INDUSTRY VIEWS
Q
Will charterers pay more for connectivity?
Experts discuss the importance of onboard connectivity.
Julie Black, Hunt & Palmer
Many charterers will pay more for connectivity and will expect it to be available to them whilst on board their jet. We make very clear the Wi-Fi capabilities and costs of each aircraft when presenting charter options. Our client base is diverse, including C suite executives, UHNWIs, government officials and bands on tour. For many, their time in the air is very much still working time that requires high-speed connectivity and even their personal leisure time often involves staying connected whilst away from their office. It’s not all about streaming and posting to their socials. Personally, I love the opportunity to switch off on a long-haul flight, but many of our clients are just not able to do that – their jet is an extension of their working domain and often they need to stay in touch in order to actually relax. It’s quite the reverse of what you might assume.
Scott Dillon, Jet Access Maintenance
You couldn’t offer an airplane for charter without Wi-Fi these days. People just would not charter it. It’s a must. They expect to have those amenities, and the charter business right now in the US is very competitive. So I don’t think people are really willing to pay more for Wi-Fi. They’re really shopping their charter pretty hard to start with. The ones that would be willing to pay more for Wi-Fi would be bigger corporate operators, like Walmart. They’re the ones that really want those powerful systems. But your basic charterer wouldn’t pay a premium for connectivity. They just expect it to be on there anyway.
Bernhard Fragner, GlobeAir
Yes — when it protects time. Our clients use the aircraft as a moving office and living room. If a board call, deal room or remote team meeting must run on schedule, dependable connectivity is non-negotiable. They won’t pay for megabits; they’ll pay for simple, reliable service that lets them message, join video calls and access cloud tools without drama, with clear, fair pricing. On long legs or multi-stop days, a stable link turns airborne hours into productive hours – worth far more than the fee. Equally, some leisure flights prefer “offline”. The point is choice. When connectivity safeguards outcomes and control, charterers treat it as an investment, not a surcharge.
Jason Wissink, Honeywell
Speaking to flight departments, they wouldn’t necessarily pay more, connectivity is just expected. If they get quoted an aircraft that doesn’t have connectivity, their willingness to pay is zero. They will just go somewhere else. Larger fleets might have a period where they’re upgrading airplanes. They might have some that have next-generation systems and some that are current generation. As customers experience the difference in those, they may say they only want the next-gen system and if it costs a little bit more, maybe they would be willing to pay for it. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a bit of a price difference as this upgrade cycle is happening. But once enough get upgraded, then the ability to charge more probably goes away. It just becomes the minimum.
Joe Moeggenberg, Levo.Aero
“It is not guaranteed that charterers will pay more for connectivity, nor should it be used as an overt selling point any longer. Connectivity is no longer a premium feature, it’s expected, especially in super-mid, large and long-range aircraft. It shouldn’t be positioned as the centerpiece of charter sales. I believe charterers will instead pay more for access to pre-vetted operators and aircraft, exceptional hospitality, seamless booking experiences and verified reliability that the aircraft, crew and equipment is as advertised.”
Andy Christie, Air Charter Service
The global charter market is extremely competitive and the additional services can be the difference. Wi-Fi started as a “nice to have”, but very quickly became non-negotiable. Technology is moving at such a pace, and poor in-flight connection, causing interruptions to video calls, financial transactions or even the kids’ movies, is likely to result in complaints from the passengers on landing (or sometimes even mid-flight). We are also receiving more questions about data security and encryption while in-flight, reflecting the increased awareness in cyber security risks. We expect to see costs for installation and usage gradually reduce. The next challenge is for the size of the equipment to reduce, so it becomes more viable to install in smaller cabin jets and VLJs.
