Australians now rely on their mobiles when travelling

Mobile phones are now an essential accessory for how Australians manage safety while travelling, new research reveals. 

Nearly one in three Australian travellers would feel unsafe abroad without access to mobile data, new research from travel eSIM provider Saily reveals.

The survey of 7,861 people found that 32% of Australians who travelled internationally in the past two years would feel somewhat or very unsafe without mobile data. 

“Mobile data used to be something travellers relied on for convenience," says Vykintas Maknickas, CEO at Saily. 

"Today, it is how they navigate unfamiliar places, access reservations and boarding passes, translate conversations, contact family, or call a ride. 

"When all of those tools disappear at once, being offline can quickly feel less like a digital detox and more like losing a safety net.” 

Australians reported slightly more concern than the global average across the eight countries surveyed, where 29% of international travellers said they would feel unsafe without mobile data. 

Across eight countries surveyed, 29% of international travellers said they would feel unsafe without mobile data. 

Younger travellers feel the most exposed without a connection

Even travellers who arrange mobile data in advance should be prepared for low-signal areas, technical issues, or a dead phone battery.

Maknickas recommends:

* Downloading offline maps for the destination before departure.
* Saving accommodation details, tickets, and emergency contacts directly on the device.
* Taking screenshots of essential booking information and directions.
* Carrying a charged power bank.
* Setting up mobile data or an eSIM before traveling rather than relying on airport or hotel wifi after arrival.
* Agreeing in advance on a meeting point when travelling with others in case someone loses connectivity.

“Travelers do not need to choose between staying connected and being prepared to go offline," he said. "The safest approach is to arrange reliable connectivity before the trip while also keeping essential information available offline.” 

Image: Andrii Shablovskii, Scop.io 

How to boost travel connectivity with minimum fuss

If you'd mentioned an eSIM a couple of years ago it is a good bet no one would have had any idea what you were talking about.

Now the market is flooded with a choice of eSIMS making different promises and with a range of package options. The old travel SIM business model is drowning fast.

But which one to choose?

Airalo, the world’s first and now largest eSIM provider, has just been awarded the esteemed 2025 Canstar Blue Most Satisfied Customers Award for travel phone plans.

I used Airalo on a recent trip to Bali, and was very satisfied.

"We are honoured to be recognised by Canstar Blue, reaffirming our dedication to providing unparalleled service to travellers," said Charlotte Dawes, head of partnerships, Australia & New Zealand at Airalo.

"We strive to connect and inspire a global culture of confident travellers, giving them greater assurance to experience the world. This accolade underscores our mission to empower travellers, ensuring they have the support and connectivity they need to explore with peace of mind."

Airalo is also scaling its enterprise platform with the launch of Airalo for Business.

This gives companies seamless access to local, regional, and global eSIMs for 200+ destinations, helping them assign eSIMs, control budgets, and can reduce roaming costs by up to 90%, Airalo says.

Employees can install an eSIM before departure and connect to a local network as soon as they land, staying online and productive from the get-go.

"As business travel, remote work, and global teams become the norm, managing connectivity has become increasingly complex," says Melvin Ng, Senior Partnerships Director (APAC) for Airalo Partners.

“Connectivity is no longer a nice-to-have - it is essential for doing business across borders.”

To learn more see www.airalo.com, or for more info on Airalo’s business solutions, visit www.partners.airalo.com.

Airalo, founded in 2019, has had over 20 million travellers to date and offers eSIM packages in 200+ countries.

See https://www.canstar.com.au/

MSC ensures cruise guests stay connected

One of the biggest downsides of cruising can be slow and super-expensive wifi connections. 

One cruise line addressing the issue is MSC Cruises, with two-thirds of its ships now equipped with SpaceX’s Starlink onboard connectivity. 

MSC, the world's third-largest cruise line, says the fleet roll out program will be completed in three months. 

The low earth orbit solution is providing faster internet speeds, improved wifi in cabins and public spaces, reduced latency levels and lower operational costs for 15 of the cruise line’s fleet of 22 ships, MSC Cruises says. 

The first of MSC Cruises’ vessels to be equipped with Starlink was MSC Magnifica in December 2022.

MSC Cruises has seen on board bandwidth consumption continue to rise, driven by both the increase in the number of connected devices and the number of apps that guests like to use.

Starlink will provide MSC Cruises with enough capacity to keep up with the future requirements of its guests, crew and also the technical requirements of its fleet of vessels.

MSC Cruises’ ships currently equipped with Starlink are MSC Divina, MSC Euribia, MSC Fantasia, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Lirica, MSC Magnifica, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Orchestra, MSC Poesia, MSC Preziosa, MSC Seascape, MSC Seashore, MSC Seaside, MSC Seaview and MSC Virtuosa.

MSC Opera and MSC World Europa will be added in March and the line’s other five ships set for enhanced connectivity ahead of the northern summer 2024 season are MSC Armonia, MSC Bellissima, MSC Musica, MSC Sinfonia and MSC Splendida.

EXPLORA I, the first of six luxury ships of MSC Cruises’ sister company Explora Journeys, is also equipped with Starlink and EXPLORA II will be fitted with the enhanced connectivity when she sets sail in August.

MSC Cruises offers a ‘Browse Internet Cruise Package’ and a ‘Browse & Stream Cruise Package’ onboard its fleet that are tailored for its guests to cover the connection and number of devices needed during a sailing.

Emirates boosts its free in-flight wifi

Emirates has upgraded its in-flight wifi so that every passenger can potentially enjoy free wifi even if they are flying on a cheap economy ticket.

Only one issue: you have to sign up the Emirates Skywards scheme to be eligible, Travel Mole reports.

The upgrade means an additional 30,000 economy class passengers will get access to complimentary wifi every week.

The airline says it has invested more than US$300 million in onboard connectivity.

All Emirates Skywards members in every class can now enjoy some form of free connectivity.

Skywards members enjoy free app messaging and first class passengers will now have unlimited free internet if they are Skywards members.

Silver, Gold and Platinum Skywards members get free wifi in business class.

Platinum Skywards members have complimentary internet access in all classes.

Emirates sees an average of 450,000 inflight wifi users per month.

Patrick Brannelly, SVP Retail, IFE said: ” In March we delivered about 55% more data per customer session."

Emirates will also offer new high-speed broadband by Inmarsat’s GX Aviation, on new Airbus A350 aircraft from 2024.