactly the kind of things in the sky that they do in their homes - use email, websites and access information," he commented.

A number of airlines have pledged to roll out the capability to use mobile phones while in the air, while others are already in the initial stages of introducing inflight internet services.

As well as supporting the ability to communicate while in the air, carriers are also widening the range of entertainment services available onboard flights, said James Boyd, a spokesman for Singapore Airlines.

"There's a trend toward internationalising content – it's becoming much broader and better represents the international makeup of the passengers," he stated.

Emirates is one airline that is well-known for its inflight entertainment system, which boasts more than 1,100 programmes, films and games, among other options.

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