Internet on the plane can be handy. But the differences in terms of prices, availability and speed are enormous! Here is the comparison between the largest airlines!
In itself, I have always loved flying for being one of the last mobile-free bastions. No wifi, no wifi on the plane. Being forced to have no Internet for hours on long-distance flights and simply relaxing without constantly staring at my cell phone – that was incredibly relaxing. However: When is it better to write (and also send) emails or read blogs comfortably and in peace, if not lolling around in your seat for 10 hours?
➜ You can find cheap flights here*
Is there WiFi everywhere on board?
However, not all airlines have WLAN on board or not on all aircraft. And sometimes it’s quite expensive, but sometimes it’s free. So to shed some light, I’ve put together a list of airlines where you can access the internet on board!
Airlines with Internet access on the plane
Air Canada
In which airplanes: CRJ705, Embraer 175/190, A319/320/321
(only on North American flights)
Prices: 6.50 CAD/h or 21 CAD/flight, monthly pass with subscription 65.95 CAD$
Hey, I’m Tatiana and I’m the blogger behind The Happy Jetlagger. Since 2014, I’ve been sharing my personal travel stories on this blog. I don’t have a big team behind me, so I’m pretty much a one-person show: All recommendations are fully researched by just me!
unlimited data volume, purchase of passes in advance here
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Air France
In which aircraft: 90% of all aircraft, including Boeing 777/787, Airbus A318, A319, A330, A350, A220, A320, A321
Prices: not specified
American Airlines
On which aircraft: on almost all flights
Prices: per flight 10 USD or monthly pass 49.95 USD, for 2 devices 59.95 USD
(monthly pass only with American credit card + frequent flyer program membership)
unlimited data volume
Austrian Airlines
On which aircraft: only on some routes with A320 (short and medium-haul)
Prices: €3, €5 or €7, €10 or €12 per flight (depending on speed and flight time)
Streaming possible in the most expensive tariff
Cathay Pacific
In which airplanes: A350, A321neo, partly Boeing 777, A330
Prices: Flight time <6h 3.95 USD (messages only) or 12.95 USD, >6h 19.95 USD or 9.95 USD/h
Delta
On which airplanes: all
Prices: Monthly pass domestic flights 49.95 USD, monthly pass worldwide 69.95 USD
Free messaging offer
Additional pass offers possible on the respective flight
https://de.delta.com/us/de/onboard/inflight-entertainment/onboard-wifi
Emirates
On which airplanes: n/a
Prices: Messaging 2.99-5.99 USD/flight
Surfing 9.99-19.99 USD/flight
in certain regions 9.99 USD/30min without data limit
Messaging free of charge for Skywards members in Business Class and for Gold members in Economy Class
Surfing free of charge for Skywards members in First Class or for Platinum members in any flight class
Etihad
In which airplanes: n/a
Prices: 20MB 1.99 USD, 1h (100MB) 6.99 USD, 6h (200MB) 15.99 USD, 24h (350MB) 29.99 USD
Free of charge in First Class and for Etihad Guest Platinum members
on A320 and A321 Use of the in-flight streaming portal possible free of charge
https://www.etihad.com/en-ae/fly-etihad/in-flight-entertainment
Eurowings
On which aircraft: partly not available on A319, A320, A321, A333, A343, B737
Prices: messaging only 2.90-3.90€/flight
Surfing 3.90€/30min, 6.90€/60min, 7.90-9.90€/flight
Finnair
On which aircraft: Airbus within Europe, long-haul
Prices: free for frequent flyers Finnair Plus Platinum Lumo (always), Finnair Plus Platinum (30 min/account, entire flight/long-haul), Finnair Plus Gold (30 min/account, 60 min/long-haul), Business Class Flex and Classic (30 min/account, 60 min/long-haul)
https://www.finnair.com/de-de/entertainmentsystem-und-internet-an-bord
Iberia
In which aircraft: A330-300, A330-200, A350-900 and almost the entire short- and medium-haul fleet
Prices: vary
https://www.iberia.com/de/an-bord/wifi/
Icelandair
On which airplanes: Boeing 757, 767 and 737
Prices: 737: 10€ (Iceland – Europe), 20€ (Iceland – North America); 757/767: 6€ (Iceland – Europe), 12€ (Iceland – North America)
free of charge in Saga Premium and Saga Premium Flex and for Icelandair Saga Gold members (2 devices)
KLM
On which planes: n/a
Prices:
within Europe
Messaging 30min free of charge, surfing 8€/flight, streaming 12€/flight
intercontinental
Messaging 60min free of charge, surfing 8€/60min or 18€/flight, streaming 30€/flight (only B777 and A330)
https://www.klm.de/information/travel-class-extra-options/inflight-wifi
| Airline | Aircraft model | Prices | Information/Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lufthansa* | all long-haul types: A330, A340, A350, A380, Boeing 747 and some A319/A320/A321 (short- and medium-haul) | Short and medium-haul: 3/7/12€ for the entire flight, depending on speed Long-haul: 1 hour – 9€ 4 hours – 14€ Full flight – 17€ | Unlimited data volume Attention for switchers: short and long-distance offers cannot be combined Long-distance: as a Telekom customer, billing via the monthly bill is also possible Phone calls (FaceTime, Skype, etc.) not permitted |
| Norwegian | on European routes, not on all aircraft | free of charge, if available | completely free access |
| Oman Air | A330, Boeing 787 | Economy Class: from 10US$ | Roaming with billing via own provider possible (Attention: Roaming fees will be charged!) |
| Qantas | A380, Boeing 747 | only roaming with billing via your own provider (note: roaming charges apply!) additional SMS service from the handset at the seat: 1.90 US$/SMS | only roaming with billing via own provider (Attention: Roaming fees will be charged!) |
| Qatar Airways | A380, A350, B787, A319 (all) on selected A320, A321 and A330-200 | Billing via roaming | by billing via the own mobile phone provider, enormously high costs can arise, depending on the overflown area and own provider/contract! |
| SAS | all long-haul types and on 10 Boeing 737-300s | European and Scandinavian flights 6€ Rest of the world 15€ | Free access: EuroBonus Gold/Diamond members, SAS Plus/SAS Business also possible to use 3G with roaming via your own provider |
| Saudia | A330, soon Boeing 777-300 | Roaming via 3G with billing via own provider possible (Attention: Roaming fees will be charged!) | |
| Singapore Airlines | partly A380, A350, Boeing 777-300ER | changing providers depending on the area, prices may vary | unclear price structure due to changing providers |
| Swiss | Boeing 777-300ER, A330-300 | 20 MB – 9 CHF 50 MB – 19 CHF 120 MB – 39 CHF 220 MB CHF 59 | 50MB free of charge in First Class not suitable for streaming |
| TAP Portugal | A330 (long-haul) | by data volume 4 MB – $4.99 14 MB – $14.99 50 MB – $45.00 | low data volume |
| Thai Airways | A380-800, A330-330 | USD 4.99 – 10 MB USD 8.99 – 20 MB USD 12.99 – 30 MB USD 34.99 – 100 MB | |
| United Airlines | all (Boeing737 and some 757-300 only over the USA; on regional aircraft only over the USA and Canada) | No video streaming possible (Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime etc.) VoIP not allowed (FaceTime, Skype etc.) |
Status: January 2018
Tips for using WLAN on board aircraft
- Many airlines only offer a limited data volume, so be sure to deactivate all automatic update functions and background updates for apps before connecting!
- Be careful with flights where you use the roaming of your own network provider (i.e. no WLAN). This can become really expensive very quickly!
- Do you have frequent flyer status? Check if there is not a special offer for you.
- For connecting flights: Often the purchased pass is only valid for one flight.
- With most airlines, you can check on the respective website or in the app before taking the flight whether the aircraft used offers Internet access. The closer the departure, the more reliable.
- (Video) phone calls are often theoretically possible, but usually not allowed for the comfort of fellow passengers.
- Payment can also be made with miles from the airline’s mileage program.
