A majority (56%) of business travelers don’t feel the need or desire to be connected at 30,000 feet, according to a recent Orbitz For Business survey.

As per the findings, when asked if they would take less convenient or more costly flights in order to have Wi-Fi service, 56% of business travelers said it is not a necessity, while 36% say they would try to get a flight with Wi-Fi available, but wouldn’t be bothered if it weren’t. The remaining 8% feel wireless service is very important, and would take less convenient or more expensive flights in order to have access.

“Technological advances have made business travelers today more productive than ever before,” said Dean Sivley, Senior Vice President, COO and General Manager, Orbitz for Business. “While there are those who use flight time to catch up on work, and Wi-Fi will enhance that ability, there are also many who view it as valuable downtime. If ever endorsed, many travelers feel it would be hard to rest with the person next to them talking on a cell phone.”

Regarding in-flight Wi-Fi expected to be available soon, the Orbitz for Business survey found 59% of business travelers say they would use the service equally for both business and pleasure, while 21% claim they would use it solely for business. 20% of travelers responded that it would be used exclusively for pleasure.

The Orbitz for Business Corporate Traveler Survey was conducted online using a MarketTools panel of 640 adults ages 18-65 who have traveled for business this year. MarketTools is a market research firm that directly manages a nationally-representative online panel of more than 2.5 million individuals, with a global network extending to more than eight million consumers worldwide.
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