Is there Wi-Fi on Aeroflot planes? Why shouldn't you pay extra for Wi-Fi on a plane? Ground-to-air Internet

When going on vacation or on a business trip, more and more people want to stay in touch online. When flying on an aircraft, many people wonder: is there Internet on the plane?

Gradually, both Wi-Fi and mobile Internet are becoming commonplace. Unfortunately, the quality of communication is at a rather low level, although these technologies are also gradually developing. In fact, the answer to the question - is it possible to use the Internet on an airplane depends directly on whether an Internet connection system is installed on board or not.

The very first company to introduce access technology was Boeing in the 90s of the 20th century. But due to low demand for this service in those years, the company had to abandon it.

In the United States, on-board Wi-Fi technology became the most widespread in the world by 2016. It continues to gain momentum in European countries. The access point is located inside the aircraft cabin, allowing your laptop to connect wirelessly, and the aircraft's transmitters communicate via radio waves with a satellite or ground station. It depends on the service provider.

Russian airlines and Internet access

In Russia, the pioneers were the Aeroflot company with the installed Megafon on-board equipment. And access to the network was provided by the Swiss company SITA OnAir.

Since 2011, passengers have been able to use mobile Internet using GPRS technology. But the cost of the tariff was considerable - 44 rubles per 100 KB of traffic, so it was used exclusively by wealthy clients.

Lately, airlines have not risked rushing to install this equipment, because installation and connection of 1 aircraft costs at least $1 million, although they admit that the question “does there Wi-Fi on planes” is one of the three most asked questions when choosing airlines and buying a ticket . Based on this, Transaero plans to equip more than 30 aircraft with Wi-Fi technology, but does not specify an exact date.

Cost of Wi-Fi on board

The cost of connecting to this service varies and depends on the type of aircraft and the air carrier, so it is worth checking the tariff when purchasing a ticket. Some companies provide access to the Internet completely free of charge, and some may offer pricing per flight, per day or per hour.

Since September 2016, the Russian company Aeroflot has introduced new tariffs for accessing the Internet via Wi-Fi. Let's look at the main changes.

1. The cost has been halved. For example, for a 10 MB package previously you had to pay 10 dollars, but now it’s no more than 5 dollars.
2. The highest price was introduced for the tariff valid during the entire flight - $50 for 150 MB.
3. An innovation is a free package that gives you the opportunity to access the World Wide Web in just 5 minutes, and the amount of traffic should not exceed 5 MB.
4. Along with these improvements, an additional time limit was approved. Now, to use the purchased traffic, the passenger is given only 15 minutes, and not the entire flight time, as before.

For a modern person, life without the Internet or mobile communications is, if not impossible, then certainly very difficult. Almost all areas of work are related to them in one way or another, so even on board passengers need WI-FI and the ability to use their cell phone.

If you've ever flown on an airplane, you know that passengers are asked to turn off their smartphones and tablets when landing. This is done for their own safety. You can find out whether you can use the Internet and telephone on an airplane during the flight itself by reading this article.

When mobile phones first came out, they were considered a luxury item. Only business people in Business Class used them. They have long been permitted on board passenger airliners. With the peak of their popularity, in the 90s, they were banned from using.

Research has begun on the effect of cellular communications on aircraft instruments. They were initiated by both mobile and mobile companies, since for both there was a certain interest in obtaining greater profits. They found that mobile communications do affect instrument readings. Science and technology have come a long way since that time. Therefore, cellular radiation began to decrease.

Airlines have stopped strictly enforcing the use of phones in aircraft cabins.

Currently, you can use your phone on board an airplane during the flight, but not during takeoff or landing.

The history of the Internet on board aircraft is much shorter. Carriers did not install a wireless network on board, it was too expensive, and the income from it did not justify the money spent.

Instead, multimedia systems have been developed that will allow passengers to watch movies, videos or listen to music on board.

I solved this problem by introducing Connexion by Boeing system. This service appeared in 2001. The antenna was carried outside the aircraft to ensure safety from interference with on-board systems. Special devices were installed inside to silence mobile devices in the cabin.

The base station broadcasts via WI-FI and Ethernet. Connection speed is 20 megabits per second.

Airlines immediately began to use this service, including Lufthansa. The cost was 10 dollars per hour. In 2006 the service has ceased to be used.

Is there Wi-Fi on planes now? This service is provided by all airlines.

Internet on the plane

The technologies that are used now are not fundamentally different from those proposed by Boeing. The base station, which is on the plane, receives signals from ground towers. Any system has several towers at its disposal. The Internet is transmitted over a wireless network. Any passenger can use it.

Therefore, the answer to the question: “Is there Internet on the plane?” will be “Yes, of course.” However, not all airlines yet provide such a service.

Virgin America and AirTran Airways carry it out on all of their passenger aircraft.

Fleets of American Airlines and other American carriers constitute up to 80% of wireless Internet coverage.

From airlines Lufthansa, Oman Air and Qatar Airways only 25% of aircraft have this service.

Aeroflot Internet tariffs.

Aeroflot, Air France, Egyptair, SAS and a number of other European companies this figure fluctuates around 10%.

How much does Wi-Fi cost on an airplane? The cost of Internet varies from company to company, but remains within the range from 10 to 50 euros or dollars, depending on traffic time and number of megabytes. The pleasure is, frankly speaking, not cheap.

Mobile phones on the plane

We talked about whether there is Internet on a plane during a flight, but if the ban on using phones is lifted, then why do flight attendants ask you to turn off all mobile devices during takeoff and landing?

The influence of these devices on on-board equipment is minimized as much as possible., but have you noticed that while communicating with passengers, the pilot’s connection is interrupted? This is because someone does not comply with the request to turn off the phone.

For your safety, you must comply with the crew's requirements. They do this solely for your benefit.

Nowadays, finding wi-fi is not a problem, it is available everywhere: from cafes to bus stops. This is a service that is in great demand not only for updating VKontakte status or a new photo on Instagram, but also for work. It’s already hard for me to imagine myself without a phone in my hands)))

Airlines have also decided to keep up with progress and some are already providing this service on board. Now this innovation is gaining momentum and every month someone is eager to show off a new service. In 2015, only 8 airlines offered free internet to passengers: Emirates, JetBlue, Norwegian, Turkish Airlines, Air China, Philippine Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines and Nok Air. In 2016, the list grew by several percent, and more than 20 airlines can provide Internet for $$$! What will happen in 2017 is anyone's guess

Below is a list of the most popular airlines with Internet on board and the cost of this service:

Aeroflot

Price: smartphone: 3MB – $8; 9MB – $22. Laptop or iPad: 9MB – $22; 19MB – 40$

AirAsia

Price: CHATS PLAN (WhatsApp, WeChat, LINE, KakaoTalk and Viber) 3MB - $2. INTERNET PLAN (great for applications, worse for loading sites) 10MB - $4. The Internet plan does not support YouTube or downloading any software.

SriLankan Airlines

Air Berlin

Offers 3G on board. To use the service, you will need to download the airberlin connect app from the App Store or Google Play in advance, before departure. Internet is not currently offered in all directions.

Price: 30 min (20MB) – 4.90€; 60 min (50MB) – 8.90€. There are also options of 13.90€ for 90MB on medium-haul flights and 18.90€ for 120MB on long-haul flights.

Air France and KLM

Price: only 2 tariffs: 10.95 € - per hour or 19.95 € - for the entire flight. You can pay by credit card on board.

American Airlines

We divided the cost of the service for domestic and international flights.

Price on domestic flights: All-day pass - $16 + taxes, American Airlines Plan - $49.95 + taxes (monthly subscription). The last option is suitable only for frequent flyers.

Price on international flights (only on board Boeing 777-300ER, 787 Dreamliner and Boeing 777-200): 2 hours - $12, 4 hours - $17 and entire flight - $19.

British Airways

Only on direct flights between London and New York. Very modest

Price: 1 hour - 14$ and for 24 hours - 25$.

Price: 25MB – 5$; 50MB – 10$

Emirates

Offers free 10 MB for all classes (economy, business, etc.) on board the A380. If there is no free Wi-Fi on board, you can buy 500MB for a symbolic $1 on board the A380 and B777.

Qatar Airways

Most flights offer free internet on board. For example, on my Colombo-Doha flight there was an hour of free internet access. You can read more about the service on board the Qatar aircraft.

Etihad

Free internet for Etihad's Diamond First Class passengers only. The rest, if desired, will need to pay $13.95 per hour of use or $24.95 for 24-hour access.

Lufthansa

Price: HotSpot Pass Sky 1 hour: 9€ or 3,000 miles; 4 hours: 14€ or 4,500 miles; 24 hours: 17€ or 5,500 miles. Still, a loyalty card won't hurt here. Collecting miles on a ticket is not always an easy task, but on the Internet it’s faster

Ryanair

The service will be available in 2017, but according to preliminary data, it may be free for checking mail. I can’t even believe that Ryanair can provide something for free)

Vietnam Airlines

This service has not yet been officially announced, but the website contains information that the estimated cost on international flights will be $15-20 and free Internet on domestic flights.

In my opinion, these are the most popular airlines among travelers now, so the list of remaining companies is below:

• Aer Lingus
• Air Canada
• AirChina
• AirTran
• Alaska Airlines
• All Nippon Airways
• China Eastern Airlines
• Delta Airlines
• Egypt Air
• EVA Air
• Finnair
• Frontier Airlines
• Garuda Indonesia
• GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes
• Gulf Air
• Iberia
• Icelandair
• JetBlue
• Libyan Airlines
• Malindo Air
• Mango Airlines
• Norwegian
• Oman Air
• Philippine Airlines (PAL)
• Saudia
• Singapore Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• TAP Portugal
• THAI Airways
• Turkish Airlines
• United
• US Airways
• Virgin America
• Vueling
• WestJet

I have not provided a list of all airlines that currently have Internet on board. This list is updated quite often. If you want to check whether your flight has internet, search Google for “[airline name] wifi ondoard” or “[airline name] inflight wifi”.

Bright and unforgettable travels to everyone!

Today, progress has already reached a level that allows people to always be in touch, no matter where they are. Including on airplanes. Many airlines provide a service such as Wi-Fi on board. The main thing is to check its availability before the flight.

How does the Internet work on an airplane?

To provide its passengers with access to the World Wide Web, airliners must have appropriate equipment on board. It is with its help that waves of wireless communication are heard throughout the cabin.

There are two ways to operate the Internet on board aircraft. In this case, the airliner must gain an altitude of at least 3 km. At a distance closer to the ground, the use of mobile devices is prohibited.

Air-to-Ground

Literally this expression is translated as “From air to ground.” On the surface of the globe there are towers pointing upward, which transmit signals to the aircraft. The data is received by an antenna located at the bottom of the airliner and “sends” it to a modem that distributes communications throughout the cabin.

The advantage of this method is the ability to use the towers of existing cellular operators. But it also has a significant disadvantage - the connection is lost if the plane flies over the water surface, since there are no towers in the seas and oceans.

The largest Air-to-Ground network operates in North America. There it is called GoGo or AirCell. About 200 stations are enough to provide Internet to airplanes flying over Canada and the USA.

In this case, the signal comes from a satellite orbiting the globe. Ground stations send data to the satellite, which transmits it to the aircraft. At the same time, the signal transmission distance and coverage area are much greater than those of ground stations.

There are several satellite providers that make it possible to use the Internet during the flight. Satellites can be used differently, as well as frequency ranges. The higher the frequency, the smaller the antenna can be and the stronger the signal power. In this case, the speed is evenly distributed among all passengers using the Internet during the flight.

The advantage of this method is a large coverage area and the ability to work above water. However, the following disadvantages should be taken into account:

• low transmission speed - in reality it reaches only 25 Mbit/s and at the same time is divided among all passengers of the airliner;
• high cost for using Wi-Fi.

How to use Wi-Fi on an airplane?

To be sure that Wi-Fi is available on board the aircraft, check this point with the operators of the selected airline. Since today not all airlines provide Internet connection service.

Connection

Instructions for connecting to Wi-Fi on board an aircraft:

• turn off your cellular connection or put your device in airplane mode;
• activate Wi-Fi on your tablet, smartphone or laptop;
• select your air carrier's network (for example, OnAir or Aeroflot);
• launch a network browser;
• select the appropriate tariff plan for using the service.

If everything is done correctly, the company’s main page will open on your device monitor. There you can get acquainted with the most popular questions and get answers to them, check your account. You can use the service only after reaching a certain altitude.

Payment

Pay for the opportunity to use the service immediately before boarding. To do this, register your device with special aircraft equipment. This process occurs automatically, and passengers are identified by their seat on the plane.

After landing, Wi-Fi is turned off and the amount for its use is debited from the passenger’s bank card, according to the invoice. It indicates the selected tariff plan, the number of megabytes spent and the time spent on the Internet.

Please keep in mind that when purchasing a plane ticket, additional services (including the Internet) are not included in the price. And you can only pay for using Wi-Fi by bank transfer.

The cost of Wi-Fi varies from airline to airline. The service fee is usually calculated for each hour or day of flight. Check out Internet tariffs before traveling or choose a convenient option when connecting to the Internet.

Prices (subject to change) for using Wi-Fi on different airlines:

• Aeroflot– Internet is available on two flights A330 (price ranges from 5 to 50 dollars) and B777 (two fares of 15 and 40 dollars);
• Air France– 13 dollars/hour or 23 dollars. for the flight;
• AirAsia– CHATS PLAN 3 MB – 2 dollars, INTERNET PLAN 10 MB – 4 dollars;
• British Airways– 14 USD/hour or 25 USD/day;
• United Airlines– 6 USD/hour, you can purchase a package for a day for 18 USD;
• Alitalia– 12 dollars/hour;
• Aer Lingus– 13 dollars/hour or 23 dollars/day;
• Emirates Airline, Norwegian, JetBlue, Air China, Philippine Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines– air carriers that do not charge for using Wi-Fi on board.

Checking your account status

To check your account and see your traffic consumption, use the “status monitor”, which is located on the airline’s main page. You can use the “monitor” during the entire Internet connection session.

Connection speed and connection quality

The speed of connection and data transfer depends on the selected tariff and the number of passengers between whom Wi-Fi is shared in the aircraft cabin. Many carriers use the Ku-band (short), which is capable of maintaining a very stable connection during a flight at speeds of up to 12 Mbit/s for each passenger.

The maximum standard speed is 50 Mbit/s. However, given the number of passengers wishing to use the Internet, it may be much smaller, which will allow it to be used only for surfing.

There may also be a problem with the stability of the signal, which disappears when the aircraft flies out of the tower's coverage area. Automatic reconnection occurs after a certain period of time.

Limits and restrictions

Using Wi-Fi on an airplane has some restrictions, depending on the selected tariff package and the conditions for using the Internet in each individual airline:

• Speed– it depends on the number of flight passengers using the Internet and equipment installed on board;
• Traffic– each tariff plan indicates the number of available megabytes for use;
• Messengers– Viber, WhatsApp or Skype may not be available on the air network (this is done so that video calls or conversations do not interfere with the rest of other passengers);
• Video resources, music– they can also be turned off so that passengers do not interfere with each other.

Additional Information

To save your money and wisely use the paid Internet service on board the plane, take the following steps before boarding:

• disable all automatic updates of applications and programs installed on the gadget - this way you will save traffic;
• turn off synchronization of services for storing data on the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox);
• turn on the “Airplane” mode;
• do not use video calls or watch videos - the speed may freeze, and the available megabytes will go away very quickly;
• Before the flight, install and configure a program to control traffic on your gadget (for example, a firewall).

Different airlines may have some other nuances for the correct operation of Wi-Fi. For example, to use the Internet from Aeroflot, you need to enable cookies and JavaScript in your web browser.

List of airlines with internet on board

Every year there are more and more airlines providing access to the Internet. Today, you can use Wi-Fi from the following well-known air carriers:

• Aeroflot;
• AirAsia – may not be able to view YouTube or download programs;
• Air Berlin;
• Air France and KLM;
• Air Canada;
• Air China;
• AirTran;
• Alaska Airlines;
• American Airlines;
• British Airways – Internet is available only on direct flights London – New York;
• China Eastern Airlines;
• Emirates Airline – 10 MW is offered free of charge for any class on board the A380;
• Egypt Air;
• EVA Air;
• JetBlue;
• Lufthansa;
• Norwegian;
• Philippine Airlines (PAL);
• TAP Portugal;
• THAI Airways;
• Turkish Airlines;
• United;
• US Airways;
• WestJet.

Today, many airlines already offer wireless Internet services to their passengers. True, its quality can vary greatly on different flights. Find out more detailed information on the website of the airline whose services you want to use.

The article will discuss the question of whether the Internet can be used on an airplane. We will talk about available tariff plans and conditions, as well as connecting to an access point. Recommendations for using wireless communications will be provided.

Two years ago, in the middle of summer, Aeroflot officially allowed the use of mobile devices during flights. Now smartphone owners have no doubt whether they can surf the Internet on an airplane and activate wireless communications to access the World Wide Web.

Important! To use an access point to connect to the Internet on board an aircraft, the user must turn off cellular communications or switch the communicator to “Airplane” mode. In this case, the flight altitude must be at least three kilometers.

There are two options for providing wireless Internet access services. More details about each.

Literally translated as “Air – Earth”. Base towers are located on the surface of the planet, broadcasting signals at certain frequencies. Airplanes are equipped with receivers that receive signals and transmit them to routers. The latter, in turn, distribute wireless communications throughout the cabin of the aircraft.

Existing equipment of cellular operators is used as sources. This approach allows you to save money on installing new equipment and quickly deploy a new communications tower for airlines.

The Air-to-Ground method has one significant drawback: it works as long as the air path is above the surface. When flying across the ocean, the signal on the plane disappears.

The second option suggests using a signal coming from a satellite. Aviation receives data from base stations on the ground. The resulting signal is picked up by the aircraft's receiver and distributed to end users on the aircraft.

The advantages of this method are obvious: satellites have a large coverage area and can operate over water. Disadvantages include low data transfer speeds and high costs for users to use Wi-Fi.

Limits and restrictions

The Internet access service has certain limitations.

• Traffic. The volume of the allowed package is quite expensive compared to regular Internet. If a client has booked a plane ticket, the airline provides a certain amount of megabytes as a gift.
• The speed limit depends on the number of users using wireless communications and equipment installed on board the aircraft.

Important! How Wi-Fi works: the total speed is divided by the number of network clients on the plane.

• Some airlines disable some services during the flight. These include video calls, movies, music and others. This is so as not to interfere with other passengers relaxing and enjoying the trip.

Service cost

Today, Internet on airplanes is provided thanks to a joint project between the cellular operator Megafon and the airline. The following tariffs are indicated on the official Aeroflot website. Internet is only available on two flights: A330 and B777.

For other companies, prices will fluctuate depending on the selected flight, fare plan and the number of megabytes available. On average, the cost ranges from $10 to $50.

But there are also free services. For example, Norwegian provides free Internet access, which naturally affects the quality of the service: low speed, only surfing is available.

In Europe, the monopolist of Internet access services is the GoGo provider. He was the first to enter this market and began to equip aircraft with wireless communications.

Initially, the overall Internet speed was 3MB/s, which did not suit most clients. With such indicators, even surfing the Internet was difficult. Therefore, a new tariff plan was launched with a limit of 10 MB/s.

The increase in speed also affected the cost of the service. Its price ranged from twelve dollars to sixty. The final cost was influenced by the class the passenger flew and the airline.

How to pay for the Internet

Payment for the use of Internet access on board the aircraft occurs before boarding. When connecting to a wireless network, the mobile device must be registered with special equipment on the aircraft.

The process is automatic; identification occurs based on the passenger’s seat on the plane.

After the end of the flight, the Internet is turned off and payment is made according to the tariff plan. The total amount is debited from the client’s bank card.

Important! When purchasing a plane ticket, the cost of additional services, including the Internet, is not included in the price.

How to properly use WI-FI in flight

In order to save money when using a paid Wi-Fi service, it is recommended that you do the following at the airport before boarding the plane:

List of Russian and foreign airlines providing Internet on board

Below is a list of airlines that provide wireless communications on their aircraft:

• Aeroflot. Tariff plans were given above.
• AirAsia has the following prices: Chats Plan gives 4MB for $2 for communication in instant messengers WhatsApp, Viber and others. Internet Plan is suitable for surfing, the price is $4 for 10 MB. None of the tariff plans support video hosting services.
• Air Berlin provides internet access via a mobile app. The plane passenger loads it, checks in, and then uses the airline's services. For half an hour of being on the network, or 20 MB of incoming traffic, the client will pay 4.9 euros, and for one hour or 50 MB - 8.9 euros.
• Air France and KLM. The passenger chooses between two options: for 60 minutes - 10.95 euros or 19.95 euros for the flight. Payment is made by bank transfer during the trip.

• American Airlines also offers two fare plans. The first is for domestic flights and costs $16 per flight, or a monthly subscription fee of $49.95. For external flights, two hours costs twelve dollars, 4 hours costs $17, and the entire flight costs $19. Taxes are paid separately.
• British Airways offers a remote access service on London - New York routes. For one hour the price is $14, and for a day – $25.
• Cebu Pacific only charges per megabyte: 25MB is $5, and 50MB is $10.
• Emirates gives 10 MB for all categories of passengers. Additionally, you can purchase 500 MB of mobile Internet for one dollar. The service is only available for the A380.
• Etihad gives first class passengers free internet access, but for everyone else it costs $13.95 for an hour and $24.95 for a day.
• Lufthansa sells so-called passes. One hour will cost nine euros, four hours – 14 euros, and a day – 17.

The user can find out more detailed information about the cost of Internet access services during a flight on the official website while booking a plane ticket or by calling the airline’s hotline number.

Conclusion

The publication talks about whether it is possible to connect to the Internet on an airplane. The characteristics of the available options are given, tariff plans for well-known airlines are given, general restrictions and conditions of use are indicated.