When it comes to the topic of internet on commercial airlines, controversial comedian Louis CK put it best in. In one of his on-stage bits, CK said, “I was sitting on a plane and they go ‘Open up your laptop – you can go on the internet,” says the comedian. “And it’s fast and I can watch YouTube clips and it’s amazing – I’m in an airplane!”
“And then it breaks down and they apologize that the internet isn’t working, and the guy next to me looks at me and says, ‘Pssstt…this is bullshit.’”
“Like, how quickly the world owes him something that he only knew existed 10 seconds ago?!”
So, it goes with Wi-Fi and internet service, as we now consider it a staple of everyday life – not an amazing technological bonus. That’s even true for flights, as Louis CK so laughingly pointed out, since a good number of airlines now offer some sort of inflight connectivity for passengers.
If you’re looking for simple, definitive answers to the questions, “Will I have in-flight Wi-Fi on my next flight?” and “If so, how much will it cost?” then I’ve got some bad news for you, because there are almost as many options as there are airplanes in the sky!
(But the GREAT news is that we’ve research and assembled the most comprehensive list of inflight Wi-Fi by airline, provider, and even current cost! Just scroll to the bottom portion of this blog to see that.)
When it comes to price, some airlines and providers determine the cost based on if you want to connect your phone, laptop, or tablet. Others set their pricing based on data usage (MB), or by time limits (two hours), by flight time, class of your ticket (Business vs. Economy, etc.), by any membership in frequent traveler programs, or even credit card mileage programs.
And if you’re planning on connecting to the inflight Wi-Fi and streaming Game of Thrones or catching up on your favorite Netflix series while you cruise at 35,000 feet, you may need to ground your expectations, since the internet signal will probably only be good enough to send emails, browse Facebook, and maybe watch a few choppy YouTube clips at best.
Ok, so let’s say you’re about to book a flight and you’re a business traveler or just REALLY want good inflight Wi-Fi. What’s the quick take on which airline you should try to book your ticket with, based on the availability, connectivity, and quality of their internet signal?
I’ll defer to a recent CNN report that summarized airline Wi-Fi rankings by an international travel tech company. They found that the top-10 airlines for passenger technology were:
- Qatar Airways
- Emirates
- Delta Air Lines
- British Airways
- JetBlue Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Alaska Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
- Etihad Airways
- Eva Air
Other notable airlines include Lufthansa (#12), Virgin Atlantic (#13), Air New Zealand (#24), and Southwest Airlines (#25)
Qatar Airways definitely fares well as the #1 airline for Wi-Fi connectivity on this list and is largely considered the #2 best airline in the entire world overall (Qantas is #1).
Here is the comprehensive list with the majority of popular airlines in the world that provide some sort of in-flight Wi-Fi, along with their internet providers and any notes on the cost to the consumer, when that information is available.
Aer Lingus
Provider(s): Panasonic Avionics, AeroMobile, Deutsche Telekom
Cost: Business class is free
Aer Social – Data limit 50MB $7.95
Aer Surf Data Limit 120MB $15.95
Aer Max Data Limit 270MB $32.95
Aeromexico
Provider(s): Gogo, Panasonic Anionics
Cost: TBD
Air Canada
Provider(s): Gogo
Cost: A pass good for one hour is $6.50 CAD, a one-way pass is $12.00 CAD, and the monthly plan is $65.95 CAD/mo
Air China
Provider(s): GX Aviation
Cost: TBD
Air France
Provider(s): Gogo
Cost: TBD
Alaskan Air
Provider(s): Gogo
Cost: A pass for one day is $16, or you can buy six 45-minute passes for $36, or opt for a monthly plan at $49.95/mo
All Nippon Airways
Provider(s): OnAir
Cost: 30 minutes – $4.95, 1 hour – $8.95, Full fight – $19.95
American Airlines
Provider(s): Gogo
Cost: For domestic flights: an All-Day pass is $16 + tax, the Monthly Plan –is $49.95 + tax
For international flights: a 2-hour pass is $12, a 4-hour pass is $17, and Full Flight Wi-Fi is $19
British Airways
Provider(s): OnAir
Cost: Must be arranged and purchased through Club World London City.
Cebu Pacific Air
Provider(s): OnAir
Cost: $5 for 25MB or $10 for 50MB
China Airlines
Provider(s): Ku Band
Cost: One hour is $11.59, three hours is $16.59, and a full 24 hours is $21.53
Airline: China Eastern Airlines
Provider(s): AsiaSat-6
Cost: Free inflight wi-fi up to 258 Yuan’s-worth of usage,
Delta Airlines
Provider(s): Gogo
Cost: A Domestic Day Pass is $16.00, a Global Day Pass is $28.00, a Domestic Monthly Pass is $49.95, and a Domestic Annual Pass is $599.99
Emirates
Provider(s): OnAir
Cost: Free for the first 20MB
Up to 150MB for Non-Skywards Members is $9.99, or $15.99 for up to 500MB
If you’re a Skywards Member, you get Unlimited Free Wi-Fi in First Class/Business Class
For Gold/Platinum Economy Class, for $4.99 you get up to 150MB
For Silver Economy Class, for $7.99 you get up to 500MB
For Silver Economy Class, for $6.99 you get up to 150MB
For Blue Economy Class, $10.99 gets you up to 500MB
Etihad Airlines
Provider(s): Wi-Fly
Cost: $24.95 for a 24-hour pass, $13.95 for a one-hour pass, and inflight Wi-Fi is free Diamond First Class passengers
EVA Air
Provider(s): Deustche Telekom
Cost: One hour of Wi-Fi is $11.95, three hours is $16.95, and 24 hours is $21.95
Finnair
Provider(s): Nordic Sky
Cost: Business class is free, for Economy passengers, one hour is $7.25 and full-flight Wi-Fi is $21.8
Gulf Air
Provider(s): Panasonic Avionics
Cost: $15/BHD for unlimited MB for six hours, or $30/BHD for unlimited MB for 24 hours
Iberia
Provider(s): OnAir
Cost: One hour with 80MB is 8.99€, four hours with 200MB is 24.99€, and for full-flight Wi-Fi with 400MB it’s 29.99€
Icelandair
Provider(s): Row 44
Cost: Passengers who booked Saga Class or Saga Cold members get free wi-fi for two devices, but pricing varies for other tickets.
Airline: Japan Airlines
Provider(s): T-Mobile
Cost: One hour of inflight Wi-Fi is $10.15, three hours is $14.40, and a full 24 hours is $18.80
Airline: JetBlue Airways
Provider(s): Fly-Fi
Cost: An All-Day Pass is $19.95, and the Traveler Pass is $39.95 monthly
Airline: Kenya Airways
Provider(s): KQ Sky Surf
Cost: TBD
Airline: KLM Airlines
Provider(s): Panasonic Avionics
Cost: EUR 10.95 ($14.18)/hour EUR 19.95 ($25.84)/full flight
Airline: Lufthansa
Provider(s): Flynet
Cost: One hour of inflight Wi-Fi is 9€ ($10), 4 hours is 14€ ($15.50), 24 hours is 17€ ($19) and there are mileage restrictions with these
Airline: Nok Air
Provider(s): Thaicom PLC
Cost: Free inflight Wi-Fi
Airline: Norwegian Air Shuttle
Provider(s): Row 44
Cost: Free inflight Wi-Fi
Airline: Oman Air
Provider(s): OnAir
Cost: Inflight Wi-Fi for smartphone use is $5-15, or $15-40 for laptops
Airline: Philippine Airlines
Provider(s): OnAir
Cost: You get 30 minutes of Wi-Fi or up to 15MB for free
Qantas
Provider(s): ViaSat
Cost: Completely free!
Airline: Qatar Airways
Provider(s): OnAir
Cost: Wi-Fi for the first 15 minutes is free, it’s $5 for one hour after that, $10 for 2-4 hours, and $20 for the full flight
Saudi Airlines
OnAir
Cost: Prices vary and will be listed on the onboard Wi-Fi portal
Airline: Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)
Provider(s): Information not listed on their website
Cost: Free for Gold and Diamond club members and also free for SAS Plus & Business passengers.
Inflight Wi-Fi is €6/$7 for European and Scandinavian flights, €15/$19 for all other flights.
Scoot Airlines
Provider(s): Gogo
Cost: 20 MB of Social-Lite is $5, one hour is $11.95, three hours is $16.95, and a full 24 hours is $21.95
Singapore Airlines
Provider(s): OnAir
Cost: Prices vary and will be listed on the Wi-Fi portal when you connect, but prices depend on service provider, aircraft type, and time or volume
Southwest Airlines
Provider(s): Row 44
Cost: It’s $8 per day for each device you want to connect
Sri Lankan Airlines
Provider(s): OnAir
Cost: 20 minutes of in-flight Wi-Fi will only cost you $2, one hour is only $5, three hours is $10, and for the full flight it’s $20
Swiss International Airlines
Provider(s): Panasonic Aviaonics
Cost: 8 EUR for 20 MB, 17 EUR for 50 MB, 36 EUR for 120 MB
TAM Airlines
Provider(s): OnAir
Cost: Prices vary
TAP Portugal
Provider(s): OnAir
Cost: $4.99 for 4MB, $14.99 for 14MB, $45 for 50MB
Thai Airways
Provider(s): Panasonic Avioanics and Sitaonair
Cost: $4.99 for 10MB, $8.99 for 20MB, $12.99 for 30MB, and $34.99 for 100MB
Turkish Airlines
Provider(s): Panasonic Avionics
Cost: One hour of Wi-Fi is $9.99, while 24 hours is $14.99
United Airlines
Provider(s): Gogo
Cost: Prices vary depending on flight and other factors
Virgin America
Provider(s): Gogo
Cost:
$4.99 for flights under 2 hours, $7.99 for 2-3-hour flights, $9.99 for 3-4-hour flights, and $13.99 for flights that are longer than 5 hours.
Virgin Atlantic
Provider(s): Aeromobile
Cost:
For 787s aircraft: £4.99/$5.99 for 40MB of Wi-Fi or £14.99/$21.99 for 150MB
For all other aircraft:
A Messaging pass is £2.99/$3.99, £4.99/$5.99 for 40MB, or £14.99/$21.99 for 150MB of inflight Wi-Fi.
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Enjoy staying connected on your next flight, and feel free to contact us at AllWorld.com if you have any updates or personal experiences regarding airline Wi-Fi!
About Tim
Tim Schmidt is an Entrepreneur who helps companies grow their online business. A firm believer in creating great content, he founded AllWorld.com to empower world travelers. You can also find his work published at the Huffington Post, Social Media Today, and many other online journals. His latest claim to fame is having his footage of feeding giant crocodiles in Costa Rica featured on Animal Planet. Visit his official site to learn more about him.