PED Changes Won’t Impact Most Passengers: Expedia.ca

The federal government recently announced that passengers will finally be able to use their portable electronic devices (PEDs) throughout all phases of flight and while it may be a relief for some to get that extra gadget time in, Expedia.ca found that the majority of Canadians are creatures of habit with 64% stating that this new change won’t affect their in-flight habits.

For those travellers who are planning to make the most of this added device time during their travels, here is what they’ll be doing:

• Catch up on TV shows or watch a movie (14%) – residents of Atlantic Canada ranked this number one (19%), followed closely by British Columbians (16%) and Ontarians thereafter (12%);
• Play more games (12%) – men are more inclined to play (15%) compared to women (10%), but when it comes to province Ontarians take the lead (15%) and Atlantic Canadians choosing this as the last likely option (7%t);
• Get more in-flight work done (10%) – while there is no difference between men (10%) and women (10%) in terms of doing en route work, travellers in the 35-44 age bracket (15%) were more almost twice as likely than their younger cohort aged 18-24 (8%) to do more in-flight work;
• Overall, men are more likely to change their behaviour, with 40% saying they will use their devices more, as compared to 34% of women.

For the 36% of Canadians that do plan on embracing their digital devices during the full flight experience, the Expedia.ca free travel app’s new media lounge feature allows users to download premium content for free – offering a new app option every month. Apps such as Travel List (an app that helps people get ready for their upcoming trip) and Over (a photo-editing app) are now available for free and are ideal to help maximize pre- and post-travel needs.