Why is Wi-Fi not free on planes?

To provide Wi-Fi, planes need to have a satellite antenna, a network modem, and a number of wireless access points around the interior, says Jeff Sare, vice president of in-flight connectivity solutions at Panasonic Avionics Corporation. And all that hardware has to be maintained in addition to installed.



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Flights are now often the few hours where you're still forced to unplug—or pay handsomely for an often terrible signal. The first explanation that comes to mind for why planes don't offer free Wi-Fi yet is simple—because it's a nice stream of income when passengers pay for it.

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Here are all the major airlines that currently offer free WiFi on most flights:
  1. JetBlue. JetBlue was the first U.S. airline to start offering free WiFi to all passengers through their Fly-Fi service in 2013. ...
  2. Delta Air Lines. ...
  3. Singapore Airlines. ...
  4. Qatar Airways. ...
  5. Norwegian Airlines.


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Delta and Virgin America tied for the fastest in-flight Wi-Fi at speeds up to 15 Mbps. If you're simply looking for the fastest in-flight Wi-Fi, go for Delta or Virgin America. However, while both these airlines offer in-flight Wi-Fi up to 15 Mbps, they vary in price enormously.

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Airplane Wi-Fi can work over the ocean, but the plane has to use a different method than the one used over land. Over large bodies of water, a plane will connect to satellites that in turn connect to ground stations. You may notice slight delays when using Wi-Fi while traveling over the ocean.

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Buy Wi-Fi passes in advance Prepurchasing one-hour passes isn't really going to save you much, if anything. But if you're on the market for an all-day flight pass, you can start planning on saving some cash by purchasing it before your flight.

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Planes have an antenna mounted on top of them which can pick up signals from satellites to provide WiFi services for the people on-board the plane. This is relatively new technology, but a lot of airlines are adopting it.

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Can I text on an airplane? Yes, but only using a Wi-Fi connection. The ban on using a cellular connection means passengers can't send SMS texts. Any communication has to be over Wi-Fi with a messaging app that provides similar functionality like iMessage, WhatsApp, or Viber.

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The maximum speeds for these systems are currently around 5 megabits per second (which is shared by hundreds of passengers), according to Andrew Zignani, a research director at technology intelligence firm ABI Research who specializes in wireless connectivity.

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Caution 3: Beware of security when using free Wi-Fi at airports. Some free Wi-Fi at airports can be used without entering a password. While this is a convenient way to quickly connect to Wi-Fi, it also poses the risk of unauthorized access or virus infection, as the communication is not encrypted.

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Wi-Fi may be purchased prior to your flight by visiting aa.com/wifi or you may purchase once on board. International Wi-Fi is available on all Boeing 777-300ER flights. Wi-Fi can be purchased once on board; currently there is not a pre-purchase option for international Wi-Fi.

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Since it is preferable to crash land on solid ground, and ideally close to an airport where emergency services are accessible, most airlines prefer to fly over land. Most flights are intended to spend as little time as possible over water, since storms are more common over the ocean than on land.

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However, YES… large airliners can land successfully in the ocean (that's called a ditching). The primary concern for the passengers is not surviving the ditching (everyone will probably survive)… Rather, the primary concern is getting rescued before they drown or freeze to death.

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SAN FRANCISCO – May 19, 2022 – The fastest free airport Wi-Fi in the world can be found at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), according to a new ranking published by broadband and mobile network testing company Ookla.

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


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Per the FAA website's Safety Information page, “The FCC and FAA ban cell phones for airborne use because its signals could interfere with critical aircraft instruments. Devices must be used in airplane mode or with the cellular connection disabled.

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