Nearly 6 million UK holidaymakers will be “rawdogging” on flights this summer

• ‘Rawdog’ is the popular travel trend that’s taking TikTok by storm — it means consuming no form of entertainment during a flight. 

• It comes as research by O2 reveals 27%* of Brits forget to download entertainment prior to travelling, leaving them with no other option but to ‘rawdog’.  

• For the rest of the nation who will be travelling with their mobile or tablets, O2 is urging Brits to download their must-have movie, podcasts, music and audiobooks before they leave the runway. 

• O2 is the only major network not to burn customers with EU roaming fees, meaning they can use their phone just as they would at home without having to worry about unwanted roaming costs. 

Research by O2 reveals just nearly 6 million will CHOOSE to travel “rawdog” this summer, meaning they’ll only fly with their thoughts rather than use their phone, read a book, or listen to music. 

But, for some travellers, ‘rawdogging’ might be the only option, as around more than a quarter (27%) British holidaymakers say they forget to download content on their devices before boarding, leaving them high and dry and with no entertainment – either in the air or once on their holiday.  

As the only major network to offer inclusive EU roaming, up to 25GB, as standard, O2 is urging British holiday makers to take action by loading up their devices with their favourite shows, podcasts and tunes before heading off on holiday, so they don’t get caught out by unwanted roaming fees if they’re with another provider.  

To help British holidaymakers avoid getting burnt by unwanted EU roaming fees, Christian Hindennach, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Media O2 offers some top tips: 

1. Check your mobile tariff before you head off on holiday to see if it includes a free roaming allowance. If it doesn’t, check how much it costs to use your data while abroad so you know what to expect. 
2. Make sure you add a spending cap to avoid unwanted and unexpected bills. Surprisingly, over half 51%** of Brits wouldn’t consider applying a spending cap ahead of their travels which can be a very costly mistake.  
3. If you don’t have inclusive roaming as part of your mobile plan, remember to turn off data roaming before flying to avoid potential roaming fees when you land. 
4. Download content before you go abroad. A huge 44%** of Brits miss out on up to four hours of their holiday by staying in their accommodation so they can connect to WiFi. Don’t miss out on exploring a new place because you forgot to download your in-flight entertainment! 

O2 customers have one less fee to worry about as they can enjoy inclusive EU roaming, up to 25GB, at no extra cost as O2 is the only major network to offer EU roaming to all customers as standard. For those not on O2 and experience FOMO, they can sign up to a SIM Only deal and save up to £144 when they buy selected SIM Only Plans. 

During a two-week holiday this summer, a family of four could find themselves facing huge roaming bills of more than £130 just for using their mobile data while in Europe.  

Network breakdown of roaming costs for a family of four: 

ENDS 

Notes to Editor 

Research used: 

• *2,019 respondents were asked between 01.12.2023 – 04.12.2023  

• **Total sample: 1,002 Members of the UK Public. Sample is representative by gender, age  and NUTS 1 region, against the most recent ONS data. Fieldwork between 04.07.24 – 05.07.24.  5,846,703 adults choose to fly rawdog.