Air travelers who watch in-flight movies on their own devices believe they save the airlines money and want to be compensated in the form of lower fares.
That was the view of the majority of passengers polled in a survey on in-flight entertainment by technology start-up Osurv.
It found 87% of the 1,300 adult air travelers questioned said a ‘bring your own device’ policy saves airlines money from installing and maintaining seat-back TV screens.
It says 94% want the airlines to pass on these cost savings to flyers.
Around half of respondents expect free entertainment and over 25% want to see cheaper airline fares for BYOD passengers.
"People expect that if they have to bring their own devices they should get some benefit," said Daniel Abram, co-founder of Osurv.
Southwest Airlines is the largest major carrier in the US with a defined BYOD policy.
It offers 20 channels of live television free for travelers with their own devices, but it charges $5 for movies and $8 per day for Wi-Fi access.
