Over the years, we’ve seen the introduction of onboard WiFi across more and more airlines. Traveller needs and preferences have changed, and the reliance on perpetual internet connectivity has increased. At the same time, we’ve also seen an upgrade of technology across the board, with faster and higher-bandwidth internet connectivity being available in the air.
One of the latest developments has been the adoption of Starlink onboard flights. Starlink provides WiFi service that’s as fast in the air as it is on the ground, and the experience contractually has to be free. While I’m not a fan of Elon Musk generally, I do recognise how much of a change this will single-handedly be to the industry, as competitors catch up with similar free high-speed offerings in the air. I’d say that we’re still quite early in the adoption curve on high-speed WiFi though, and wouldn’t go as far as to call Starlink WiFi the industry standard (I’d be keen for this to change in a couple of years’ time).
At the same time, we’ve also seen developments in onboard WiFi technology outside of Starlink. Many airlines are generally adopting inflight WiFi at the moment, and are lowering the way it’s priced (in the opposite direction to general ticket pricing and other ancillary pricing). I’m going to step forward and make an assertion on behalf of the industry, and I hope that others will agree.
Free onboard WiFi is the new industry standard
A few years ago, paid WiFi charged by time usage (with no data caps) was the industry standard. Airlines from Europe, Asia, and the U.S. alike charged for WiFi.
In fact, it was better that they did. Airlines such as Emirates and Turkish Airlines tried to provide free onboard WiFi for all passengers, though with technology available at the time, bandwidth was stretched out thinner than a sheet of paper. Thankfully even technology pre-Starlink has been updated now, and quite a few airlines offer WiFi for free across the board, whether that’s Air New Zealand, Qantas, United, JetBlue, or others.
So I’m going to call for a redefinition. In 2026, the new industry-standard for full-service airlines is free, browsing-level onboard WiFi across all cabins (I’ll allow airlines that require a sign-up to their frequent flyer programme, such as Singapore Airlines, to have “met” that standard). At the moment I would consider high-speed WiFi to be “industry-leading”, though I think the industry baseline is that you have connectivity that you don’t need to pay for, at least across most of the world.
Yep, I’m calling airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and most European carriers behind the curve. I’m even considering airlines such as Emirates, SWISS and Air France behind the curve for “just” offering free messaging for non-premium passengers.
I’m going to call Air New Zealand’s onboard WiFi availability the new industry standard
Why? That’s because technology is now upgraded, and consumer preferences have changed. Fewer people are considering flying a “haven to disconnect”, and more and more people need to keep up with work even in the air, or are travelling for other reasons that require a constant internet connection. I no longer consider WiFi to be a value-add ancillary, but rather would like it to be included with the ticket cost.
I think that in a couple of years’ time, this post will be out of date, and high-speed, Starlink-style onboard WiFi will be the new industry standard. I know Amazon is coming up with a competitor, and I imagine a couple of other companies will follow suit as well.
Who meets the curve?
Is this an overly high standard? No, I don’t think so…
- Airlines that fly domestically have access to more localised infrastructure, such as flying domestically within Japan: though that level of technology has been available for years
- On a longhaul basis, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines (on all A350s and some A330s) offer free WiFi to everyone who joins their (free) frequent flyer programme; in both cases, you don’t even need to credit the flight to that programme
- Delta, American Airlines, and United all offer free WiFi on many aircraft, including on longhaul; Air Canada is joining this year
- While Qantas and Air New Zealand have been very late to the game with WiFi (and still lag behind with many flights not featuring WiFi at all), the planes that do feature WiFi all offer it for free
- Some airlines, such as ZIPAIR and JetBlue, offer free WiFi on longhaul flights for all passengers, despite having an otherwise low cost base
- Of course, that’s not forgetting the 36 airlines that have signed up for free Starlink WiFi, including IAG, Lufthansa Group, Emirates, flydubai, Southwest, Alaska, Gulf Air, Virgin Atlantic, WestJet, Qatar Airways, Korean Air, and more
EVA Air is offering free WiFi for a time, though in economy only free text messaging will be available
Are there any regions that do free WiFi better than others?
- North America does the best at this, especially when Air Canada makes WiFi free for longhaul flights (and United, WestJet, COPA and Alaska/Hawaiian signed up for Starlink, and Delta signed up for Amazon LEO)
- Qantas and Air New Zealand are catching up (and the WiFi that they do offer is all free), though their many aircraft with no internet at all puts them at a disadvantage
- European airlines generally haven’t been great at offering free WiFi, though they most consistently have decent WiFi pricing, and also have the most airlines that have signed up for Starlink
- The Middle Eastern carriers have generally had competitive pricing, with Qatar Airways and Emirates leading the charge for Starlink; however, none of them offer free non-Starlink WiFi across the board
- The East Asian airlines are relatively behind curve – apart from Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines, most airlines still use a more old-school pricing system, particularly for economy passengers
- LATAM is planning free WiFi for LATAM Pass members, though this hasn’t been rolled out yet; no other South American airlines are planning free WiFi
- No airlines in Africa offer free WiFi as far as I’m aware
European airlines aren’t particularly generous now, though they are leading the charge for Starlink as a region
What about low-cost airlines?
Much like onboard meals and baggage allowance, I have a different standard for low-cost carriers.
I consider WiFi to be a great ancillary opportunity for low-cost carriers, and think it’s a competitive advantage whenever an airline offers it. Especially if the low-cost carrier flies longhaul, I’d absolutely pay for WiFi to pass the time in an otherwise uncomfortable product. I’ve always wondered why Ryanair and easyJet didn’t go the extra distance to install WiFi and then charge a higher-than-average amount for it, which would likely attract a greater market.
Which airlines do this well?
- On a European shorthaul basis, Vueling, Eurowings and Norwegian have WiFi, and I enjoy flying them (especially Norwegian and Eurowings – I find Vueling’s seats to be painfully uncomfortable)
- On longhaul flights, Air Premia and French Bee have purchasable WiFi; Jetstar is rolling out WiFi on their new 787s, though these haven’t been rolled out yet
- Scoot and AirAsia have WiFi, though it’s charged by usage, which I enjoy less (AirAsia has more punitive offerings, and not all A330s have this service – the A330s are uncomfortable as is in economy)
- Norse doesn’t have WiFi – airlines tend to match their prices on competitive routes, so it’s a major competitive disadvantage
- Of course, there are some low-cost carriers such as ZIPAIR that do offer free WiFi, and that’s obviously a major selling point for them
ZIPAIR is a clear industry leader amongst low-cost carriers (as far as the WiFi passenger experience goes), with free WiFi and charging, and future Starlink adoption
Conclusion
It’s time for someone to call for a redefinition – free (non-high speed) WiFi in all cabins is now the industry standard onboard full-service carriers, and any airline without it is lagging behind. Of course this is one of many factors that make a good cabin product, though I’d consider the option of using WiFi without payment to be more important now than ever.
Do you agree with me? Should we change our standard for inflight WiFi as industry enthusiasts?
