Reliable phone connectivity is now a core part of any trip abroad

A panel at Skift Global Forum 2026 considered how a broken phone connection can unsettle an entire journey. Richard Trinder, a senior director at eSIM provider Holafly, spoke with Skift intelligence editor Dan Marcec about why dependable access matters more as people rely heavily on their devices.

Mr Trinder explained that the smartphone now carries boarding passes, hotel details, maps, ride-hailing services, payment tools, messages and, more and more often, digital identity papers. If the phone loses its connection, a large part of a trip can become unusable all at once. He said that being cut off while holding a digital boarding pass turns into a crisis.

The pair also pointed to international border crossings and airport Wi-Fi as common weak points. A hotel has no say in an airport's connection trouble, yet it still takes the hit when a traveller is unable to reach the property. Mr Trinder likened connectivity to essentials such as clean water and air, and said travel companies should join forces to foresee these problems rather than expect customers to fix them on their own.

What it means for travellers from India

• Before flying, save your boarding pass, hotel address, maps and key documents so they can be opened without internet access.
• Treat airport Wi-Fi as something that may be unreliable or unsafe, and note that signals often shift or vanish at border crossings and at sea.
• A working data connection is now seen as a basic part of travel, so review your international roaming or other connectivity choices before departure.
• Keep a backup way to contact your hotel or transport provider that does not rely only on a live connection.