Should I buy airplane Wi-Fi?

In most cases, in-flight Wi-Fi comes by way of a satellite connection between the airline's fleet and a third-party internet provider like Gogo or Viasat.



Deciding whether to buy airplane Wi-Fi in 2026 involves weighing the cost against your need for productivity or entertainment. For business travelers, the investment is often worth it to manage emails or use Slack, though high-latency "Air-to-Ground" systems can still make video calls frustrating. For leisure travelers, it depends on the airline's technology; many carriers are now upgrading to LEO satellite networks like Starlink, which offer speeds capable of streaming Netflix or YouTube in HD. If you only need to send a few WhatsApp messages, check if your airline offers a "Free Messaging" tier for SkyMiles or MileagePlus members. However, keep in mind that airplane Wi-Fi is a public network; for security, you should avoid logging into banking apps or sensitive work portals without a VPN. If your flight is short and you’ve pre-downloaded your content, you might save the $15–$30 and enjoy a "digital sunset" at 35,000 feet instead.

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The internet providers vary by aircraft, and Wi-Fi speeds should be enough to stream videos. You can connect to the internet using a laptop, tablet or smartphone from pushback to park.

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The amount of data that any given individual uses keeps going up. Multiple airlines reported that passengers will connect to wifi from two, or even three devices during a flight. A single streamer uses the bandwidth of ten non-streamers. And all of this increases the costs to airlines for offering wifi.

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JetBlue bills itself as the only major airline to offer, free, high-speed Wi-Fi at every seat, on every plane. The in-flight satellite service is provided by Viasat, and passengers can use it to browse the web, send messages and emails or stream video.

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Usually Wi-Fi can be purchased prior to your flight or while on-board, and is limited to a single device. Similar to personal televisions in the seat back, Wi-Fi is often disabled during takeoff and landing to ensure passenger focus and safety. But in-flight Wi-Fi is also often tiered.

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By default, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® are disabled in airplane mode—you can't make or receive FaceTime calls or use features or accessories that require wireless communication, but you can listen to music, play games, watch videos, and use other apps that don't require internet access.

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In the United States, it's required to switch your phone to airplane mode. But it's not because the plane will crash if you don't. According to Smarter Travel, by not turning your phone onto airplane mode, your phone will attempt to make connections with the cell towers around it.

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No. Currently, we do not offer Wi-Fi on our flights.

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To access the content, passengers simply use their own mobile phones, tablet or laptops to connect to the local wi-fi network created onboard by the AirFi hardware.

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World's Best Inflight Internet Service Provider 2021
  • Global Eagle.
  • Gogo.
  • Panasonic Avionics.
  • Viasat.


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