Passengers nowadays opt to choose tech-friendly long-haul airlines when they travel. The new research revealed budget-friendly and low ranked airlines are the most tech-friendly ones based on the facilities of the top 50 airlines in the world by the 2018 SkyTrax World Airline Awards.
Qatar Airways gets the first spot of the tech-friendly airline for its "Super Wi-Fi service," per the South China Morning Post. The newly-launched facility gives passengers unlimited connection with a speed of up to 50Mbps for US$10. They can also enjoy the amenity for free for an hour.
Emirates takes the second spot of being a tech-friendly airline by giving their passengers 20Mbps of free Wi-Fi for two hours. Travelers who want to stay connected can pay US$6.99 for additional 150Mbps or US$10.99 for 500Mbps.
The third spot goes to Delta Air Lines. Although it only gets the 37th place in the 2018 SkyTrax World Airline Awards, its free mobile message app connections for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage make it as a tech-friendly airline. It also offers all-day Wi-Fi connection for US$16.
British Airways wins the fourth spot with its onboard Wi-Fi on some of its routes for £4.99 (US$6.50). It also offers an upgrade package that lets its passengers watch on Netflix. The company aims 90 percent of its aircraft to be all connected and tech-friendly by 2019.
JetBlue Airways manages to get the fifth spot, in spite of being a budget airline. It has seat-back screens on all flights longer than two hours, and also offers internet connection through its Fly-Fi system to passengers flying to the US. The tech-friendly airline also provides free Amazon Video streaming.
Other tech-friendly airlines on the list are Cathay Pacific at sixth spot, Alaska Airlines at seventh spot, Turkish Airlines at eighth spot, Etihad Airlines at ninth spot, and Eva Air at the 10th spot.
"It's not unreasonable to assume the airlines with the best reputation or most expensive seats will offer the best in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi, but our research proves this isn't always the case," Traveloka SVP for business development Caesar Indra said, via Lonely Planet. "In fact, some budget-friendly carriers, such as JetBlue Airways, are going above and beyond to guarantee their customers reliable connectivity."
Indra added Traveloka continuously sees airlines working hard to have a "competitive edge" and be a tech-friendly airline by improving their tech offerings. The airlines successfully have onboard Wi-Fi through the new High-throughput satellite (HTS) networks, while Qatar Airways and Emirates use Inmarsat's GX Aviation technology.
For the full list of the tech-friendly long-haul airlines, click here.
