The internet is becoming a high priority requirement for business travellers worldwide. This was revealed in a poll conducted recently by American Airlines and HP where most of the respondents reported that the internet was their biggest need while travelling.

The results of the survey show that while 90% of the respondents admitted to having a notebook and phone always at hand during travel, 85% of them did not rest even at airport terminals. Moreover, 53% of the travellers did not mind working on their laptops in air. This showed that the few hours of flight are no longer considered a time for relaxation or catching up on some sleep.

Staying in touch with their customers’ demands, many airlines have now introduced in-flight internet facility, which is fast becoming an important point of differentiation between competing airlines. Market research company In-Stat predicts that more than 800 planes will have broadband service on board by the end of the year. This will be quite reassuring for 70% of the respondents, who said that an internet service in air is a must. For information on free laptops with broadband, take a look at a dedicated mobile broadband website.

The most shocking revelation of the survey was that the internet hungry travellers consider it to be even more important than essential items like food. Carol Hess-Nickels, who is the director of marketing for HP Notebook, commented on the survey, saying that internet connectivity was no longer a luxury, but a basic need of business travellers

It is clear that our dependence on the internet is increasing day by day, and not many groups of people have defied this trend, whether it is business travellers, students, or even housewives.