In-flight messaging is becoming more common with mainline carriers in a move to improve the overall travel experience. Some airlines allow passengers to send and receive unlimited messages, including photos, to keep themselves connected with friends and family on the ground.

Lufthansa Airbus A380 shutterstock_2558487175

Photo: Karolis Kavolelis | Shutterstock

Even Lufthansa
is set to launch free messaging on all long-haul flights by this summer. This will complement the existing service for the airline’s short- and medium-hall networks.

Staying connected with friends and family on the ground

Free messaging on flights is a way to improve connectivity for passengers and the overall travel experience. While airlines have differing connectivity options, those most commonly used include social media and messaging services.

Modern aircraft now offer WiFi connectivity, and while it is not on every aircraft, some airlines are upgrading their planes with Internet access. While some airlines provide free WiFi across their entire fleet, some still do not. So check what your airline offers before your next trip.

If your airline doesn’t offer free WiFi, many offer paid services, which you can add when booking or onboard. Information about what your airline offers as part of their inflight offering can be found on the respective carriers’ website.

Which airlines offer free inflight WiFi

While the list continues to grow, Simple Flying has spotlighted several airlines offering inflight WiFi and what you can surf while traveling through the sky at 35,000 feet.

North America

American Airlines
, a oneworld
member, offers inflight WiFi on almost all domestic and international flights. Access can be purchased on both a monthly and annual subscription for the airline’s most frequent travelers.

Delta Air Lines
offers inflight connectivity on most domestic and international services and ensures free WiFi across most of the airline’s large fleet of aircraft.

United Airlines
continues to expand its inflight connectivity offering, with most of its mainline aircraft now offering the service. Regional jets are being retrofitted with the latest technology to keep customers connected. The cost of this service varies depending on the distance traveled.

New York-based JetBlue
offers Fly-Fi, a complimentary WiFi service on all flights within the continental US. Select international routes also offer the service.

Southwest Airlines
, the world’s largest low-cost carrier and the single largest operator of the Boeing 737 family of aircraft, offers inflight connectivity on most flights throughout its network.

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Carriers in Europe offering inflight connectivity

Many of Europe’s largest legacy carriers offer passengers inflight connectivity, including British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM. Further details below:

The United Kingdom’s flag carrier, British Airways
, enables passengers to connect on most long-haul intercontinental flights. It plans to launch a short-haul connectivity option soon.

Air France
and its partner KLM
offers inflight connectivity on most intercontinental routes and select short-haul services.

Virgin Atlantic
has WiFi enabled across all its flights, with varying packages depending on flight and aircraft type. These can include simple messaging, web browsing, and streaming. Full flight access can cost up to £20.99 ($27).

Finnair
, the flag carrier of Finland, operates a robust network of short, and long-haul services from its Helsinki Airport (HEL) hub. The airline offers WiFi across its network, and this can be purchased at the time of booking, and also once onboard. Finnair Plus members can obtain complementary access packages.

During Norwegian’s long-haul era, the carrier also offered inflight connectivity for a fee for all passengers onboard.

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All of these routes serve the Canary Islands.

Inflight connectivity for other airlines

Middle Eastern carriers, Emirates and Qatar Airways, both offer inflight connectivity, with Emirati carrier Emirates
offering free messaging plans. For Qatar Airways
, select routes and aircraft offer what it calls Super WiFi connectivity.

In Asia, Singapore Airlines
, ANA, and Japan Airlines
all offer the service, varying on aircraft type and routes served. Japan Airlines also offers inflight connectivity on some domestic services.

Down under, Qantas
already offers inflight connectivity on domestic and short-haul services; however, for long-haul customers, they’ve had to wait until this year to make the most of surfing in the sky. The carrier was expected to launch this offering for long-haul flights in January.

Turkish Airlines
, the world’s largest carrier by international destinations served, has a vast network from its Istanbul Airport (IST) hub, and the Star Alliance carrier offers high-speed wireless internet on select flights across its network. This service is complimentary for business class passengers and those in the airline’s frequent flier program Miles&Smiles
. Paid internet passes are available for general passengers, with service levels ranging from messaging only to unlimited internet during your flight.

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The cost of inflight connectivity for passengers

The cost of inflight WiFi varies between carriers and can depend on your class of travel. Some airlines offer free messaging, such as via Facebook, WhatsApp, or Instagram; however, others can be more extensive.

Booking.com, recently analyzed the cost of inflight connectivity for passengers, with the below results:

Type

Cost

Short-haul flights (under three hours)

  • Basic: $8-15
  • Full flight: $10-20
  • Messaging only: Free or up to $5

Long-haul flights

  • Basic: $20-30
  • Full flight: $25-40
  • 24-hour pass $30-50

Subscription options

These can differ between airlines. However, airline-specific passes can vary between:

  • Monthly: $40-60
  • Annual: $400-600

What are the differences in browsing between airlines

As already mentioned, there are different inclusions in inflight connectivity between airlines. However, many follow the below guidelines:

Basic browsing

Standard browsing

  • Social media
  • News websites
  • Other basic websites

Premium Access

Time-based passes

  • It can vary from one hour to the entire flight

Airlines will usually allow passengers to prebook WiFi passes before they fly, sometimes at a discount compared to after onboard. These savings can be between 20 and 40% of the usual price. Through airline loyalty programs, credit card and cell phone providers can also offer discounted access. For example, T-Mobile offers complimentary WiFi access on United Airlines flights.

BA ipad

Photo: British Airways

Aviation experts have also said that WiFi onboard is safe, and there are no causes for concern that these could interfere with flight systems. The networks are designed with special equipment to ensure that they are certified and safe to use before being deployed for general passenger use.

Keeping safe while surfing the net at 35,000 feet

There are several steps that you can take before accessing inflight WiFi to keep your personal information safe; these steps can include (but are not limited to):

  • Avoid accessing your banks, or other financial providers’ websites
  • Cautious when sharing personal information
  • Use a VPN (Virtual private network) when using your sensitive information
  • Ensure all websites accessed are secure
  • Log out of accounts after use
  • Use strong passwords when creating a new account

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Limitations to inflight WiFi and where you might not be connected

While it would be great to think that you can be connected anywhere, some limitations to inflight connectivity and WiFi can restrict your access. While flying over land, ground-based systems enable passengers to have an average speed of around ten to 15 Mbps, with peak speeds up to 25 Mbps. These are best used when browsing websites or sending emails.

However, if your airline is using a satellite system, speeds will increase to 30 to 100 Mbps, with peak speeds reaching up to 200 Mbps; this makes passengers capable of streaming movies and making video calls and will work when the aircraft is flying over water.

Your overall speed will be reduced, subject to the number of passengers that could be onboard, your flight’s cruising altitude, general geographic location and weather conditions, and satellite coverage areas.

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For passengers looking to access inflight messaging connectivity, you will need to ensure you have apps such as WhatsApp, iMessage, WeChat, or Facebook Messenger. These apps don’t require a cellular network to send and receive messages, as these are done over the internet.

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