Free Wi-Fi attractive for international travellers

Given the short distances, it may not make sense for domestic airline routes

With airlines such as Air India gearing up to offer Wi-Fi on board its aircraft, air travellers may soon be able to access their emails, check Facebook or use WhatsApp. Currently, telephone calls and Wi-Fi are not allowed in domestic skies. But, the government is preparing to amend rules to allow the service.

And Air India wants to be the first to offer these services. Chairman Ashwani Lohani recently said the national carrier has invited expression of interest to install the Wi-Fi equipment on its Airbus A320 aircraft, which it operates on the domestic network; it aims to provide the service from June or July.

The government’s move to enable flyers surf the internet in domestic skies has been welcomed by foreign airlines, though the reaction has been mixed from domestic carriers, given the costs. Flyers, too, support Air India's decision but say it would make more sense if the service was provided on international flights. “Offering in-flight Wi-Fi is an expensive proposition for airlines because of the equipment cost. The airlines will have to tie up with an internet service provider. But for India where domestic flights are on an average one hour and 15 or 30 minutes, will passengers be willing to pay more for Wi-Fi?” asks Devesh Agarwal, an aviation expert and blogger. 

According to him, in a country like the US, it makes sense because travel between two cities can be as much as three-four hours. In those countries, travellers, especially frequent fliers, even buy monthly packages for internet data which they can use on flights.

Internationally, many airlines offer in-flight Wi-Fi using which travellers can surf the net, send emails, etc. While it may not matter much for leisure travellers, it can be a blessing for business travellers. The charges vary and could be based either on the volume of data consumed or on the time. But, the service may not be available on all kinds of aircraft.

For instance, Emirates Airline offers in-flight Wi-Fi on all its A380s and most Boeing 777 aircraft. There is no charge for 10 MB data, after which travellers are charged $1 for 500 MB.  Lufthansa offers one hour of data for 9 euros or 3,500 miles, four hours for 14 euros or 4,500 miles or full flight (up to 24 hours) for 17 euros or 5,500 miles.

Cathay Pacific offers one hour of data on all flights at $9.95. For flights of six hours or less, the charge is $12.95, while for flights above six hours it is $19.95. But Wi-Fi is available only for A350 aircraft. Etihad Airways offers internet packages starting at $5 for 30 minutes.

International airlines flying into India offer the service only when the aircraft is out of Indian airspace due to the prevailing government regulations.

Some airlines offer it only for certain sectors. For instance, Europe’s Norwegian offers free Wi-Fi on most of its fleet in Europe and on flights to the US and the Caribbean, as well as on some other long-haul flights. JetBlue Airways recently announced it would offer free Wi-Fi on all flights. But, the service is only available in

The US. Air China, for example, has been offering free Wi-Fi since 2014 and offers download speeds up to 30mbps, but the service is only available on domestic flights and can only be used on a tablet or laptop – not a smartphone.

China Eastern Airlines also offers free Wi-Fi, but it is limited to usage worth 258 yuan on both domestic and international flights.

Qatar Airways offers free Wi-Fi but only for the first 15 minutes on the flight. Any longer than that and it has to be purchased. Turkish Airlines also offers free Wi-Fi but only in business class or for economy passengers who are members of its Elite or Elite Plus rewards programme.

Most airlines accept major international credit cards. Payment is usually made through the airline’s portal once you connect to it. “Lufthansa FlyNet can support internet telephony (VoIP); however, these services are not allowed out of consideration for other passengers. For on-board internet usage, Lufthansa offers packages to suit individual requirements. Passengers can also purchase these services by using their (air) miles,” says Wolfgang Will, director, South Asia, Lufthansa Passenger Airlines.