Frequent business travelers are always an attractive audience to advertisers, and there are countless ways to reach them whether in the airport or on the plane itself.
But the newest and perhaps most promising way is on their laptops and hand-held mobile device while the plane is in the air by means of ads delivered by the airline's in-flight wireless internet service.
Until recently, online access wasn't widely available to airline passengers, but that's been changing this year as more and more airlines have contracted with third-party providers to offer fliers access for a fee. Upon logging on, the traveler arrives at the provider's portal, which has advertising targeted to passengers.
The advantage of advertising to travelers on their laptops is that going online is what so many travelers want to do. One survey of frequent business fliers found that most ranked going online ahead of eating a meal on a flight.
To find out how to get your client’s message on in-flight computer screens, read on.
This is one in a Media Life series on buying out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.
Fast Facts
What
Advertising on in-flight Wi-Fi networks.
Who
There are a small number of companies that have contracts to run in-flight Wi-Fi networks across most of the major airlines. AirTran Airways, American Airlines, Delta, United and Virgin America all offer in-flight Wi-Fi right now, with others such as Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Southwest and Northwest coming soon.
How it works
In-flight Wi-Fi works very much the same way for-pay wireless internet services work in other public places, such as airports, cafes or hotels.
Once a traveler opens an internet browser on their laptop or Wi-Fi-enabled mobile device such as an iPhone, they’re greeted by a welcome screen on which they can purchase access to the internet (see image, right).
In-flight internet runs between $5.95 and $12.95 per session, depending on the length of the flight, although monthly and 24-hour passes are available as well. The main caveat with in-flight Wi-Fi is passengers cannot go online until the plane reaches 10,000 feet.
Advertising appears in the form of banners on the pages immediately before and after a passenger logs in.
Once logged in, passengers can navigate from the access portal to the internet, where they can browse, check email and instant message as they please, with no restrictions, just as if they were on the ground.
The one exception is making calls through a VoIP service like Vonage. While it is technically possible, most airlines at this point do not allow it.
Marketers aiming to reach passengers can arrange to advertise directly with the third-party service providers, and their ads will appear on their portals, which in addition to the log-in page offer related content and shopping opportunities. But in some cases, ad sales are handled by the airline.
But another option is for the advertiser to sponsor access to in-flight internet. For example, a movie studio might offer passengers a free half-hour of online service in exchange for watching a film trailer on the studio’s web site.
Markets
In-flight Wi-Fi is available on planes that serve most major markets. The entire Delta, AirTran and Virgin America fleets offer the service, while American has onboard internet in more than 100 of its planes.
Numbers
About 71 percent of frequent business travelers would rather have in-flight Wi-Fi available on a cross-country flight than full meal service, according to a Wakefield Research survey. Another 76 percent said they would choose an airline based on the availability of in-flight Wi-Fi.
How it is measured
As is the case with standard internet advertising, ad impressions are tracked by ad software, along with click-throughs for specific ad messages.
What product categories do well
Frequent in-flight Wi-Fi advertisers include travel, financial services, entertainment, automotive, consumer electronics and online content providers.
Demographics
About 27 percent of frequent fliers have an annual household income of $200,000 or more, according to Arbitron. The study found that 72 percent have an annual household income of $100,000 or more and 86 percent are at $75,000 or over.
Making the buy
Cost varies based on the number of aircrafts and flights in the campaign, but a standard banner ad starts at $150 per ad per aircraft per week, with a setup fee of $5,000. For sponsored sessions, in which travelers can log on for free thanks to a sponsor, the cost is about $10 per session with a setup fee of $20,000.
Who’s already using in-flight Wi-Fi
Recent or current in-flight Wi-Fi advertisers include Oracle, Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, Google, The Wall Street Journal, GoToMeeting.com and Frommer's.
What they’re saying
“I think it’s great to be able to reach the traveling business person in the airport before they get on a flight and then again when they’re on the flight. It’s such a dynamic approach.” –
Drew Stoddard, chief executive officer at InterAir Media
Web site info
InterAir Media
http://www.interairmedia.com
Gogo Inflight Internet
http://www.gogoinflight.com
Aircell
http://www.aircell.com
Row 44
http://www.row44.com
JiWire
http://www.jiwire.com
