Wifi on board, here's which companies offer the service on board and at what cost
A detailed guide to the major airlines operating in Europe and beyond
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How many times has it happened to you, especially on intercontinental or simply medium-long flights, that you want to check an email or wait for an important message? Nowadays, giving up being "social" and using our smartphones is an unbearable sacrifice. We are always connected, whether for work or just for leisure, and often times it is difficult to do without. However, thanks to innovations in recent years, this is no longer a problem. More and more companies are offering the service wifi on board.
In this article:
In this article you will find out which airlines offer in-flight wifi service, at what cost, and on medium- or long-haul flights. If you, too, are looking forward to being able to return to use your smartphone on the plane, don't stop and read how to do it now!
How onboard wifi works
Addressing the topic "wifi on board" in a general way, it can be said that very few airlines offer this service for free, and in any case, if this happens, a limit is placed, generally 20 MB. However, a great many carriers give their customers the option of on-board Internet, in case they travel in Business Class or for mileage card holders.
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In addition, many low cost airlines Unfortunately, they still do not have wifi service. The latter, in fact, requires advanced technology. In order to take advantage of it, it is necessary to have an internet signal from the ground or a satellite. Usually the second option is preferred, as there is a lower risk of connection failure. However, this type of technology is very expensive, which is why it is currently still struggling to spread in Europe.
Contrary to popular belief, during the flight while connected to wifi, you will still need to keep the airplane mode, in order to avoid creating interference with the vehicle. In addition, the quality of the connection will tend to decrease in direct proportion to the type of activity you are doing. For example, if you want to watch movies or see music in streaming mode, in addition to needing a lot of MB, there is a risk that the connection will not be the best.
While for normal Internet searches or more simply for using messaging services, you should not experience any problems whatsoever. In any case, looking at the continuous evolution of the world of technology it is possible to say that in the coming years almost all airlines will be equipped with wifi service on board.
What are the costs of wifi on board
Le airplane wifi rates change enormously depending on which airline you have chosen to fly with. In some cases, in-flight connectivity is even free! This is the case, for example, with the American airline JetBlue Airways, which with its Fly-Fi program offers its passengers the opportunity to use in-flight wifi on all of its 227 routes.
However, let us start step by step and first see the In-flight wifi costs for EU medium-haul airlines..
Wifi on board with EU medium-haul airlines
Here for you is an alphabetical list of the European airlines with medium-haul flights most used and the respective costs of the wifi on board:
- Aeroflot: several plans are offered for surfing, although at quite high prices. Rates start from 5$ for 10 MB up to 50$ for 150 MB. The service is included on Airbus 330s and Boeing 777s.
- Aer Lingus: onboard wifi service is offered at a cost ranging from €6.95 to €29.95. Internet is available on A330 long-haul flights.
- Air France: rates for the French airline are more competitive. A Free Pass is available for those who want exclusively low-consumption surfing using Whatsapp, Facebook, Messenger. Then there is the medium level "Surf" and the higher level "Stream" which include more services for a maximum cost of €30. The aircraft on which it is possible to use them are: Boeing 777, 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A330.
- Air Serbia: The company operates medium- and long-haul flights and has in-flight wifi service on all its planes. The cost ranges from €2.90 to €18.90, depending on the megabytes you want to use.
- Alitalia: offers several Internet surfing plans, at extremely competitive prices. Rates range from 2$ to 20$ depending on whether you choose 10 MB or 200 MB. Currently, all Airbus A330s have the service, but Boeing 777s will have to wait a little longer.
- Austrian Airlines: This airline offers FlyNet service to ensure wifi on board. Two different fares are available depending on the length of the flight. The in-flight Internet service is available only on short- and medium-haul Airbus A320 flights.
- British Airways: you can choose as with many other airlines between the Browse and Stream package. Prices range from £8 to £24, depending on time of use. The flights on which the service is currently available are all medium- and long-haul flights and on short-haul When operated with the new A320 Neo.
- Eurowings: The service is priced between €2.90 and €11.90, depending on the plan chosen. Onboard wifi is available on short- and medium-haul flights of the Airbus A319 & A320 fleet.
- Iberia: connection has a time-based cost, in fact it goes from €8.99 with 80 MB for one hour to €29.99 for the full flight with 400MB. Onboard wifi service is currently available on long-haul flights : A330-300, A340-600, A330-200 and A350-900.
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: In-flight Internet service is provided on all Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flights and on one Boeing 777-300.
- Lufthansa: The service offered is the same as Austrian Airlines. Two different fares are available depending on the length of the flight. Onboard wifi is available only on short- and medium-haul Airbus A320 flights.
- Norwegian: offers free in-flight Internet (Surf). However, if you want access to faster surfing, there are paid plans, namely: Social+Surf and Stream+Surf on 737 and 800 flights, and Premium (14.95$) on Dreamliner 787-9 flights.
- SAS Scandinavian Airlines: For those traveling in Business Class, with SAS Plus & EuroBonus, in-flight wifi is free, while for all other passengers it costs €8 in Europe and €15 in the rest of the world. Onboard Internet is available on selected Boeing 737-800 flights and on all long-haul flights.
- Swiss International: Swiss First passengers have a free package of 50 MB included. For everyone else, four options are available with a cost ranging from 9 CHF to 59 CHF. In-flight wifi is available for A330, A340 and Boeing 777 long-haul routes.
Wifi on board with airlines for long-haul flights
Here you will find, instead, an alphabetical list of the Airlines with long-haul flights most used and the respective costs of the wifi on board.
- Air Asia: offers plans from 10MB to 200MB, starting from $4.50 up to $16.50 on A320 flights.
- Aeromexico: In-flight wifi is available on selected Boeing 737-800 flights and is free of charge. However, it includes texting only.
- Alaska Airlines: In-flight Internet is available on 737s and Embraer 175 flights. The price of the service is 2$ for 30 minutes, 5$ for one hour on all Gogo-equipped domestic flights. However, there are also subscriptions valid for only one Gogo-equipped company.
- American Airlines: The cost of in-flight wifi is from $12 to $19 depending on the time for which you want to use it. The service is present on most flights within the U.S. and on 777-300ERs, 787 Dreamliners and some 777-200s.
- Delta Air Lines: The airline offers in-flight wifi service via 3 passes (daily, monthly and annual) and the cost ranges from $16 to $599. The service is offered only on US domestic flights.
- Emirates: The service is free up to 20 MB on you A380s. In case that is not enough, Emirates offers in-flight wifi at a cost of 5.99$ or 9.99$ , depending on the megabytes. For Emirates Skywards members in First and Business Class, internet is free for the duration of the flight. The flights on which it can be used are all A380s and some B777 aircraft.
- Etihad Airways: Internet service on board is free of charge for Diamond First Class passengers. Instead, for those traveling in Economy Class there is the option of choosing a plan with a cost ranging from 4,95$ to 19,95$, depending on megabytes. The UAE airline offers the service on Airbus A330-200 aircraft.
- Qantas: Most B737-800 and A330-200 flights have in-flight Internet services and it is free of charge.
- Qatar Airways: onboard wifi is free for the first 15 minutes, after which the cost varies between $5 to $20 depending on the time of use. The service is called Oryx One Communication and is available on all A380, A350, B787 and selected B777, A320, A321 and A330-200 aircraft.
- Singapore Airlines: Here the cost varies according to the MB used and the time spent on the Internet. First, passengers traveling in Suite and First Class have 100 MB free, which is reduced to 30 MB for Business Class passengers and PPS Club members. In contrast, those traveling in Economy or the previously listed classes, but need more MB, will be able to choose from 3 cost plans up to 15.99$. The flights on which in-flight wifi is enabled are: A380 and Boeing 777-300ER.
- Thai Airways: The cost of in-flight wifi starts from 4,99$ up to 34,99$, depending on megabytes. In-flight Internet service is available on aircraft: A330-300, A380-800 (long-haul) and A350-900.
- Turkish Airlines: in this case, those traveling in business class can enjoy 1 GB for free, while those traveling in economy have packages from 9.99$ to 29.99$, depending on the time of use. Aircraft operating long-haul flights that are still equipped with wifi are: B777, B787, A330, A321 NEO and B737 MAX.
- United Airlines: With this company, there is an opportunity to save money by purchasing an onboard wifi pass in advance through gogoair.com. Service costs start at 7$ for one hour and go up to 27$ for 24 hours on each Gogo route. Wifi is available on almost all United Airlines aircraft.
- Virgin America: The airline offers in-flight wifi on all flights in the U.S. territory. The price of the service is the same as that offered by Alaska Airlines.
