Taking off and logging on

BUSINESS travellers are technology-crazed workaholics who, given the chance, would be in touch with their offices 24 hours a day. At least that is what airlines and hotels seem to think. Travellers beg to differ.

In recent years, hotels have become obsessed with creating in-room offices with oversized desks, ergonomically designed chairs and internet access. Dual-line telephones and modem connection are already standard in most hotel rooms. In some places, it is even possible to check e-mails via kiosks in the hotel restaurant.

Airlines have been kitting out airport lounges with hi-tech business facilities and installing power points and telephones in their planes. The next step is inflight e-mail and internet access.

The technology has been developed by two software companies, one linked to Boeing and the other to Airbus. Seattle-based Tenzing, 30% owned by Airbus, is offering a lower cost, pre-packaged internet service where e-mails are sent and received in bulk around every 10 to 20 minutes rather than in real time. For a higher price, airlines can upgrade to a system providing live access. Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, Cathay Pacific and SAS have opted for Tenzing.

The alternative, Connexion by Boeing, has been selected by Delta, American Airlines, United and Lufthansa and will use broadband technology to give real-time access to the web and allow instant e-mailing. Passengers will pay about £14 an hour to use the service but it will be up to individual airlines to decide how much to charge. Both systems will be widely available on long-haul flights by the end of next year.

Airlines claim that business travellers have been demanding the service. When Singapore Airlines trialled it on its Singapore-Los Angeles route, it said 90% of passengers using it were in business and first class cabins, but interestingly did not disclose how many had tried it. Furthermore, at the test stage the service was free.

Contrary to what the manufacturers claim, many frequent travellers say they are unlikely to bother with the service. Tom Stone, director of the Institute of Travel Management, said: 'A long-haul flight is the one oasis of calm where you're not going to be disturbed and it would be terrible if it got to the stage where companies started to mandate that their employees should work during a flight. But, I suppose it is all about choice.'

Dennis Bailey, travel manager for agricultural machinery firm New Holland UK, said: 'I think the only place I ever see people using their laptops is in the lounge. During the flight, people just want to have a few whiskies and get as much sleep as they can. Also, it's not very practical when you've got a snotty-nosed child with a tub of ice cream next to you!'

Even the airlines themselves admit that there is often a discrepancy between what frequent travellers say they do during flights and what they actually do. 'Our research found that business travellers said they want to work on flights, but I'm sure many of them say that because they think they are expected to do so on company time,' said Virgin Atlantic head of media Lysette Gauna. 'My guess would be that most of them are more likely to spend the flight watching a film or playing games.'

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