Qantas to offer free Wi-Fi on international flights
- Replies 6
Travellers find time to share their journey with family and friends on a holiday.
However, connecting to the internet may be tricky due to many factors when flying out to international destinations.
In a fortunate turn of events, the days of being disconnected from the world while flying over oceans and continents are ending.
Australian flagship carrier Qantas announced that it will begin offering free Wi-Fi on its international flights by the end of this year—a move to delight travellers who want to stay connected, even at 35,000 feet.
Since 2016, Qantas has provided Wi-Fi on major domestic routes, but the extension to long-haul flights has taken almost a decade.
This delay was mainly due to the airline's commitment to ensure that the service would be of high quality across its global network.
Thanks to a partnership with Viasat and its $11.34 merger with British satellite company Inmarsat, Qantas is ready to roll out a service that promises to be fast and reliable.
The phased rollout will begin with flights to Asia, followed by trans-Tasman and Pacific flights.
Eventually, by the latter half of 2026, routes to Europe will also benefit from free Wi-Fi.
This gradual approach ensures that the service meets the airline's standards before being available on all routes.
Qantas Executive Manager for Product and Service Phil Capps emphasised meeting customer expectations.
'We've set a really strong benchmark with our domestic Wi-Fi offering,' Mr Capps shared.
'We didn't want to go out strong with international Wi-Fi until we were comfortable that we could meet a comparable benchmark.'
Retrofitting the older A380 planes with the new Wi-Fi technology was a significant challenge, as it involves structural modifications.
However, the newer A350 and B787 Dreamliner fleets will come Wi-Fi ready, making the process much smoother and signalling a new era of connectivity for the airline.
Qantas' data showed that 38 per cent of customers use in-flight Wi-Fi for web browsing. In comparison, around 15 to 20 per cent of customers stream videos and listen to audio.
'We've seen Wi-Fi for our customers on domestic flights just being part of the every day, so it's a fundamental expectation that it will be there and that they will use it in all sorts of diverse ways,' Mr Capps added.
'The basic expectation of travellers in Australia is they want to be connected all throughout the day, and we can see that in our usage.'
Meanwhile, Viasat's Vice President of Commercial Aviation, Don Buchman, said he is 'excited to partner with Qantas' on this new venture.
How do you feel about this new offering from Qantas? Will free Wi-Fi change the way you fly across the globe? Share your thoughts in our comments section below!
However, connecting to the internet may be tricky due to many factors when flying out to international destinations.
In a fortunate turn of events, the days of being disconnected from the world while flying over oceans and continents are ending.
Australian flagship carrier Qantas announced that it will begin offering free Wi-Fi on its international flights by the end of this year—a move to delight travellers who want to stay connected, even at 35,000 feet.
Since 2016, Qantas has provided Wi-Fi on major domestic routes, but the extension to long-haul flights has taken almost a decade.
This delay was mainly due to the airline's commitment to ensure that the service would be of high quality across its global network.
Sharing in-flight stories will be a breeze once Qantas rolls out free Wi-Fi for international destinations. Image Credit: Pexels/Humphrey Muleba
Thanks to a partnership with Viasat and its $11.34 merger with British satellite company Inmarsat, Qantas is ready to roll out a service that promises to be fast and reliable.
The phased rollout will begin with flights to Asia, followed by trans-Tasman and Pacific flights.
Eventually, by the latter half of 2026, routes to Europe will also benefit from free Wi-Fi.
This gradual approach ensures that the service meets the airline's standards before being available on all routes.
Qantas Executive Manager for Product and Service Phil Capps emphasised meeting customer expectations.
'We've set a really strong benchmark with our domestic Wi-Fi offering,' Mr Capps shared.
'We didn't want to go out strong with international Wi-Fi until we were comfortable that we could meet a comparable benchmark.'
Retrofitting the older A380 planes with the new Wi-Fi technology was a significant challenge, as it involves structural modifications.
However, the newer A350 and B787 Dreamliner fleets will come Wi-Fi ready, making the process much smoother and signalling a new era of connectivity for the airline.
Qantas' data showed that 38 per cent of customers use in-flight Wi-Fi for web browsing. In comparison, around 15 to 20 per cent of customers stream videos and listen to audio.
'We've seen Wi-Fi for our customers on domestic flights just being part of the every day, so it's a fundamental expectation that it will be there and that they will use it in all sorts of diverse ways,' Mr Capps added.
'The basic expectation of travellers in Australia is they want to be connected all throughout the day, and we can see that in our usage.'
Meanwhile, Viasat's Vice President of Commercial Aviation, Don Buchman, said he is 'excited to partner with Qantas' on this new venture.
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