Customer adoption factors for in-flight entertainment and connectivity

Abstract

The aviation industry has recently begun providing in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) services using information and communication technology (ICT). IFEC is a concept that adds connectivity to the existing in-flight entertainment (IFE) service, which allows passengers to access the Internet or use roaming, using their electronic devices. The purpose of this study is to identify the adoption factors that affect the customer's intention to use the IFEC. The customer's adoption factors are largely classified into utilitarian motivation and hedonic motivation, and the sub-factors are verified to be influenced by four independent variables: ease of use, voluntariness, enjoyability, and excitability. Hedonic motivation has had more impact, which is attributed to the customer's enjoyment and interest in the new service. Low cost carriers (LCC), who were unable to provide IFE services due to the lack of in-seat video systems (IVS), began offering airline-specific entertainment services through their personal electronic devices (PED). In the case of LCC, voluntariness had a meaningful effect on the adoption factor of IFEC, unlike full-service carriers (FSC), which provided IFE. This seems to have been influenced by the voluntary nature of passengers related to cost payment as a new service was introduced in LCC, which previously did not have IFE services. In-flight wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) services are an important factor for airlines around the world who want to implement smart cabins, and the results of this study will help each airline find suitable IFEC services that consider customer adoption factors.