VI
EN
Which flights will have Wi-Fi?
Not all airlines offer Wi-Fi on board. Generally, aircraft like the Airbus A330, A380, and Boeing 777, 747, and 787 will have Wi-Fi, as these are wide-body aircraft used for long international flights lasting 6 hours or more. Domestic flights, shorter flights, or smaller aircraft like the Airbus A310 and Boeing 737 will have less Wi-Fi service. Even with Wi-Fi available on board, you may still lose internet connection when flying over areas without coverage.
To find out if your flight supports Wi-Fi, you can check when booking your ticket; the Wi-Fi icon will appear next to your flight number. You can also ask your travel agent (if you booked through an agent) or call the airline's customer support hotline.
How do I pay for Wi-Fi service on an airplane?
All airlines require you to pay in advance for Wi-Fi using an international payment card (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, JCB...). The main methods of charging are as follows:
- Pay by the time you access the service, with no data usage limit.
- Data limit, no time limit.
- Limit both data usage and access time.
Wi-Fi on airplanes offers many conveniences for passengers.
What are the Wi-Fi usage costs offered by airlines?
Due to relatively high usage fees, in-flight Wi-Fi may not be available on some flights or may only be available to business class passengers. Specifically:
- Aer Lingus: $9.95/hour, free Wi-Fi for business class passengers.
- American Airlines: $16/day and $49.95/month for domestic flights, $12/2 hours, $17/4 hours, and $19/trip for international flights.
- Delta Air Lines: $19.95/hour if using a laptop or tablet, $14.95/hour if using a phone to access.
- JetBlue: Basic service is free; premium service costs $9/hour.
- Emirates: 10 MB of data free, an additional 500 MB costs $1 (applicable to Airbus A380 aircraft)
- Southwest Airlines: $8/day
- United Airlines: $3.99 - $15.99 per domestic flight, depending on the flight duration.
- Virgin Atlantic: $22.30 per trip
- Finnair: $5.50/hour or $16.50/flight (applicable to Airbus A350 aircraft), free Wi-Fi for business class passengers.
- Qatar Airways: Free for the first 15 minutes, then a charge of $5/hour or $10/3 hours. On longer flights, passengers can access Wi-Fi for the entire flight for a fixed fee of $20.
Additionally, some airlines offer free Wi-Fi on their flights:
- Air China offers free Wi-Fi, but only laptops/tablets can connect; smartphones cannot.
- Nok Air: provides free Wi-Fi on all of its flights.
- Hongkong Airlines: provides free Wi-Fi on all Airbus A330-220 aircraft flying the London - Hong Kong route.
- Norwegian Air Shuttle offers free Wi-Fi on European regional flights and flights from the US to the Caribbean; transatlantic flights do not offer Wi-Fi.
Thanks to in-flight Wi-Fi, passengers can enjoy relaxing moments throughout their flight.
In Vietnam, currently only Vietnam Airlines provides Wi-Fi for passengers on its Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft. Passengers who wish to use Wi-Fi on board Vietnam Airlines flights must register for a specific package and pay the fee. A representative from Vietnam Airlines stated that during check-in, an icon will be displayed at the boarding gate indicating which flights offer Wi-Fi service. Flight attendants will also inform passengers about this service once on board.
Other notes
- The Wi-Fi speed on airplanes is not fast, so passengers can only use it for basic internet needs such as browsing the web, checking and sending emails, and texting.
- You shouldn't use Wi-Fi on airplanes to make phone calls, video calls, or watch videos as it will disturb other passengers. Many airlines prohibit making phone calls and video calls over the internet.
- You'll be limited to using Wi-Fi on the plane for only one device at a time. However, most airlines allow you to disconnect one device and switch to another relatively easily. Ask a flight attendant for assistance if you need to switch devices.
