The Wall Street Journal compares Wi-Fi to food on airplanes: passengers were happy to chow down when food was free, but skip meals when they have to pay.
 
So too it appears with Wi-Fi. Once you charge-- even $1-- usage tanks.

Given that airplane Wi-Fi service providers have to entice 8% to 10% of travelers to pay for Internet access to make a profit, there could be some turbulence ahead.
 
Of course, there are some things that will certainly help paid forms of Wi-Fi usage. One is accepting logins from subscribers of Wi-Fi aggregator services, such as Boingo or Trustive. Another is offering power ports at all seats (Virgin America does this now).
 
For me, though, the real insight came at the end of the article:

Mr. Planey [consultant on in-flight tech amenities] believes that ultimately Wi-Fi will be free for most fliers, and the best use for airlines will come in having that seat-back connection to customers. A Wi-Fi hotspot can allow airlines to sell tours and tickets in destinations travelers are flying to, and could one day allow in-flight updating of flight connections or baggage problems, for example, letting customers know in the air how they have been rebooked if a flight is running late.

That's an idea that will take flight: Wi-Fi is a medium that enables new ways to connect with your customers.
 
Full article (behind paywall) is here: http://tr.im/xopH

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