4.9
4.6Wi-Fi on Planes: Everything You Need to Know
If you’re on the go, you can usually assume there will be Wi-Fi available, except for when flying. Although this is slowly changing, there are plenty of questions to be asked on this topic. For example: which European airlines currently offer Wi-Fi? Does in-flight Wi-Fi cost anything? Is it actually usable? And how on earth do planes with Wi-Fi work? So without further ado here’s our frequent flyer’s one-stop guide to Wi-Fi on planes.
Do planes have Wi-Fi?
Yes, an increasing number of flight companies are ramping up their efforts to provide Wi-Fi for their passengers. If you are on a long distance or transatlantic flight, then you will probably be offered Wi-Fi. If you’re on a short flight zipping between European cities, it’s still less likely—but not impossible.
European airlines offering Wi-Fi
For Wi-Fi on planes, long distance and US domestic flights are way ahead of the European game. However, there are a few inter-European airlines that offer it.
AirFrance has Wi-Fi on 72% of their flights as of early 2021 and is gradually being equipped with the latest technology for browsing in their aircrafts for seamless surfing.
Lufthansa offers FlyNet® onboard for both short and long-haul flights for limitless in-air browsing options.
Norwegian offers sky-high high-speed Wi-Fi on most of their flights. If you want to check whether your flight will have Wi-Fi, you can see if your flight has a Wi-Fi symbol from two days before your departure date.
British Airways help you stay connected in the air from over 90% of their flights. They also went live with EAN on short-haul flights early 2021 (more about this innovative technology that is thought to be the future of Wi-Fi in planes in Europe further down below).
Why do I have to pay?
Some of the above services are completely free (Norwegian for example) while most airlines offer different packages that increase in price depending on desired speed and time you need for surfing. Much as we’d like to blame them for being unreasonable, airlines actually have very justifiable reasons for charging for Wi-Fi. It’s pretty tricky to engineer Wi-Fi on planes and the antenna can burden the aircraft by increasing drag–so the company has to shell out more for fuel. Hence why they’ll make you pay for using it.
Is Wi-Fi on planes actually any good?
Although Wi-Fi on planes is currently innovative technology, it is still miles behind the internet speeds we can expect on the ground. As well as the slow internet connection, there can also be delays caused by too many passengers trying to connect simultaneously. However, having said this, in-flight Wi-Fi can be a real saving grace for solving simple issues like how to get to your accommodation from the airport. It does certainly add an element of convenience.
How does in-flight Wi-Fi actually work?
The previously mentioned antenna is the source of the magic, it picks up signals either from the ground or from satellites. There’s a router on board which works pretty much like a normal router—distributing Wi-Fi to everyone.
Should I check the airline’s Wi-Fi instructions before flying?
Unfortunately, some airlines require you to download an app to get online or others ask you to switch to ‘flight mode’ during take off and you can then connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi once the seatbelt sign goes off. Do your research beforehand to avoid disappointment!
The future's looking bright for Wi-Fi on planes in Europe
It’s no longer a question of “Is there Wi-Fi on planes?”; the question is, when is it going to be better, faster, cheaper, and everywhere? We’ve already mentioned that intercontinental flights are pretty established in the in-flight Wi-Fi business, but Europe is also upping its game.
EAN (European Aviation Network) is working hard at connecting the continent via air. When the EAN does launch, it will be a network, with multiple airlines throughout Europe already looking to sign up. They promise cost-effective broadband where the quality is good up in the air as it is down on the ground. Carriers such as British Airways started connecting EAN for short-haul fleets in early 2021 and now even short distance ringleaders easyJet and Ryanair are looking into getting in-flight Wi-Fi. So the answer is yes, the future for Wi-Fi on planes is looking dazzling indeed.