How Airplane Wi-Fi Works: Networking In The Air

Do you ever wonder how, even after hovering in mid-air among clouds inside an aircraft 35,000 feet above the ground, you are able to link with the world beneath you? It is the marvel of Wi-Fi – the advanced technology that defies altitude to keep you socially connected. Are you curious to know the mystery behind this scientific tool?

This guide will introduce you to the fascinating mechanics behind networking in the air. It will show you the intricate web of communications that makes it possible to stay online and interact with your community while flying. So, fasten your seatbelts and get ready to unravel the complexities of how airplanes connect to the internet.

Wifi On Planes: How Does It Work?

So, you want to know how you get the internet connection while in mid-air on your flight. It’s a nice question, indeed. Let’s feed your curiosity.

There are various technical components on the air carrier that make it possible. A special Antenna fitted on the top or under the airplane communicates data signals with ground-based cell towers (for domestic flights) or satellites (for international flights). Routers distribute these internet signals throughout the cabin, which you receive on your devices. The Server ensures a smooth and stable flow of connection for passengers.

Which Airlines Provide Wi-Fi?

Accessing an internet connection in the air isn’t that simple. Factors such as limited Wi-Fi coverage in certain destinations, additional charges, and whether the airline offers Wi-Fi at all can hinder your ability to connect with the outside world during your flight.

Let’s see which airlines offer Wi-Fi and whether they charge for it or not so you can prepare your air trips accordingly.

Airline Name	Wi-Fi Charges	Aircraft Where Accessible
Aer Lingus Wifi	Business class passengers: FreeAer Social: €6.95/$7.95 USD for 50MBAer Surf: €13.95/$15.95 USD for 120MBAer Max €29.95/$32.95 for 270MB	A330 aircraft on all transatlantic routes
Aeroflot	$5 for 10 MB$15 for 30 MB$40 for 100 MB$50 for 150 MB	Airbus 330 and Boeing 777
AirAsia	$2 for 3 MB (on roKKi chats)$4,50 for 10 MB (lightweight internet usage)	Chat Wi-Fi system in 33 Aircraft
Air Canada Wifi cost	Free 6-12 month wifi pass: Altitude Elite 75K and Super Elite 100K.$49.95/month on Gogo equipped airlines$14 for 24-hour internet access on the same airline$5 on any single domestic Gogo wifi flight$39.95/month on one Gogo wifi flight	129 planes of different models
Air China	Free on electronic devices except mobile phones	Airbus 330 and Boeing 777
Air Europa	£6 for 30MB, £10 for 60 MB, and £15 for 100 MB on short and medium-haul flights£7 for 30 MB, £13 for 60 MB, and £20 for 100 MB on long-duration flights.	B737-800 aircraft on all long-duration flights and some short and medium-haul ones
Air France Wifi cost	$6 for 20 MB$12 for 50 MB$36 for 200 MB	Boeing 777, 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A330
AirTran	$7.95 for any flight length (for smartphones and tablets)	All Aircraft
Alaska Wifi cost	Virgin Airways Wi-Fi: free for Tmobile airplane wifi customersBasic Wi-Fi and Streaming Wi-Fi: $8Full-flight Wi-Fi: $24.99	All the Boeing 737s and Embraer 175 jets
Alitalia	Lite: $2 for 10 MBFlexi: $6 for 50 MBFlexi Plus: $12 for 90 MBBusiness: $20 for 200 MB	14 Airbus 330 and 5 Boeing 777 (on select long-duration flights)
All Nippon Airways	Economy and Premium Economy$6.95 for 30 minutes$16.95 for 3 hours$21.95 for 24 hours First and Business Class: Free Wi-Fi	All flights
ANA	$6 for 5 MB$12 for 10 MB$24 for 20 MB	International flights using B777-300ER and B767-300ER aircraft
Asiana WiFi	$11.95 for one hour$16.95 for 3 hours$21.95 for the entire flight	Airbus A350
British Airways	£8 for 1 hour£18 for 4 hours£24 for the entire flight	Boeing 787 and Airbus A380
Cebu Pacific Air	$5 for 25MB$10 for 50MB	A330 fleet
China Airlines inflight wifi	Not specified	Entire fleet
Delta Air Lines	Free for SkyMiles members and First and business-class passengers$7 for an hour$16 for a day$49.95 for a month$599/year annual plan	Only on domestic flights with all A319, 320, B737, B757, B767, MD88, MD90, CRJ 700, CRJ 900, ERJ 170, ERJ 175 and on select DC9 and B757.
Egypt Air	Free for first and business-class flight$2 for 5 MB$23 for 100 MB	On select A330-300 carrier
Emirates	Complimentary for Emirates Skywards Members and on certain cabin classes for Blue, Silver, Gold, and Platinum members$2.99 – $5.99: Unlimited Chat$9.99 – $19.99: Wi-Fi Internet$9.99 for 30 minutes (no data limit): Easy Connect	all A380s and some B777
Etihad	Free for Etihad Guest Members, and first class and business class$2.99 for chats on the entire flight$9.99 for surfing on the entire flight	Airbus A330-200
EVA Air	Free for Business class, Economy, and Premium Economy.$4.95 for 30 MB$14.95 for 100 MB$29.95 for 300 MB$39.95 for unlimited data	On select B777-300ER aircraft
Finnair	For Browsing:€7.95 for one hour€14.95 for 3 hours€24.95 for the entire flight For Streaming:€6.95 for 1 hour€11.95 for the entire flight	Airbus A350 and Airbus A330
Garuda Indonesia	First 15 minutes for free on all flights Free for first-class passengers$11.95 for one hour$16.95 for 3 hours$21.95 for 24 hours$5 for 20 MB	B777-300ER and Airbus 330-200/300
GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes	$5 for the entire flight (messaging only)$6 for one hour$12 for the entire flight	Not specified
Gulf Air	$10 for unlimited chats and messages$15 for unlimited social media, internet browsing, and emails	Not specified
HongKong Airlines	Free for the first 15 minutes$2.95: for unlimited chats$4.95 for one hour$11.95 for the entire flight	All Airbus A330-200 aircraft
Iberia	Free messaging for business class passengers and Iberia Plus Members€3.49 for an hour (messages)€5.99 for an hour (browsing and streaming)€13.49 for 4 hours of browsing and streaming€5.99 – €24.99 for browsing and streaming on the entire flight	Airbus A330-200
Icelandair	Free for Saga Premium, Flex, and Gold members$10.25 for one hour and $6.16 on the entire flight on Iceland-Europe Routes$20.50 for one hour and $12.32 on the entire flight on Iceland-North America Routes	Entire fleet
JetBlue	Free for Simply Surf Basic version$9/hour: Fly-Fi plus	Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A321neo, Airbus A321 Long Range
Lufthansa	Short and medium duration flights:€3-£7 for 1 hour£5-£10 for 1-2 hours£7-£12 for more than 2 hours Long duration flights:£7 for FlyNet chat£17: FlyNet mail and surf£29: FlyNet mail and surf plus	Airbus A320 family, A330, A340, A350, A380
Malindoair	$3.95 for 30 MB$9.95 for one hour$15.95 for the entire flight	Boeing 737-900ER
Mango Airlines	50 ZAR for 3 hours and 90 ZAR for 7 days on 1 Way G-connected airlines65 ZAR for 23 hours on 1 Day G-connected airlines250 ZAR for 300 minutes	Boeing 737-800
Nok Air	Free WiFi for all travelers	One Boeing 737-800 aircraft and some Boeing 737
Norwegian	Free for 15 minutes$9 or $15 for 30-60 minutes$25 for the entire flight	Boeing 737-800, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, Boeing 737 MAX
Oman Air	$6 for 30 minutes (speedy social)$12 for 120 minutes (stay social)$19 for 1 hour (quick connect)$29 for 3 hours (easy connect)	Boeing 787, 787-8, and 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft,
Philippine Airlines (PAL)	Free 30-minute sessionFree 100 MB for business class. Mabuhay Miles Million Milers$5 for one hour (Chat only)$10 for one hour$20 for the entire flight duration	Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A350 aircraft
Qatar Airways Wifi charges	Free standard Wi-Fi for 30 minutesFree one-hour access to Privilege Club and student club members$10 for one hour basic Wi-Fi$20 for basic Wi-Fi the entire flight$8 super Wi-Fi on pre-purchase$10 Super Wi-Fi for the entire flight	Boeing 777 300ER, 777-200LR, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, Airbus A350, Airbus A380
Wifi SAS Airlines	Scandinavian airlines Wifi charges: $4.90 for 30 minutes$7 for one hour $15 for the entire flight	Airbus A320neo, Airbus A330, Airbus A350, Boeing 737 MAX
Saudi Arabian Airlines	Free for business class passengersFirst 20 minutes for select Economy passengers$9.49 for 1 hour or up to 50 MB$14.49 for 3 hours or up to 100 MB$24.49 for the entire flight or up to 300 MB	Airbus A330-300, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-9, Airbus A320
Singapore Airlines	Free for Suites, first class, business class, PPS Club members, supplementary cardholders, and KrisFlyer members$3.99 for one hour$8.99 for 3 hours$15.99 for the entire flight	Airbus A350, Airbus A380, Boeing 737-8 MAX, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-10
Southwest Airlines	Free for A-list preferred members and select Business customers$4 for 30 minutes$8 for one hour$15 for the entire flight	Boeing 737-700, 737-800, and 737 MAX 8 aircraft
LATAM Airlines Wifi	Free for Elite Gold, Gold Plus, Black, and Black signature members$5 for one hour and $8 for the entire flight duration (browsing)$9 for one hour and $12 for the entire flight duration (streaming)$28 monthly browsing plan$49 monthly streaming plan	Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Airbus A320, Airbus A321, and Airbus A330
TAP Portugal Wifi	$4.99 for one hour$14.99 for 3 hours$45 for the entire flight	Airbus A319, Airbus A320, Airbus A321LR, Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-900neo, Embraer E190
THAI Airways	Free unlimited service for Royal First Class passengers and Royal Orchid Plus Platinum members$4.99: 10 MB for one hour$8.99: 20 MB for one hour$12.99: 30 MB for one hour$34.99: 100 MB for one hour$39.99: unlimited data for the entire flight	Airbus A350-900, Boeing 787-8 and 787-9, and select aircraft of Boeing 777-300ER, Airbus A380-800, and Airbus A330-300
Turkish Airlines	Free Wi-Fi for Business class passengers and Miles&Smiles or  Elite Plus members$5 for unlimited messaging$8 for 100 MB$15 for 250 MB$15 for unlimited Wi-Fi on short flights$35 for unlimited Wi-Fi on long-duration flights	Boeing 737 MAX, Boeing 777, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A321neo, Airbus A330
United Airlines	$8 for 30 minutes$10 for one hour$20 for the entire flight	Boeing 737 MAX 8/9, Airbus A321neo, Airbus A319, Airbus A320, Boeing 757-200/300, Boeing 767-300ER/400ER, Boeing 777-200/200ER/300ER, Boeing 787-8/9/10, Embraer 170/175, Bombardier CRJ-700/550
Vietnam Airlines	$2.95: 10 MB for 2 hours$9.95: 25 MB for the entire flight$29.95: 80 MB for the entire flight	All Airbus A321 and select Airbus A350-900
Vueling	£3: messaging for the entire flight£5.99: browsing and streaming for one hour5.99 – 8.99: for browsing and streaming on international flights	Airbus A319, Airbus A320, and Airbus A321
WestJet	C$5 for 30 minutesC$8 for one hourC$15 for the entire flight	Boeing 737 MAX 8, Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800, and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Is Mobile Data Allowed On Planes?

If you are looking for an alternative to in-flight WiFi offered by airlines, then you should stop searching for it because there is none. You might be thinking, how about using cellular data on your flight? Unfortunately, you can’t. The FCC and FAA have banned the use of cell phones in flight because their radiation can interfere with aircraft functions and pose safety risks on air travel. Even if you want to use your electronic devices, you can do so with their airplane mode which means no mobile data.

Should You Opt For In-Flight WiFi?

Whether Wi-Fi is free or comes at a cost while traveling on a plane, there are some aspects of this network connection you should be aware of:

1. The internet connection will be significantly slower than terrestrial Wi-Fi.
2. Due to its lower bandwidth, you won’t be able to send or receive large media files on plane Wi-Fi.
3. Airplane Wi-Fi connection tends to be less secure, which can pose internet and malware threats.
4. Depending on the airline and destination, you may get limited or no internet coverage across certain regions.

Although there are limitations to accessing an internet connection on your flight, there are several benefits of using Wi-Fi during your airplane venture.

1. You can browse the internet, use social media, or stream entertainment platforms.
2. It allows you to gain real-time flight updates, weather, and destination information.
3. You can check emails as well as send and receive messages.
4. Some airlines offer premium Wi-Fi plans. You can buy them to access high-speed internet connection with larger bandwidth and enhanced security.

How Can I Use Wi-Fi While Traveling By Air?

Did you get access to internet services on your flight? Here are some tips for using Wi-Fi well on your air journey.

• Check Airlines Wi-Fi guidelines: Some airlines offer Wifi for free, some at a cost, and others not at all. Hence, you should learn about the airlines’ wifi packages and decide whether you should opt for them or not.
• Prepare Your Devices: To get the most out of your internet connection, make sure your devices are fully charged. Consider bringing your power banks with you.
• Know Your Data Limits: Use your data wisely. If you have a limited connection, make sure it doesn’t get exhausted by unnecessary downloads, etc.
• Avoid Making Financial Transactions: Airport and airline wifi are not reliable for monetary transactions. Hence, refrain from doing these over in-flight wifi.
• Enjoy Your Flight Journey: Did you not get Wifi on your flight? Don’t get disappointed. You can still enjoy your air trip with in-flight entertainment. Read a magazine or a book. Write in your journal about your flight trip. Listen to music. Or how about taking a nap?

Final Thoughts

Isn’t it fascinating to learn the intricate science behind the internet? It is thought-provoking how Wi-Fi helps us connect with the world from 35,000 feet above the ground and in the air. This article summarizes the complex mechanism behind Wi-Fi connectivity in Airplanes, which brings the network to passengers’ electronic devices. 

Today, you learned how the internet works in-flight, which airlines offer you network connectivity, and what are the pros and cons of purchasing Wi-Fi in the air. Hopefully, you have found the answers to your queries. Wi-Fi can be a great tool for turning a boring flight into an enjoyable and productive trip. However, you can also see your plane tours as a chance to unplug from the social world and enjoy your journey in the air.

FAQ: Common Queries About In-Flight Wi-Fi