How to Get Online During Flights

How can airlines offer Internet during flights?

Most airlines Internet systems connect to the Internet through satellites via antennas installed on the plane. Some connect to land-based beacons which transmit directly to airplanes, instead of routing signals through satellites. Within the cabin itself, passengers connect to the Internet with their phones, tablets, and laptops through WLAN networks.

Can I use WLAN during flights?

Yes. Most passenger airplanes have WLAN hotspots which passengers can use. Airlines provide various services through these networks. For example, in addition to Internet connections, some airlines let passengers watch movies and series, find information about the flight, check in to connection flights, or browse the airline’s online shop. These additional services are usually available without your having to pay for Internet access.

Which airlines offer onboard Internet?

Out of the five airlines with the most flights to and from Switzerland, inflight Internet is offered by Swiss, Lufthansa, and KLM. However, Swiss only offers this service on its long-distance flights.

Easyjet and Edelweiss do not offer their passengers inflight Internet. Edelweiss responded to a moneyland.ch inquiry by saying that it currently has no plans for introducing inflight Internet access.

Many other airlines do offer Internet access. These include Air France, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Eurowings, Finnair, Qatar Airways, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, and United Airlines. A major airline which does not offer inflight Internet is Ryanair.

But just because an Airline offers inflight Internet, that does not mean you can get online at any time and in any plan when flying with that airline. Some airplanes are not equipped with onboard Internet access. Even on those which do, Internet access may be switched off for technical or legal reasons while flying over certain territories (Greenland or India, for example). On codeshare flights – in which you fly on an airplane belonging to a partner airline – you may not get inflight connectivity even though the main airline you booked with has that service.

Which passenger aircraft are equipped with Internet?

That depends on the airline and the aircraft type. For example, all Airbus planes from Finnair which fly European routes have Internet access. KLM offers Internet access on all of its long-distance flights. Two-thirds of the aircraft in the Air France fleet have inflight Internet. Qatar offers Internet access on all of its Airbus A380 and A350 aircraft, and its Boeing 787 aircraft.

Is onboard Internet access included in the ticket price?

All passengers flying with Air France, KLM, SAS, and TAP can use online messaging services on a complimentary basis – including those with economy tickets.

Some airlines only give complimentary Internet access to business class passengers. Finnair, Turkish Airlines, and Singapore Airlines only give complimentary Internet access to business class customers. Limits on data may apply to complimentary access, as is the case with Turkish Airlines (1 gigabyte) and Singapore Airlines (100 megabytes). Swiss and Singapore Airlines offer complimentary Internet to first class passengers.

Some airlines give complimentary Internet access to members of their frequent flyer programs. In some cases, loyalty program members have to qualify for a special frequent flyer status or fly in business or first class in order to get this perk.

How do I pay for inflight Internet access?

Typically, you pay for Internet access directly using a payment card when you connect to the airplane’s WiFi network.

The way in which you are charged for Internet access varies between airlines. Some airlines have bundles with a certain amount of data, which you can use for your online activities during the flight. Other airlines have time-based bundles which give you a certain number of minutes of Internet use. Other airlines have per-flight access which lets you be online for one whole flight. Regardless of which system is used, you always pay a fixed price in advance, so you always know exactly how much you are spending.

Are there any pitfalls to watch out for in relation to costs?

It is worth taking a look at the fine print. For example, Swiss’ terms and conditions state that unused data cannot be refunded. You should also exercise cation if your journey includes connecting flights. For example, if you travel from Zurich to Hongkong via Singapore, Internet access you buy when you leave Zurich will only be valid for the flight to Singapore. If you want to use the Internet on the next leg of the flight, you will have to pay again.

What does inflight Internet for flights within Europe cost?

You can find out what fees apply to inflight Internet on flights within Europe in the table below. You do not have to pay any additional fees to get online (mobile roaming fees, for example).

Air France also offers Internet access. Unfortunately, this airline does not publish sufficient information about its offers and did not provide enough information when requested by moneyland.ch.

How much does inflight Internet cost on long-distance flights?

The table below shows the costs of getting online on intercontinental flights. You do not have to pay any additional fees to get online (mobile roaming fees, for example).

Air France, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Qatar, and United Airlines also offer inflight Internet access. Unfortunately, these airlines do not publish sufficient information about their offers and did not provide enough information when requested by moneyland.ch.

How fast is inflight Internet?

Inflight Internet generally has limited connection speeds. Satellite connections are not as fast as the line-based home Internet connections you may be used to. Airlines are generally hesitant to make concrete claims about connection speeds. The connection you get on Lufthansa flights has a connection speed of up to 15 Mbps.

Many of the inflight WiFi offers target passengers who want to use email and messaging services like Whatsapp to communicate during flights. With these offers, access to music and video streaming services is blocked.

When can I use inflight Internet?

Normally, you can only connect to the onboard Internet connection while the airplane is flying at cruising height. You cannot stay online during takeoff and landing.

Does my frequent flyer membership include Internet perks?

Many airlines do not have any special inflight Wi-Fi benefits for their frequent flyer program members. But there are exceptions. Members of the Emirates, Etihad, Finnair, SAS, Singapore Airlines, and Turkish Airline loyalty programs can get complimentary Wi-Fi access, depending on their frequent flyer status. Some airlines limit Wi-Fi access to frequent flyers with a special status. Some only give members Internet access when they fly in business or first class. You can get an overview here:

• Emirates Skywards: Members get complimentary text messaging in business class and full Internet access in first class, for the entire flight. Gold members get free text messaging in economy class. Platinum members get full Internet access for the full flight.
• Etihad Guest: Members can get discounts depending on their status. The discounts are 10 percent for Bronze members, 25 percent for Silver members, and 75 percent for Gold members. Platinum members get complimentary access.
• Finnair Plus: Complimentary inflight WiFi for members with the Gold, Platinum, or Platinum Lumo status. The terms and conditions vary depending on your ticket and status.
• SAS Eurobonus: Gold and Diamond members can get complimentary Internet in all cabins.
• Singapore Airlines: PPS members receive 100 megabytes of complimentary data. Krisflyer members receive 2 hours of complimentary text messaging.
• Turkish Airlines: Elite and Elite Plus members get unlimited Internet access in business class, or 400 megabytes of data in other cabins. Miles & More and Classic Plus program members get 10 megabytes of complimentary data.

Can I use mobile roaming while flying?

Some airlines do let you get online via your mobile service provider during flights. The signal is transferred via satellites. Your phone connects to your telecom operator via onboard mobile service beacons, enabling you to connect to the Internet. This service is offered by Lufthansa, SAS, TAP, Turkish Airlines, and Singapore Airlines.

When you get online this way, you are using your telecom company’s inflight mobile roaming services, which are extremely expensive. However, as a Swiss consumer you will not likely be hit with the terrible ghost roaming bills which were common in the past. That is because inflight roaming is not possible with Swisscom (and its Wingo, M-Budget Mobile, and Coop Mobile subsidiaries), Salt (and its Lidl Connect, Das Abo, and Gomo subsidiaries), and Sunrise (including Yallo, Aldi Suisse Mobile, and Lebara).

If you use a SIM from another service provider, inflight roaming can generate enormous costs. There are reports of telecom customers receiving bills in excess of 10,000 euros after their phones automatically connected to inflight roaming because they failed to put them in flight mode.

Are there any other options for getting online while flying?

For communicating or just general Internet use during flights, there are no real alternatives to the inflight WiFi offered by airlines. The only exception: If you have a foreign SIM, you may be able to get online using inflight mobile roaming. But this is best avoided as it is very expensive.

Although some airlines offer inflight WiFi services which are fast enough to watch Netflix or other streamed videos, it is generally a good idea to download the videos you want to watch onto your phone or tablet before the flight (in your home or hotel, for example). That way you can watch these in the airplane or airport even without any Internet connection at all.

What else should I be aware of when using inflight Internet?

On long flights, your device’s battery may become depleted during the trip. Although power supply connections for charging phones can be found on the seats of many airlines, these do not always work. Taking a phone battery backup with you can help to ensure that your device remains usable. Check which power banks the airline allows you to use in the cabin before you fly.

Can I stream movies and series using inflight WiFi?

A few airlines let you watch movies and series which are stored on onboard storage devices. You stream the video to your phone, tablet, or laptop from the central storage unit over the WLAN connection.

For example, passengers on short and mid-length flights from Edelweiss Air can access around 10 movies and 25 to 30 series at no extra cost. Portuguese airline TAP also offers this service in a few of its airplanes. According to American Airlines, video content is available via WLAN on all of its flights.

Eurowings includes access to movies and series via WLAN in its paid Connect Premium package.

Which other services can I access through airplane WLAN connections?

Some airlines provide information portals which you can access via WLAN. Services which may be found in these portals include:

• Information about the current flight (the expected arrival time, for example).
• A map tracking the aircraft’s location.
• Electronic versions of newspapers.
• Audiobooks.
• Information about the airline.
• Information about connecting flights.
• A travel guide and weather reports for your destination.
• Check in services for connecting flights.
• Digital airline shops.

The services included in WLAN portals vary broadly between airlines.

Edelweiss Air, Eurowings, Finnair, TAP, KLM, and Lufthansa all offer portals. Finnair passengers can access digital newspapers and audio books. Lufthansa offers a news service on intercontinental flights.

These services are typically available free of charge.

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