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By Mia Taylor, TravelPulse
As travelers grow ever more obsessed with staying connected no matter where they are, airlines are doing their best to keep up.
Airline after airline has been busy upgrading inflight technology and Wi-Fi offerings to meet consumer demand.
So who's leading the technology race and doing the best job keeping travelers connected in the air? One company recently sought to get to the bottom of that question.
Airline ticketing and hotel booking service, Traveloka, conducted a study of 50 of the world’s airlines to determine how their in-flight tech offerings compare, based on such things as Wi-Fi on board, power points at travelers' seats and how well passengers are able to stay connected while flying via text messages, phone calls and live TV.
The result of Traveloka’s efforts is a new ranking of the airlines from best to worst when it comes to their tech services, which will be a handy guide for travelers around the world who dread having to unplug, even for a moment.
The number one slot in the Traveloka ranking went to Qatar Airways, which scored a 92.3 out of a 100 for its technology offerings. The airline not only has Wi-Fi onboard, it only charges $5 for it, according to Traveloka. Qatar’s in-flight technology also allows for phone calls, text messaging and watching live television.
The second-best airline when it comes to technology is Emirates, followed by Delta, British Airways, JetBlue, Cathay Pacific and Alaska Airlines. The top 10 is rounded out by Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways and finally, Eva Air.
Emirates, in the number two slot, charges just $2.96 for access to its onboard Wi-Fi. It’s flights also offer USB ports, text messaging, phone calls and live television (According to Lonely Planet the airline offers 3500 channels of movies, TV shows, music, games and live TV).
Airlines that came in at the bottom of the ranking of 50 included Jetstar Airways, SilkAir, Ethiopian Airlines, Hainan Airlines, LATAM, Azul Brazilian and Avianca – none of which offer in-flight Wi-Fi.
