In-flight WiFi finances revealed

I had to pay R50 for 20 mins...or something like that...
I think it's a good idea but our trips are sooooo short...not really worth it in SA.

Rather get more drinks for the 50 bucks!!
 
in fairness would it be more viable if it was a Vodacom product?

Also the pricing in SA is really competitive compared to the US where I was truly cobsmacked at the price of Wifi on the plane and at OHare and Jacksonville, not to mention the strip hotels (that is hotels on the Vegas strip not hotels for strippers - although what anybody would use wifi for in a hotel for strippers is beyond me ....)
 
Paul Hjul said:
in fairness would it be more viable if it was a Vodacom product?

Also the pricing in SA is really competitive compared to the US where I was truly cobsmacked at the price of Wifi on the plane and at OHare and Jacksonville, not to mention the strip hotels (that is hotels on the Vegas strip not hotels for strippers - although what anybody would use wifi for in a hotel for strippers is beyond me ....)
Click to expand...

Oh really? I was there last year and it was free in my hotel and free while on board delta...
 
Blind Faith said:
Oh really? I was there last year and it was free in my hotel and free while on board delta...
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Delta from Hartsfield-Jacksonville to McCarren and From O'Hare to Hartsfield-Jacksonville
Swift from MacCarren to O'Hare

14USD per flight - didn't take it - but there were options for frequent users that brought the pricing down:
http://www.delta.com/merch/searchTravelExtraAction.action

As for Vegas it was 13USD per day IIRC for WiFi/Wired connection in the room or in the lobby and 22USD for both and 39USD for a group pass so device in room, lobby areas and lobby of affiliated hotels.
 
Probably cheaper by far to sign up with Boingo at $5 per month. Huge coverage area. http://www.boingo.com/

Personally I'd rather be on a "WiFi-free" flight than a "free (or cheap) WiFi" flight. If you have to work you can still do a lot of stuff offline. Can you imagine sitting next to somebody yapping away endlessly on Skype?
 
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jannievanzyl said:
This is not a Vodacom product.
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Perhaps if Vodacom provide this as a "product" to their subscribers, it will be a viable business case. Why do you invest R30m in a project where it seems like you get a revenue share according to the article, but you dont take the product to your customer? The person who made the decision to invest R30m in this project should get fired for not ensuring you get the necessary returns on it. Why did you invest R30m in the first place again? What was in it for Vodacom then?
 
Was in the states last year in June. Delta flights had free wifi. Quite fast too. Though we took rather short flights (Atlanta to Washington) it was still better for me to use my own cellphone for entertainment than to read the crap magazine on the plane.
Everywhere else in Washtington where we stayed was free wifi. No limits No questions asked. But not here in South Africa. Here people have to charge an arm and a leg for wifi usage. Why?!
 
They were stupid, their target market was not right. Business in SA flies SAA not mango/kulula. People who would have paid more frequently to use in flight services would have been business people on SAA flights, and they would have flown more frequently ie repeat customers. Secondly the wifi was way too slow, and I doubt the limiting factor for this speed was a technical one.
 
I think the market they targeted was wrong. What they should have done was struck a deal with Mango as a free bonus when flying Mango (as mentioned in article). It wouldn't need to be a lot bundled with the flight but enough to do basics which in itself would generate the airline more flights? I mean if i have a choice between kulula and mango, at same cost.. that would be a factor. So yah cost models were wrong as i mentioned when this came out as it didn't entice much and on a low cost/no frills airline.
 
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