Wi-fi on the plane: how much does it cost and how to use it correctly. How does wifi work on an airplane? We use wireless communication in the sky Is there Wi-Fi on airplanes

For a long time, air travel was considered a “digital detox,” giving us a few hours of relaxation from the barrage of emails and messages. But now it's in the past.

Internet on board is getting faster and cheaper, and even some low-cost airlines now offer it. “Unfortunately, I didn’t see your letter because I was on a plane” - this excuse no longer works. But still, how does Wi-Fi work in an airplane?

Where in the sky is the Internet

In simple terms, there are two ways to transmit a signal to an aircraft,. The first is with the help of ground-based broadband towers that send a signal to aircraft antennas located on the fuselage. On the way, the aircraft automatically connects to the nearest tower. However, there are also "problem areas" in the form of seas, oceans, deserts, where the signal will disappear.

The second method uses satellite technology. The aircraft connects to satellites in geostationary orbit, which are used for television broadcasts and weather forecasting. The signal is fed to the aircraft's antenna and then distributed via an on-board router.

In both cases, the United States has the most developed infrastructure. That's why American airlines offer in-flight Wi-Fi at a lower price than their counterparts in other countries.

Why is airplane Wi-Fi so slow?

Technology is advancing rapidly, but it hasn't kept up with the sheer number of Wi-Fi devices on board. In 2008, when Gogo launched its in-flight wireless Internet service, 3 Mbps was enough for a few laptops. But today, when every passenger carries at least one gadget on board, the workload has increased significantly.

The average speed of the Internet in the homes of Europeans is 25 Mbps, while airlines are not yet able to offer more than 12 Mbps. Installing antennas, maintaining and upgrading satellites is quite expensive, but every year the Internet on board is getting faster and cheaper.

Airlines offering free in-flight Wi-Fi

• Emirates
• jet blue
• Norwegian
• Turkish Airlines
• Air China
• Philippine Airlines
• Hong Kong Airlines
• NOK Air.

Today, progress has already reached the level that allows people to always be in touch, wherever they are. Including in 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 their passengers with access to the World Wide Web, there must be appropriate equipment on board the airliners. It is with its help that wireless waves are distributed throughout the cabin.

There are two ways to use the Internet on board aircraft. In this case, the liner must gain a height 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 translates as "From the air to the ground." On the surface of the globe there are towers directed upwards, which transmit signals to the aircraft. The data is received by an antenna located at the bottom of the airliner and "sends" them to a modem that distributes communications throughout the cabin.

The advantage of this method is the ability to use the towers of existing mobile 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 aircraft 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 larger 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 different, as well as the frequency range. The higher the frequency, the smaller the antenna can be and the stronger the signal strength. At the same time, the speed is evenly distributed among all passengers using the Internet in 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 into 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 the service of connecting to the Internet.

Connection

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

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

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

Payment

Pay for the possibility of using the service immediately before boarding. To do this, register your device on the special equipment of the aircraft. This process takes place 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.

At the same time, keep in mind that when buying a plane ticket, additional services (including the Internet) are not included in its price. And you can pay for the use of Wi-Fi only by bank transfer.

The cost of Wi-Fi in all airlines is different. The service fee is usually calculated for each hour or day of travel. Familiarize yourself with the Internet tariffs before traveling or choose a convenient option when connecting to the Web.

Prices (subject to change) for the use of Wi-Fi in various airlines:

• Aeroflot– Internet is available on two flights A330 (the price ranges from $5 to $50) and B777 (two fares of $15 and $40);
• Air France- 13 dollars / hour or 23 dollars. for the flight
• AirAsia– CHATS PLAN 3 MB – 2 USD, INTERNET PLAN 10 MB – 4 USD;
• british airways- 14 dollars / hour or 25 dollars / day;
• United Airlines- 6 USD / hour, you can purchase a package for a day for 18 USD;
• Alitalia- 12 dollars / hour;
• Air 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 the use of Wi-Fi on board.

Account status check

To check your account and see your traffic usage, use the "status monitor" found on the airline's homepage. You can use the "monitor" during the entire session of connecting to the Network.

Connection speed and call quality

The speed of connection and data transfer depends on the selected fare and the number of passengers between whom Wi-Fi is shared in the cabin of the airliner. Many carriers use Ku-band (short), which is able to keep a very stable connection during the flight at speeds up to 12 Mbps per passenger.

The maximum standard speed is 50 Mbps. However, given the number of passengers wishing to use the Internet access, it could be much smaller, allowing it to be used only for surfing.

There may also be a problem with signal stability, which disappears when the aircraft takes off from the coverage area of ​​the tower. Automatic reconnection occurs after a certain period of time.

Limits and restrictions

The use of Wi-Fi on the plane has some restrictions, depending on the chosen tariff package and the conditions for using the Internet in each individual airline:

• Speed– it depends on the number of passengers on the flight using the Internet and the 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 finances and competently use the paid Internet service on board the aircraft, do the following before boarding:

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

In various airlines, there may be 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 with such well-known air carriers:

• Aeroflot;
• AirAsia - You may not be able to view YouTube and download programs;
• Air Berlin;
• Air France and KLM;
• Air Canada;
• AirChina;
• Air Tran;
• Alaska Airlines;
• American Airlines;
• British Airways - Internet is available only on direct flights London - New York;
• China Eastern Airlines;
• Emirates Airline – 10 MB 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 offer their passengers wireless Internet services. True, its quality can vary greatly on different flights. For more information, please visit the website of the airline you wish to use.

Going on vacation or on a business trip, more and more people want to stay connected online. When flying on an aircraft, many people ask themselves the question - is there Internet on the plane?

Gradually, both Wi-Fi and mobile Internet become 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 the Internet connection system is installed on board or not.

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

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

Russian Airlines and Internet Access

In Russia, the Aeroflot company became the pioneers 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.

Recently, airlines do not risk rushing to install this equipment, because the installation and connection of 1 board is at least $ 1 million, although they admit that the question “is 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 the exact date.

WiFi cost on board

The cost of connecting this service is different and depends on the type of aircraft and the air carrier, so when buying a ticket, you should clarify the tariff. Some companies provide the ability to access the Internet for free, and some may offer billing 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 take a look at the main changes.

1. The cost has been halved. For example, for a package of 10 MB earlier it was necessary to pay 10 dollars, and now no more than 5 dollars.
2. The highest price has been introduced for the tariff valid during the entire flight - $50 for 150 MB.
3. An innovation was 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 has been approved. Now, to use the purchased traffic, the passenger is given only 15 minutes, and not the entire flight time, as it was before.

Being always in touch is not a simple whim, but in some cases a forced necessity. Especially during long flights. At this time, you can solve a lot of different issues. Therefore, many are interested in whether there is Wi-Fi on airplanes. Can it be used while flying?

How does the internet work on an airplane

Relatively recently, it was not possible to use the Internet connection during the flight. It was not even allowed to use mobile gadgets in the cabin of the aircraft. These restrictions have been put in place for security reasons. The signals emitted by the devices interfered with the operation of the avionics. In today's world, the situation has changed dramatically.

Interesting fact! When the aircraft climbs more than 3000 m, passengers can access the Internet. At a lower altitude, the use of this service is prohibited.

For the first time, a satellite communication system was introduced by the American company Boeing. In the early 2000s. installed by most airlines. Unfortunately, such systems did not provide sufficient speed for using the Internet. They could only work on land. When flying across the ocean, the systems did not function.

Modern satellite communication systems can provide an Internet connection signal of up to 50 MB per second. This speed is enough to access social networks, watch short videos, and communicate. But, if there are a large number of people on the plane who also use the Internet, the speed of information exchange is significantly reduced.

To provide passengers with access to the Internet, airlines install special antennas on aircraft. They are quite heavy, which negatively affects the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft. He begins to consume more fuel, respectively, and the cost of tickets for the aircraft increases.

Important. Some airlines allow you to use the Internet on board the aircraft for a fee. Its size is set depending on the cost of servicing the satellite tower.

Many airlines are installing a Ka-band Internet communication system on their aircraft. The data transmission speed of these devices greatly exceeds outdated satellite systems. It reaches 100 MG per second. At the same time, WiFi on the plane works stably, regardless of how many people are connected to it.

How does Wi-Fi work on an airplane? Everything is simple. As soon as the aircraft rises to a height of 3 km or more, the on-board satellite communication device "Internet" starts to work. It emits signals. Each passenger can find the network and connect to it. It must be remembered that this service is paid on airplanes. When landing an aircraft, you will have to pay for it.

Additional restrictions

Airlines enter into agreements with mobile operators for the provision of Internet services. They clearly spell out the terms and conditions. Many air carriers deliberately limit the number of purchased services. For example, your Internet service provider may intentionally block access to Skype and FaceTime. Conversations on these VOIPs may disturb other passengers during the flight.

WiFi in S7 and Aeroflot

In 2011, Aeroflot introduced the possibility of using the Internet on board its aircraft. Now everyone can connect and perform the following actions:

• access social networks;
• write messages;
• transmit and receive information;
• use modern types of Internet connection.
• watch short videos.

In 2016, new towers from the Megafon operator were installed on the aircraft. They provide sufficient signaling speed.

As for the S7 company, it has introduced the possibility of accessing the Internet directly at the airport in business lounges.

Is there Wi-Fi on S7 aircraft? On board ships, this option is not yet available. According to the representative of the air carrier, they are not going to stop there. Perhaps in the near future, S7 passengers will have the opportunity to access the global Internet.

How do you pay

Is there WiFi on the plane and what is its cost can be checked with an airline employee. Payment for the use of the Internet service on board the aircraft is carried out by bank transfer.

After the passenger has connected to the network and started using the traffic, special devices are triggered on board. With their help, you can determine how much time a person spent searching for the necessary information on the Internet, and how much traffic was used by him.

Important. Payment for the Internet is made immediately before boarding. At this time, the signal is disabled. The cost of the service will be deducted from the passenger's bank card.

List of Russian and foreign airlines providing internet on board

Aeroflot takes care of its customers. They are given the opportunity to use the Internet connection directly on board the A330 and B777 aircraft. Network supply services are provided by Staonair.

The cost of the Internet on an Aeroflot aircraft model A330:

• Tariff "Small". It includes 10 Mb, the duration of the traffic is 15 minutes. Its cost is 5 dollars. USA.
• Tariff "Medium". The time for providing 30 Mb traffic is 60 minutes. The cost of the service is up to 15 dollars. USA.
• Tariff "Large". You can use the Internet connection for 3 hours. The total traffic to use is 100 Mb. The price of the service is 40 USD. USA.
• Tariff "Infinite". You can use the Internet throughout the flight. The amount of traffic provided is 150 Mb. Cost - 50 dollars. USA.

For model B777 liners, an Internet connection service is provided at three rates:

• "Small" - traffic up to 10 Mb with a cost of 5 dollars. USA.
• "Medium" - traffic up to 30 Mb. Its cost is 15 dollars. USA.
• "Large" - traffic up to 100 Mb with a cost of 40 dollars. USA.

In airliners of foreign companies, the tariff for using the Internet is set depending on the cost of the services of the telecom operator. It is better to clarify all the nuances directly on the airline's website or from the flight attendant on board the aircraft.

Now the Internet on the plane has become commonplace and its presence on board is no surprise. It allows you to stay connected even at an altitude of several thousand meters, which is extremely useful for business people, as well as to pass the flight time, which is convenient for everyone else. To modern people, life without it seems something alien, almost a sign of a lack of civilization. Therefore, the presence of a wireless connection in modern aviation is often more a necessity than a useful feature.

The first to provide access to the wireless network on board was the American airline Boeing in the late 90s. At that time, the innovation was very promising, and the company began to create its own Connexion satellite network. An antenna for receiving and transmitting a signal was installed overboard, and suppression of cell phone signals worked in the cabin itself.

Today, the Internet during the flight is a common thing.

This technology was ahead of its time, only a small percentage of the population used a mobile connection in those years, the project became unprofitable. After the terrorist attack in 2001, a crisis occurred in passenger aviation, and Boeing had to abandon the construction of a satellite network.

The idea of ​​introducing internet technology in aviation was picked up by the actively developing company Gogo. She managed to establish a network of base transmitting stations throughout the United States. The company became the market leader at a very auspicious time, when the iPhone gained immense popularity and mobile Internet became very popular.

The practice of providing Internet in Russian airlines

Aeroflot became the first airline in Russia to provide access to the World Wide Web on board. She has been providing this service since 2012. The communication provider was Megafon. The speed of the first Internet was very low and amounted to only 300 Kb / s with a rather high cost per megabyte billing.

According to statistics, less than ten percent of the Aeroflot fleet is equipped with a wireless network connection function. Whether there is wifi on the plane, you can find out on the airline's website. The names of the boards on which this service is provided are indicated there. In Russia, in addition to Aeroflot, there are several airlines, such as S7, Ural Airlines and others. Each of them has development prospects in the field of introducing Internet technologies to their aircraft.

Over time, all airlines upgrade their fleet

Unlike MegaFon, other Russian operators and Internet service providers have chosen to bypass this area of ​​activity due to the need for huge investments. To equip one aircraft with technologies for receiving and transmitting a signal, you will have to spend about one million two hundred thousand US dollars.

Rules for use during the flight

For the first time, businessmen began to use the Internet during flights at the beginning of the advent of mobile phones. Then it was not yet forbidden to use mobile devices during the flight. Only at the peak of their popularity, scientists began to conduct research on whether it is possible to use the Internet on an airplane and were able to reliably establish that cellular communications can affect high-precision devices.

Is it possible to surf the Internet on an airplane? Each airline has its own rules regarding this.

• In American airlines, regulations allow the use of digital devices during takeoff and landing only in standalone mode. Using a network connection is possible only when climbing from three thousand meters and above.
• European airlines do not impose restrictions on the use of devices at any time during the flight.
• Russian air travel regulations are very strict and do not allow electronic devices to be turned on during takeoff.

For failure to comply with this rule, the passenger can be removed from the flight and, in addition, be forced to pay damages associated with the flight delay.

In order not to be in an uncomfortable situation, it is worth knowing in advance the rules for using mobile and digital devices, as well as which planes have wifi and how well it picks up the signal.

WI-FI on board

Despite the active development of technology, the speed of data transfer in aircraft leaves much to be desired. Gogo initially distributed at a rate of 3 MB / s, which was divided among all those who connected and, in fact, turned out to be less, the more passengers tried to use it. The second generation technology allowed to increase the speed to 10 MB / s, but even this is not enough. The high cost of Wi-Fi, from twelve to sixty dollars per flight, with a low connection speed, causes more dissatisfaction than gratitude.

If it is possible to connect to Wi-Fi, they will definitely inform about it.

According to statistics, only seven percent of passengers use the Internet on planes, most often because of the low need for it. Whether there is Wi-Fi on the planes that you plan to use, you can find out on the official website of the airline. Usually, tariffs for Internet traffic are also given there, and you can decide in advance for yourself how much the service of wireless access to the network will cost you.

To win customer loyalty, airlines provide various options for providing free internet to passengers. For example, the Emirates airline provides twenty free megabytes during the first two hours of connection. Of course, this is not enough, but it is enough to send several messages to relatives and friends on social networks.

If additional traffic is required, it can be paid according to the tariffs, which depend on the service class level.

Network access everywhere is a reality

Another example is the Internet companies ViaSat and Global Eagle Entertainment, which provide satellite Internet at speeds up to 12 Mb/s for everyone connected to the network. To keep the cost of using the wireless network on the plane not high, part of the cost is included in the ticket price, and passengers pay only nine dollars per hour. Thus, each passenger involuntarily pays for the use of the network, making it cheaper for users.

Replacing Gogo equipment with more advanced technologies is expensive for airlines and therefore the speed of their implementation is rather low.

Currently, many airlines already provide wireless networking on board their aircraft or are starting to implement these technologies in their aircraft. At the moment, the S7 aircraft is not provided with a wireless network, but they plan to introduce the corresponding technology in the near future. The Belarusian airline Belavia announced plans to equip aircraft with wireless Internet technologies. Whether there is a connection on the plane you plan to fly, you can check in advance on the airline's website.

Modern technology is for our convenience and benefit, so you can be sure that even during the flight you will be available online. By researching the information in advance, you will always be aware of whether your flight will have a wireless connection and how much it will cost you. Technological progress does not stand still, and therefore you can be sure that very soon the Internet will be on every plane and even more affordable.