Latest news with #inflightWiFi
Arabian Business
11-07-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Qatar Airways now has the world's fastest inflight Wi-Fi after Boeing 777 upgrade
Qatar Airways has achieved a major industry milestone by completing the installation of Starlink satellite Wi-Fi across its entire Boeing 777 fleet—54 aircraft in total. The achievement positions the airline as the global leader in Starlink-equipped widebody connectivity, offering the fastest in-flight Wi-Fi available today. Originally planned as a two-year initiative, the installation programme was completed in just nine months, nearly 50 per cent% faster than scheduled. Qatar Airways Wi-Fi inflight Each aircraft retrofit was reduced from three days to just 9.5 hours, enabling Qatar Airways to carry out the rollout without disrupting flight operations. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: 'This new milestone demonstrates our strategic investment in redefining our passengers' expectations. We promised the fastest, most seamless in-flight connectivity in the industry, and with Starlink we have delivered it faster and at an unmatched scale. 'Having completed our rollout programme for Boeing 777s, we are now fully focused on equipping our Airbus A350 fleet with Starlink, bringing this game-changing experience to even more routes across our global network of over 170 destinations.' Qatar Airways passengers flying on Boeing 777 aircraft now enjoy: Free gate-to-gate Wi-Fi access Speeds of up to 500 Mbps per aircraft Streaming, gaming, and work-friendly connections Available in both Premium and Economy cabins The airline has already operated more than 15,000 Starlink-connected flights since the first 777 was equipped in October 2024, redefining the modern travel experience. Following the success of the Boeing 777 programme, Qatar Airways has already begun installing Starlink on its Airbus A350 fleet, with a goal of completing the process within the next 12 months. As the only airline in the Middle East and North Africa offering Starlink connectivity, Qatar Airways continues to lead the global aviation industry in digital transformation, enhancing the passenger experience across its network of over 170 destinations.
Skift
08-07-2025
- Business
- Skift
Virgin Atlantic to Be First UK Airline to Install Elon Musk's Starlink
Virgin is the latest major airline to opt for Elon Musk's Starlink as carriers look for new ways to attract more business and premium travelers. Virgin Atlantic announced Tuesday that it will install Elon Musk's Starlink throughout its fleet, becoming the latest airline to opt for the satellite technology. The carrier said it will start the installation on its Boeing 787s, Airbus A350s, and Airbus A330neos during the third quarter of 2026 and expects to complete the installation by the end of 2027. The in-flight Wi-Fi will also be free. Virgin is the first airline in the U.K. to partner with Starlink, which is owned by SpaceX. More airlines have been inking deals with Starlink for its high-speed in-flight connectivity and as part of a strategy to attract more business and premium customers. United Airlines recently started operating regional aircraft with Starlink and plans to install the technology on mainline aircraft later this year. In Europe, Air France announced last year that it would install Starlink and Latvian-based airBaltic has already started using the technology. Virgin said customers will be able to access live TV and streaming, gaming, and online shopping. Customers will also be able to use multiple devices. Starlink is not the only high-profile tech investment for Virgin. The carrier recently inked a partnership with OpenAI for an AI-assisted concierge service. The switch to Starlink also comes as Virgin is implementing a slate of other changes to the passenger experience. The U.K.-based carrier has plans to refurbish its 787 cabins and add more premium seating. The company added that it would expand the premium cabins on 10 A330neos, adding six Retreat Suites, 48 Upper Class seats, and 56 premium seats. What am I looking at? The performance of airline sector stocks within the ST200. The index includes companies publicly traded across global markets including network carriers, low-cost carriers, and other related companies. The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. See more airlines sector financial performance. Read the full methodology behind the Skift Travel 200.
CNET
07-07-2025
- CNET
Starlink's In-Flight Wi-Fi Is Faster Than Its Home Internet Speeds: Here's Why
Starlink is nearly twice as fast as any other in-flight Wi-Fi option, according to the latest report by the speed test site Ookla. (Disclaimer: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) The satellite internet company from SpaceX clocked median download speeds of 152Mbps and upload speeds of 24Mbps. That means that Starlink's speeds in the air are faster than some internet providers on the ground. Those download and upload speeds were nearly twice as fast as any other in-flight internet option, but latency was where it really blew the competition away. Starlink's in-flight latency came in at just 44ms; the next-closest, MTN Satellite Communications, was at 667ms. With those kinds of numbers, you could realistically game online or make a video call on a Starlink-equipped flight. How is it possible that Starlink-equipped planes lap the competition so completely? The answer lies with Starlink's unique fleet of 7,000 low-Earth orbit satellites. These operate about 342 miles above the ground, compared with over 22,000 miles for geostationary satellites used by providers like Hughesnet and Viasat. 'That's just physics, right? You're going to have a latency of nearly a second when you're 22,000 miles versus 300 miles,' Kerry Baker, the author of Ookla's report, told CNET. 'What was fun then was to see the data and the airlines line up just as you'd expect from the physics.' Locating local internet providers Ookla Surprisingly, Starlink's speeds were actually faster in the air than on the ground. According to Ookla's speed test results from the first quarter of 2025, Starlink users in the US received median download speeds of 105Mbps, upload speeds of 15Mbps and latency of 45ms. The other major satellite internet providers, Hughesnet and Viasat, also recorded faster speeds in the air than on the ground, although the most recent data from Ookla on these providers is from 2023. According to Ookla's report, Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways recorded speed test results with Starlink in the first quarter of 2025. United Airlines also began installing Starlink on its planes earlier this year, debuting it on some planes on May 15. Scandinavian Airlines inked a deal in January 2025 to outfit its entire fleet with Starlink.
CNET
02-07-2025
- CNET
Yes, You Can Get Wi-Fi on a Plane: Here's How for Your Summer Travels
Free in-flight Wi-Fi is becoming increasingly common, largely thanks to efforts from satellite internet providers. Whether you're staying on top of travel plans, keeping your kids entertained during a long flight or catching up on Love Island mid-flight, you have more than a few options these days. In most cases, in-flight Wi-Fi comes by way of a satellite connection between the airline's fleet and a third-party internet provider like Starlink or Viasat. Don't expect fast speeds by any stretch, and if you're trying to send or receive texts over cellular airwaves, you can only do so with an internet-based messaging system like WhatsApp or iMessage. But if you're just looking to send a few quick emails or check Instagram, in-flight Wi-Fi should be able to get the job done. If you have a T-Mobile Experience plan, you can get free in-flight Wi-Fi on nearly all flights with major airlines like American, Alaska, Delta and United. Prices and terms vary from airline to airline (and in some cases, from flight to flight), so it isn't always easy to know if your flight will offer Wi-Fi or whether it'll be free. That's where this post comes in. Below, we've listed the top 10 airlines in the US and detailed their respective Wi-Fi offerings and costs to help you keep things straight as you book your next trip. If policies change, we'll update this rundown accordingly. For more travel tips, check out 12 essential items to remember to pack on your next trip, and how to save money on travel despite rising flight costs. Locating local internet providers Which airlines have free Wi-Fi? Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue offer free Wi-Fi, but others charge a fee. Click on a specific airline below to read more details. Alaska Airlines In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes, on most flights Yes, on most flights Wi-Fi cost: Usually $8, sometimes as high as $25 Usually $8, sometimes as high as $25 Streaming video: Yes, for flights equipped with "Streaming-Fast Wi-Fi," no, for flights equipped with "Basic Wi-Fi" Yes, for flights equipped with "Streaming-Fast Wi-Fi," no, for flights equipped with "Basic Wi-Fi" Texting: Yes, no purchase necessary (no SMS) "On most flights, our streaming-fast satellite Wi-Fi is available for only $8," reads the Alaska Airlines in-flight Wi-Fi FAQ page. The site adds that some of the airline's shorter flights -- specifically those using select 737-9 Max aircraft or all Q400 aircraft -- are not yet equipped with an onboard internet system. Alaska Airlines also cautions passengers about the possibility of brief outages in the satellite signal midflight and adds that satellite Wi-Fi is unavailable above the Arctic Circle and parts of Alaska or when flying over certain regions of Mexico, Hawaii and Costa Rica. In addition, Alaska Airlines offers a catalog of free in-flight movies and TV shows and free texting to all passengers connected to the in-flight Wi-Fi network, even those who aren't paying for full web access. However, your app options are limited to iMessage, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. SMS messages aren't supported, nor can you send photos or videos. Additionally, Alaska Airlines doesn't allow passengers to make voice or video calls via apps like FaceTime or Zoom. The airline also differentiates between "Streaming-Fast Wi-Fi," allowing passengers to stream, chat and browse the web, and "Basic Wi-Fi, " which doesn't support streaming or uploading large attachments. Here's the list of aircraft that support the faster, first option: All Boeing 737 Max All Boeing 737-900ER aircraft One Boeing 737-900 aircraft All Boeing 737-800s aircraft All Embraer E175 aircraft And here's the list of aircraft offering slower, Basic Wi-Fi, which doesn't allow for streaming: All Boeing 737-700 aircraft One 737-900 aircraft Alaska Airlines also notes that the price of Basic Wi-Fi on Boeing 737s varies and can cost up to $25. Monthly and yearly internet subscriptions are also available for frequent travelers. Meanwhile, if you have a T-Mobile Experience mobile plan, you'll likely be eligible for free in-flight Wi-Fi on Alaska Airlines flights. Allegiant Air In-flight Wi-Fi: No Wi-Fi isn't available on any Allegiant flight, the airline notes on its FAQ page for in-flight services, nor does Allegiant offer its own catalog of movies and television shows for in-flight entertainment. You can get two beers and a single-serve meat-and-cheese tray for $26 though, so you've got that going for you. American Airlines In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes, on select domestic flights Yes, on select domestic flights Wi-Fi cost: "As little as $10" "As little as $10" Streaming video: Yes Yes Texting: Yes (no SMS) American Airlines touts the availability of "upgraded, high-speed Wi-Fi" on its travel info site, but only on select domestic flights. You'll need to check your flight status to see if Wi-Fi is included with your trip. If it is, you'll be able to pay a fee to connect and browse the web, check emails and send messages, or stream video from services like Netflix, Hulu and HBO Max. That fee can vary from flight to flight, but American writes that it's available on most routes starting at $10. AAdvantage members can also purchase a Wi-Fi subscription plan that costs $50 per month for a single device or $60 per month for two devices. T-Mobile customers with the Experience plan can also enjoy full-flight Wi-Fi with their plan on American flights. According to the in-flight internet terms of use, American's onboard Wi-Fi is provided by Gogo, Viasat and Panasonic. Delta In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes Yes Wi-Fi cost: Free for SkyMiles members, $10 for nonmembers Free for SkyMiles members, $10 for nonmembers Streaming video: Yes Yes Texting: Yes (no SMS) With service provided by T-Mobile, Delta currently offers free in-flight "Delta Sync Wi-Fi" on most flights for Delta SkyMiles members. To find an aircraft with Wi-Fi, you can check Delta's in-flight guide. Notably, non-SkyMiles members can access Wi-Fi for free on select aircraft thanks to satellite internet provider Viasat and Wi-Fi Onboard. Aircraft you can get free Wi-Fi on include: Airbus A220-300 Airbus A319 Airbus A320 Airbus A321ceo Airbus A321neo Airbus A330-900 Airbus A350 Boeing 737-800 Boeing 737-900 Boeing 757-200H/D If you're not a SkyMiles member or flying on an aircraft different from those listed above, you'll need to pay a $10 fee for Wi-Fi access. Daily and monthly Wi-Fi subscriptions are available for frequent flyers, and some Delta flights also support in-flight Wi-Fi for those on the T-Mobile Experience plan. Frontier Airlines In-flight Wi-Fi: No Frontier doesn't offer in-flight Wi-Fi or on-demand entertainment on any of its flights. That also means that there's no way to send texts while in the air on a Frontier flight. "The lack of these services and electrical outlets on our flights means cost savings and the lowest fares possible can be passed on to our customers," the company's in-flight FAQ page reads. Hawaiian Airlines In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes Yes Wi-Fi cost: Free Free Streaming video: Yes Yes Texting: Yes (no SMS) Hawaiian Airlines recently struck a deal with Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi on all flights. Like most airlines, video calls, voice calls and texts sent through SMS are not allowed on-flight. But you can do pretty much anything else with a Starlink internet connection, like streaming your favorite shows. You don't need a special app or a credit card; just connect to the "Starlink Wi-Fi on HawaiianAir" network, and you're online. Hawaiian Airlines is still rolling out in-flight Wi-Fi on its Boeing 787 aircraft, in partnership with SpaceX and Boeing. JetBlue In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes Yes Wi-Fi cost: Free Free Streaming video: Yes Yes Texting: Yes (no SMS) Before Hawaiian Airlines offered in-flight Wi-Fi for free, JetBlue was the only major airline service to offer that amenity to its customers. JetBlue offers "high-speed" Wi-Fi through Viasat. You must navigate to to connect your device to the network. Passengers can use it to browse the web, send messages and emails or stream video. JetBlue also offers full access to Peacock during flights. Southwest In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes Yes Wi-Fi cost: $8 per device $8 per device Streaming video: No (movies and TV shows are available on-demand free of charge, including select live TV channels) No (movies and TV shows are available on-demand free of charge, including select live TV channels) Texting: Yes, no purchase necessary (no SMS) Not all of Southwest's aircraft are outfitted with Wi-Fi networks, but those that are offer passengers free access to movies and on-demand TV shows, including select live programming, as well as free music through iHeartRadio and free texting via iMessage or WhatsApp. Passengers can pay $8 per device for full web access, which adds in browsing, but due to bandwidth constraints, you won't be able to stream video from Netflix, Hulu or other services, nor will you be able to use video-conferencing software like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Spirit Airlines In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes Yes Wi-Fi cost: $6 to browse/text, $8 to stream $6 to browse/text, $8 to stream Streaming video: Yes Yes Texting: Yes (no SMS) Spirit promises to offer the fastest in-flight Wi-Fi of any airline based in the US, with advertised speeds topping out "up to 400Mbps." That's pretty fast for in-flight Wi-Fi that gets online via satellite, but you likely won't get more than 7 to 10Mbps during your flight. Spirit uses Thales' SES-17 satellite system to provide coverage for travelers. Browsing and sending messages requires a $6 fee per device and you'll need to make that $8 if you want a connection that's fast enough to stream video. Wi-Fi is available across most of Spirit's fleet, including all of its Airbus A320 and A321 planes, though the company is still rolling out connectivity to Airbus A319s. United In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes Yes Wi-Fi cost: $8 (or 800 miles) for MileagePlus members, $10 for nonmembers $8 (or 800 miles) for MileagePlus members, $10 for nonmembers Streaming video: Sometimes Sometimes Texting: Yes (no SMS) United offers in-flight Wi-Fi for most North American flights by way of four separate providers: Gogo, Panasonic, Thales and Viasat. That's slated to change soon. United plans to partner with Starlink in 2025 to test in-flight Wi-Fi and eventually pivot to using Starlink for all flights. In most cases, the cost to connect is $8 (or 1,600 miles) for MileagePlus members and $10 for everyone else, though United cautions that those prices could be higher on some of its longer international flights. Once connected, you'll be able to browse the web and send messages via supported apps, including iMessage, WhatsApp and Messages by Google. Most flights won't allow you to stream video directly from sites like YouTube and Netflix, so instead, you'll have to watch movies and TV shows from your flight's free onboard entertainment catalog. However, you can stream video on select Airbus 319 and Boeing 737 aircraft within United's fleet, including the 737 Max 8 and 9 and Boeing 757-300s. If you have a T-Mobile Experience plan, you'll also be eligible for free in-flight Wi-Fi on United Airlines flights. For more, check out our tested picks for the best Wi-Fi routers, and how to tell if your router is in the wrong spot. Airplane Wi-Fi FAQ Is there an airline with free Wi-Fi? Yes, Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue offer Wi-Fi service at no charge. However, Delta Airlines offers its SkyMiles members free Wi-Fi; otherwise, nonmembers will have to pay $10. How much does Wi-Fi cost on a plane? Prices and terms can vary from airline to airline and with your flights as well. However, as seen with the airlines mentioned on this page, WI-Fi service can start anywhere between $6 and $25, with Alaska Airlines being the most expensive at $25 on some flights.
WIRED
02-07-2025
- Business
- WIRED
Airplane Wi-Fi Is Now … Good?
Jul 2, 2025 9:00 AM For years, in-flight internet has been fine for email, not great for Zoom meetings. That's all changing fast. Expensive and erratic, in-flight Wi-Fi has been more of a punchline than a pipeline over the past decade. But 2025 has marked a sea change for the skies: the rollout of fast, and free, connectivity on most of the world's major airlines. Satellite technology has enabled leaps in speed and bandwidth. SpaceX's Starlink network of low Earth orbit satellites, for example, can deliver a connection capable of downloading more than 200 megabits per second—twice as fast as most basic home internet plans. As a result, a host of global airlines are inking deals with the company. 'We're creating a little bit of a living room in the sky,' says Grant Milstead, vice president of digital technology for United Airlines, which flew its first Starlink-equipped route, from Chicago to Detroit, in May. The boost in bandwidth is changing the face of business travel, giving flyers the unprecedented ability to Slack, Zoom, and collaborate with coworkers from 35,000 feet. They can download lengthy PowerPoints, edit Google Docs in real time, and join livestream conferences as seamlessly as on the ground. (Voice and video calls are technically possible with satellite technology but prohibited by the FAA and 'strongly discouraged' by airlines around the world from an etiquette standpoint.) It's a shift that's felt, at times, like it would never come. For most of the 21st century, airlines relied on ground-based cell towers that provided slow, or no, coverage over rural areas, deserts, and oceans—a problem for carriers such as Air New Zealand and Hawaiian Airlines. Launched in 2008, Aircell, which would later become known as Gogo Inflight, offered a pricey yet spotty air-to-ground service that served as the stodgy industry standard. Then, in 2013, JetBlue partnered with Viasat to pioneer the use of satellites for in-flight Wi-Fi. Though faster and more reliable than Gogo, satellite-based connectivity was slow to take off—an expensive endeavor requiring affixing an antenna to the top of the plane and placing routers throughout the aircraft. Major carriers such as Delta and Cathay Pacific signed on with the provider several years later, but the advent of Starlink has curtailed Viasat's first-mover advantage. Qatar Airways, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Air France have adopted or are in talks to potentially pilot test Starlink technology, as have Canada's WestJet and US-based charter operator JSX. Air New Zealand, which uses Viasat for its transpacific flights, plans to equip its domestic fleet with Starlink service later this year. The move will be a 'game-changer' for business travelers who might typically drive between hubs such as Auckland and Wellington, according to Nikhil Ravishankar, the airline's chief digital officer. 'Typically we compete with a car, but you can't work from a car,' Ravishankar says. Now that there are enough satellites in the sky to support global passenger demand, satellite-based Internet is on its way to becoming the new norm. However, providing free Wi-Fi is not cheap, and outfitting the aircraft is not as simple as sticking an antenna on a plane. 'When you're trying to connect with a satellite that's 22,000 miles away—and the aircraft is moving on at 30,000 feet, 500 miles an hour—with a signal the width of a pencil,' says Joseph Eddy, Delta's director of in-flight entertainment and connectivity, 'the accuracy has to be really finite.' Delta has spent more than $1 billion bringing free Wi-Fi to its customers through its partnership with Viasat. Like its rivals, the airline requires that customers sign up for its frequent flyer program in order to log on, but it's free to join. (Most carriers also provide free service for passengers flying on a first class or business class ticket.) But analysts point out that airlines must recoup this line item somehow and speculate that the costs could trickle down to travelers in the form of inflated fares. As it stands, Starlink is poised to overtake the older players. Viasat's network, which uses four large satellites in far-off geostationary orbit, bridges most gaps in coverage but is clunky for real-time videoconferencing and gaming. It's also unreliable over remote areas such as the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, and the North Pole—a concern for travelers flying between, say, Chicago and Narita, or San Francisco and Singapore. In contrast, Starlink operates nearly 8,000 satellites much closer to Earth, allowing for more dependable service with higher bandwidth, lower latency, and unlimited data. Meanwhile, airlines are racing to retrofit their fleets and outfit new planes over the next six months. United plans to equip more than 300 aircraft with Starlink by the end of the year. Even American Airlines, an industry laggard since premiering Gogo in 2008, has finally announced a transition to satellite-based Wi-Fi on certain aircraft starting January 2026. All told, the fledgling market for in-flight Wi-Fi is expected to reach $10 billion by the next decade. But even as fast, free Wi-Fi becomes less a novelty and more a must-have for business travelers, the demand is unlikely to come anywhere close to outstripping supply, according to Delta's Eddy. 'A lot of business travelers say they don't want to be connected,' he says. 'When they're in the air, they want to relax. They want to disconnect. They want to be unreachable.'
