![Qantas will roll out in-flight Wi-Fi using signals from NBN Co's SkyMuster satellite during 2017.](/content/dam/images/g/t/q/z/z/p/image.related.afrArticleLead.620x350.guk8vy.png/1487909346276.jpg)
Some business travellers loathe the idea but many more love it. The last refuge from the digital world and the demands of work will be abolished when in-flight Wi-Fi becomes available on Australian domestic flights this year.
Qantas revealed this week it has been quietly testing high-speed Wi-Fi on one of its Boeing 737s. The first major trial took place earlier in the week when the airline packed a plane with 140 staff who gave the hardware a workout using 200 devices such as iPads, mobile phones and laptops.
Unlike the patchy and expensive Wi-fi on US airlines, Qantas is promising a free service at speeds fast enough to allow passengers to watch Netflix and live sport on Foxtel. The idea is the Wi-Fi quality has to be the same as if you were at home on the couch streaming a movie while sending emails on your phone.
The airline will roll out Wi-Fi across 80 of its domestic aircraft from mid-2017 and the first commercial flight trialling the technology takes off in the next few weeks. Virgin Australia is also looking at introducing Wi-Fi on its domestic and international flights but has not yet announced any details. It is believed Virgin is looking at partnering with US in-flight Wi-Fi provider Gogo.
On-board Wi-Fi is already available on most US domestic flights but are Australian travellers really ready for it? Australian Business Traveller editor David Flynn says a poll of his readers found there was an even 50/50 split.
No more 'me' time
"In our hyper-connected world, flying is an increasingly rare slice of not just downtime but of indulgent, recuperative 'me' time. And I can relate to that – how dare the real world intrude upon my Downton Abbey binge-fest!" Flynn says.
"That said, the more I've travelled on jets fitted with Wi-Fi the more accustomed I've become to it, especially on long international flights to Europe. Now I miss it when it's not there."
The AFR Weekend polled some of Australia's top chief executives to see what they think of losing their last refuge from the office. The majority are in favour of Wi-Fi on planes, saying it will make them more productive and even allow them to take off early for a weekend knowing they can work on the plane.
"I would find Wi-Fi more useful on long haul flights. But I am conscious about pulling out sensitive commercial material when sitting in economy which is how we fly," says Peter Harmer, the CEO of insurer IAG.
"People do sit quite close so it can be a privacy issue.
"I usually read the Fin Review on the plane but I download that before I get on board."
Coca-Cola Amatil chief Alison Watkins likes the idea as she works during flights anyway. "I use my travel time to work anyway – I regard it as an extension of my work routine. If I fall asleep on the plane I can do that with Wi-Fi."
Ten times faster
Stockland chief Mark Steinert hopes the Australian experience will be an improvement on US airlines where Wi-Fi is notoriously slow and expensive.
"If you can't download data quickly it can be very frustrating. If you don't want to work on a plane you are not going to pull out your laptop just because there is free Wi-Fi."
Qantas is promising free Wi-Fi at speeds up to 10 times faster than US airlines offer. The latest trial recorded speeds between 7 and 12 megabits per second (you need 1.5 megabits to stream a movie) via the National Broadband Network's Sky Muster satellites.
Qantas is expected to monetise the service via partnerships with providers like Netflix, Spotify and Foxtel and offer personalised entertainment and shopping for frequent flyer members. It will partner with major sporting events such as the Ashes. Qantas says Wi-Fi will give cabin crew and pilots more real-time information to help manage flight planning and other issues.
"Life is full of choices and I know some of our customers will love it and some of our customers won't switch it on. What we have found in the trials is there will be a big uptake on this," says Qantas chief Alan Joyce.