Nearly half of British travellers say gadgets are essential on a flight, according to a recent poll by HolidayExtras.com.

Forty-eight per cent of holidaymakers told the add-ons provider that they can’t survive a flight without a Kindle, iPad, mp3 player, Nintendo DS, laptop or DVD player. A further third (33%) wouldn’t hop on board without a book or magazine.

Men, perhaps surprisingly, are happier than women to relax and chat on a plane without the need for entertainment, at 23% compared to just 15% of women (19% overall).

The survey also reveals that over a third of travellers (34%) want to see inflight films as standard on short-haul flights, along with cartoons for children (10%) and music videos (6%).

However, half of those polled (50%) do not think inflight entertainment is necessary anymore.

James Lewis, Head of Online Partnerships at HolidayExtras.com, said: “Passengers have so much entertainment at their fingertips today, and they don’t have to rely on the airlines to provide it. Though the best airlines are now enabling travellers to connect to their systems via their own electronic devices - that’s exciting.”