Many people need access to the network constantly, almost around the clock, regardless of where they are - on the ground or in the sky. Whether you can use the Internet on airplanes depends on the specific carriers, but most often they provide such a service.
Many companies allow Wi-Fi on board
How does the Internet work on board?
A satellite dish installed on board is capable of picking up a signal from the towers cellular communications on the ground, as well as from relay satellites flying in the sky. The tower system is called ATG (air-to-group). Connection to repeaters is required when the aircraft loses contact with towers on the ground, for example, while flying over the ocean. The repeaters have a range of hundreds of thousands of kilometers, so passengers will not be left without access to the network.
Satellite communications begin to work immediately after takeoff and climb to an altitude of 3000 km. Passengers can use Satellite Internet throughout the flight.
However, not all carriers can provide passengers with free use of the Internet on the plane, because special equipment is very expensive. As an alternative, they offer watching videos or movies, as well as listening to music. But still, some carriers can afford such luxury on board.
Another interesting technology that airlines around the world are gradually starting to use is the Deep Packet Inspection system. This is a system capable of analyzing all packets that pass through it at the upper levels. It is capable of covering thousands of aircraft from hundreds of companies at one time. The technology allows you to determine which Internet sites are the most popular among users in order to “throw” the highest speed at them. This allows the speed not to be wasted on other resources, and allows users to stay on their favorite sites. Sites that pull the most traffic, such as online videos, are blocked to prevent other users from suffering from slow speeds.
Connection speed and connection quality
The ATG system is installed in most aircraft, however, it is not capable of providing good speed connections. In the USA, this technology operates at the border of 3 megahertz, which is very low for ordinary users. For comparison, the speed of the lowest-power home Wi-Fi is at least 20 megahertz. Wi-Fi on an airplane using such a system will be slower than regular mobile Internet.
More advanced and expensive airlines use a satellite system called Ku band, which allows them to reach speeds of 50 megahertz. But there is a problem here too. Taking into account the fact that at the same time it is connected to the satellite great amount people, browsing the Internet becomes problematic, as the connection speed is significantly reduced.
The most innovative and progressive airlines are gradually introducing the so-called Ka-band system, which gives speeds of hundreds of megabytes per second. This technology allows you to watch videos, listen to music and even conduct online broadcasts at maximum load in the cabin. But you should understand that the technology is quite expensive, as are the plane tickets that use it.
To connect you need to pay How much does it cost to connect to wi-fi on an airplane?
On some planes, Wi-Fi is already included in the ticket price, while on others it is available for an additional fee. The amount of payment depends on what tariff is chosen and how much the company spends on maintaining the technology.
How to pay and connect
Payment and connection are carried out differently on different aircraft, but almost all have the following system:
- When the plane takes off, the flight attendant tells you how to connect to the Internet.
- Equipment installed on board “remembers” how much traffic each passenger needed.
- Before boarding, the Internet is turned off, and the cost of connection is debited from the passenger’s card.
If the cabin operates differently, you will be notified immediately before takeoff or during check-in.
Which Russian and foreign airlines provide Internet on board?
Not all airlines are yet ready to provide passengers with an Internet connection, but some can. So, which airlines have access to the network:
- Aeroflot offers Internet access on absolutely all flights. You can pay for the service on board using a bank transfer. Connection costs up to $40 for 180 minutes. Those who need the Internet for 15 minutes can connect for $5. If this is not enough for the passenger, he can buy each subsequent MB of traffic for $1.
- Virgin America and AirTran Airways provide internet on all aircraft.
- American Airlines also allows you to connect to the Internet, but not on all flights, but only on 80% of them.
- Lufthansa, Oman Air and Qatar Airways provide internet on only 25% of flights, and on those it is available mainly in business class.
Internet access is also provided by: foreign airlines: AirAsia, Air Berlin, Air France-KLM, British Airways, Cebu Pacific, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Ryanai, Vietnam Airlines.
But S7 Airlines, which is the leader in Russia right after Aeroflot, has not yet equipped its aircraft with equipment for Internet access, although many passengers are asking for it. You can use it in the salon special application airlines, browsing entertainment videos, but the Internet is not yet available to users. Wireless connection available at all airports that serve the company, so you have the opportunity to access the network immediately before your flight.
So, Internet on a plane is available on many airlines, but not all. In addition, in most cases this service is paid and quite expensive, so you should think about the advisability of using it in advance.
Hello! Today I chose interesting topic, which concerns, of course, Wi-Fi, but not on the ground, but in the sky! My colleague Khomyachok has already written about the Internet on trains. And I decided to find out if there is Wi-Fi on the plane.
More often ordinary people big businessmen, artists, officials fly. And for sure, many people need access to the Internet almost 24 hours a day to work. But we, mere mortals, also won’t refuse to while away the flight time on social networks or You Tube. Well, let's look into the issue.
The very first service to access the Internet during air travel was provided by the German air carrier Lufthansa back in 2004.
Where does the Internet come from in the sky?
To provide customers with the Internet, the carrier installs a satellite dish on board the aircraft. It picks up the signal from towers installed on the ground. Here clients face one problem. When the plane loses contact with base station, for example, when flying over the ocean, the radio signal will disappear. But it doesn't matter. When you can't catch a signal from land, antennas catch it in the sky!
Relay satellites fly in the geostationary orbit of the earth and are connected to aircraft and stations on the ground. The coverage area of one such satellite is measured in hundreds of thousands of kilometers.
Some purchase stations operating in the Ka-band. This frequency range is used for satellite radio communications and radar. It extends in the frequency spectrum from 26 to 40 GHz. The connection speed reaches 100 Mbit/s.
After gaining altitude (from 3000 m), satellite stations begin to work. Passengers can connect to the network.
Look interesting video on the topic “Where does the Internet come from on an airplane?” Excellent presentation with humor:
What does Aeroflot offer?
Aeroflot is the largest aviation holding company in our country. Wi-Fi has been available on this company's aircraft since 2012. This service is called “Internet on board”. It is provided by the Swiss company SITAOnAir. Wi-Fi has been available on short flights since July 2018.
Aeroflot has Wi-Fi on flights operated by Airliners A330 and B777. The airline's website says that payment is made directly to the provider of the "Internet on board" service in American currency. The cost is not included in the ticket price. The service can only be paid for on board the aircraft. These are the restrictions.
Payment is made exclusively by bank transfer. Fortunately, most Russian debit and credit cards are accepted.
How much does Wi-Fi cost on Aeroflot planes:
- Airbus A330:
- 15 minutes and 10 MB of traffic – 5 dollars;
- 60 min and 30 MB – 15 bucks;
- 180 minutes and 100 MB – 40 US dollars;
- Throughout the flight (traffic limited to 150 MB) – $50.
- There are two tariffs for the Boeing B777 and the restrictions apply only to traffic:
- 30 MB – 15 $;
- 100 Mbit – $40.
If the provided tariff is not enough, the client can use an additional one at a price of $1 per 1 MB of traffic. Wi-Fi connection speed is up to 50 Mbit/s. This is quite enough for comfortable work and even watching videos. When a large number of clients connect to the network, the speed will be lower.
Using the Internet in the sky is not difficult:
- Be sure to wait until the plane gains altitude and the “Turn off phones” warning signs go off.
- Disable Airplane mode and activate the Wi-Fi module on your gadget.
- In the list of available connections, select the network called “OnAir” and connect to it.
- Open any browser and select a tariff based on your personal needs.
Remember! Electronic devices with data transmission functions interfere with aircraft instruments and systems!
Other air carriers
Is Wi-Fi available on planes of other companies? Certainly! Many foreign carriers also provide this service. Here is the list:
- Malaysian company AirAsia;
- The second in Germany after Lufthansa is Air Berlin (and of course Lufthansa itself);
- French airline Air France-KLM;
- The largest in the world is American Airlines;
- The national airline of Great Britain is British Airways;
- The Philippines' airline, the oldest in Asia, is Cebu Pacific;
- The largest air carrier in the Middle East is Emirates;
- National company in United Arab Emirates– Etihad Airways;
- Budget European company from Ireland - Ryanair;
- The national carrier of Vietnam is Vietnam Airlines.
These are not all foreign airlines that offer Wi-Fi to their passengers. I mentioned only the largest ones.
On the picture interesting information about free internet in the air:
The second largest company in Russia (after Aeroflot), S7 Airlines, cannot staff its aircraft equipment for accessing the Internet via Wi-Fi during the flight. Airbus 321 passengers have the opportunity to view through the S7 application entertainment programs during the journey. In this case, network access is not provided.
Was the article helpful to you? For example, I learned a lot of interesting things, which is why I love my job! Write comments, tell us about personal experience using the Internet in the sky. We are always happy to communicate with our readers!
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 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 new service. In 2015, only 8 airlines offered free Internet for 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 it in advance, before departure. App Store or Google Play app airberlin connect. 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 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. It's not always possible to collect miles for a ticket simple task, but the Internet is 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 there is information on the website that estimated cost on international flights it 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!
Everyone loves to travel, but air travel is not easy for everyone. Active smokers and the Internet have the most difficulty during long flights. dependent people. They cannot imagine how they will live this period of time without Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, VKontakte, without being able to follow news, like or work. Here the question arises: is there Internet on board an airliner, and is it possible to use the Internet on an airplane? It is precisely for those people who cannot imagine their life without the Internet that they came up with the idea of ensuring its availability on the plane. The truth is that everything is still working quite slowly.
Everyone is used to having access to the Internet via wireless communication WiFi is used in almost all public and in public places. But on airplanes there is a Wi-Fi service for a long time was not provided. Abroad, Internet access via Wi-Fi appeared on Lufthansa aircraft in 2004.
Russian air carriers are also beginning to offer this service. For most carriers, it is not possible to provide this service, since the equipment necessary for this is quite expensive. Many have come out of this situation and, as a compromise, offer passengers watching movies, videos, TV series, cartoons, etc. (this works thanks to the installed server with multimedia content). This, of course, is not the Internet, but it certainly helps to pass the time on the plane.
Where is the Internet on board?
Until recently, airplanes were considered almost the only place where it was not possible to access the Internet. Even having the switched on was not allowed mobile device on board the ship, but time is running and everything changes. Today, Internet access service occurs after the aircraft reaches an altitude above 3,000 meters. Safety requirements strictly prohibit the inclusion WiFi access at an altitude less than specified. There are several technologies to provide access to the World Wide Web.
The first is a satellite communication system, it was introduced by Boeing in the 90s of the last century. Today, adhering to this principle, most airlines in the world operate. Its essence is in relaying the signal via satellite, similar to how today people in remote areas without telephone cables use the Internet. Today this system is still used on airplanes, but on a par with another one called ATG (air-to-group) air-to-ground transmission.
It works on the principle of cell phone towers. Such towers are much cheaper than satellite communications, but, unfortunately, they only work on land. Their disadvantage is not only their geographical location; the internet they provide may simply not be really slow.
In the US, the Internet operates within 3 megahertz of the radio spectrum for signal transmission. For comparison, home WiFi, which is used in everyday life, operates from 20 to 160 megahertz. It is clear that ATG systems cannot provide high speeds, usually no more than 5 megabits per second.
Satellite internet is faster, reaching up to 50 megabits per second, as it uses the Ku band. This is the same spectrum as satellite television. But since a plane can carry a huge number of people (for example, a Boeing 737 with a capacity of 189 people), a 50 megabit connection can become very slow. If they all connect at the same moment, even loading Word document will take a large number of time.
The in-flight WiFi option may cost extra. To provide an aircraft with Internet, the company must install an additional antenna on the aircraft, which is quite heavy. Therefore, modernization is not in the best possible way affects the weight of the aircraft and aerodynamics, therefore, you have to spend more money on fuel, and this, in turn, increases the ticket price.
Slow Internet may soon become a thing of the past. Modern advanced airlines have begun to install Ka-band antennas. They have more potential due to their higher throughput, which can reach hundreds of megabytes per second. This is enough even for streaming on busy flights when many people are connected to WiFi on the plane.
For example, JetBlue already uses new technology on some aircraft. In addition, some Ka-band antennas, for example, developed by the Kymeta corporation in Washington state, are much lighter and less power-hungry, which gives additional motivation to airlines to install them on larger number aircraft without worrying about flight performance.
Deep Packet Inspection system
The DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) system analyzes all packets passing through it at the upper levels. The DPI system manages the traffic of several airlines simultaneously, the number of aircraft of which amounts to thousands, and transporting passengers to any point globe. Thanks to in-depth analysis, reports are compiled that allow us to identify the most popular resources used by passengers based on requests and traffic. Thus, one of the European cellular operators has identified the three most frequently requested applications during a flight. Among them are the following:
Important! This research made it possible to best meet the needs of the majority of airline passengers, since it was this list of applications that was quickly accessed.
Additional Information. There are operators who deliberately block VOIP communication access (Skype, FaceTime) on board the aircraft. This allows you to avoid situations where loud conversations of some passengers may create discomfort for others. Also, access to online video is often blocked due to too heavy load, especially if the video is viewed by dozens of people at the same time. Overloading the Internet creates inconvenience, because it contributes to the fact that browsing basic web pages, other applications, and exchanging messages that do not generate much traffic takes too much time.
Video
In 2012, Aeroflot airline began providing its passengers with the “Internet on Board” service, which makes it possible to use WiFi to access the Internet while flying on board the aircraft.
Note! Payment for the service is made while on the plane. After gaining altitude over 3000 meters, the necessary equipment is launched, with the help of which the passenger can search for the network. As soon as the network is found, you will be asked to pay for this service. You can reproduce the payment using a bank card.
