Do we really need complimentary WiFi on planes?

Boarding a plane is a bit like a trip to the cinema – it’s one of those rare occasions that I actually get to switch off and block out real-life distractions.

Yes, there’s still a screen in front of me, but I am not getting hundreds of WhatsApp notifications from the family group chat or endless pings from Instagram telling me a complete stranger has also commented on a video I have interacted with. Nor am I paralysed by endless choice, because there’s a limited selection of music, TV shows and movies at my fingertips. I can simply focus on what’s in front of me and escape to a completely different world.

When it comes to long-haul flights, in particular, it’s as though reality is suspended. Not only am I thousands of feet above the earth, I get to travel across time, landscapes and continents, and dream of the adventures I am about to have – or reflect on the ones I’ve just experienced. And if nothing else, it’s an excuse for me to catch up on my sleep and decompress after prolonged periods of work and stress, or simply read that book I started a year ago.

In short: it’s magical and one of the few remnants of analogue life I – and many others – have left.

It’s why, when I heard that airlines were introducing complimentary WiFi onboard flights both long and short, no matter which cabin passengers are travelling in, I shuddered at the thought. That’s not to say I don’t understand the appeal – those travelling for business will no doubt welcome the new service with open arms. Just the other day, I was chatting to my friend Bobby who was relishing the free internet access he had on an Emirates flight. “It’s superior to other airlines,” he wrote to me from 40,000 feet, as he caught up with emails and work calls.

Close-up Unrecognizable Businessman pulls out a modern windows laptop and places it on the table to work from in private airplane jet, Confident Male Businessman in a blue jacket working a modern laptop in corporate jet, Travel and airline business conceptMensent Photography

But even that seems like a dangerous boundary to cross, in my opinion. If you’re already travelling for work and expected by your employer to fight off your jet lag to schmooze clients and impress board members overseas, shouldn’t you at least get to enjoy a few hours of peace before you land?

Each to their own, I presume the counter might be, and that’s fair enough – my issue with complimentary WiFi is a personal preference, and while I can see the allure for some, I simply am not interested.