While many airlines are rolling out WiFi across their fleet network, Cathay Pacific is one of the only airlines to feature WiFi installed on their entire fleet. The airline features WiFi provided by Intelsat’s 2Ku, and I typically find WiFi speeds on Cathay Pacific aircraft to be reliable, especially considering many of their routes fly over mainland China (where WiFi can cut out on some other airlines). The WiFi is very much “airplane speed” – this can’t compete with the latest airlines featuring Starlink WiFi, which has speeds as fast as you’d get on the ground – though it’s very usable, not data-capped (so if you get a full flight package you have unlimited WiFi), and a great perk when trying to catch up on work or message friends and family onboard.
While I find the WiFi pricing on Cathay Pacific to be reasonable generally, the airline is expanding the number of members that get free WiFi. Most notably, premium economy passengers will now get complimentary WiFi, though they do need to have a Cathay number attached to their reservation.
Cathay Pacific introduces free WiFi for Cathay members in premium economy
Cathay Pacific is now introducing free WiFi to premium economy passengers who are members of the Cathay programme. This is obviously great news if you’re mainly a Cathay member, or you’re redeeming Cathay miles for premium economy (which, honestly, is the only way to reliably get an award seat in Cathay Pacific premium economy nowadays).
Some Cathay Pacific premium economy passengers will now get WiFi
If you don’t have a Cathay number on your reservation, you’ll continue to pay the standard rates for WiFi, which is:
- US$9.95 (£7.46/HK$77) for one hour
- US$3.95 (£2.96/HK$31) for messaging only over the full flight
- US$12.95 (£9.70/HK$102) for the full flight (if the flight is <6 hours)
- US$19.95-US$24.95 (£14.95-18.70/HK$155-194) for the full flight (if the flight is >6 hours)
That’ll generally apply to you if you paid cash for your itinerary, but specifically want to credit your flight to another frequent flyer programme, or if you attached a frequent flyer programme that you’re an elite member of (presumably for lounge access or other perks). For example, if you’re a British Airways elite member and attach your frequent flyer number to your reservation so you can use the Cathay Pacific first class lounge at Hong Kong Airport, you wouldn’t get access to free WiFi when flying premium economy.
If you’re accessing a lounge on behalf of your non-Cathay Oneworld frequent flyer status, you wouldn’t be able to get free WiFi afterwards
Do note that this is specific to premium economy – all business and first class passengers get free WiFi regardless of the frequent flyer programme attached to their booking.
Let me put the obvious out there first – this is a positive development, and makes Cathay Pacific’s already-good premium economy product more competitive. It also isn’t bad news even if you’re an elite member of another frequent flyer programme, as you’re not worse off than you were in the past.
Cathay Pacific is incentivising people to join their own frequent flyer programme
A couple of months ago, Cathay Pacific cracked down on members switching benefits between frequent flyer programmes. For example, one of the ways was that you were no longer allowed to change your frequent flyer programme after check-in, and couldn’t access frequent flyer benefits unless you were crediting your flight to that programme – for example, you couldn’t flash your British Airways Executive Gold card to the first class lounge attendants, while crediting your flight to another programme. (However, Cathay Pacific does allow you to put your frequent flyer number for another programme you have elite status with, even if you use Cathay miles to book your flight.)
It seems like the airline is changing policies to increasingly incentivise customers to adopt Cathay Pacific as their main Oneworld frequent flyer programme, in a way that they haven’t pushed as hard on in the past. Of course it makes sense for an airline to incentivise people to join and use their loyalty programme, though I do kind of wish they allowed premium economy passengers to use WiFi regardless of their frequent flyer programme (since there aren’t that many premium economy seats onboard each flight), or extended their complimentary WiFi to economy passengers with a Cathay number on their reservation.
I wish Cathay Pacific could offer all premium economy passengers complimentary WiFi, since there aren’t that many premium economy passengers
Conclusion
Cathay Pacific is extending their complimentary unlimited onboard WiFi to premium economy passengers, though only if they’re a Cathay member with their membership number attached to their reservation. This is a positive development, and obviously good news for Cathay users or those redeeming miles (most likely on Cathay, given how scant award availability is otherwise). However, elite members of other Oneworld programmes will have to choose between free WiFi and their other elite benefits.
What’s your take on Cathay Pacific introducing free WiFi to premium economy passengers?
