The ‘Super Wi-Fi’ is powered by Inmarsat’s GX Aviation and will be installed across Qatar Airways’ entire fleet of Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 aircraft. Travellers can enjoy free access for one hour with the option of paying USD10 (approximately AUD13) thereafter for unlimited connectivity for the duration of their flight.
Qatar’s inflight wifi speed is one of the fastest in the skies and can roughly be compared to what you can expect to find at internet cafes with 5-8Mbps for download speeds.
For business travellers, it means ‘seamless continuity’ in keeping their ‘office in the sky’ connected. In a statement, Qatar Airways CEO Hi Excellency Akbar Al Baker said, “In another first for the MENA region, Qatar Airways passengers can now enjoy high-speed broadband connectivity, providing rich content without restriction, whether using the internet for work or relaxation during their journey.’’
Fly-Fi: other airlines keeping you connected in the skies
Many of the major airlines that fly from Australia provide inflight wifi. Below is a list of some of these, the aircraft it’s available on, and what it costs:
American Airlines Sydney to Los Angeles on Boeing 777-300ER
Cost: US$12/two hours, US$17/four hours, US$19 entire flight
All Nippon Airways (ANA) Sydney to Tokyo Haneda on Boeing 787-9
Cost: US$6.95/30 minutes, US$16.95/3 hours, US$21.95 entire flight
Emirates on all non-stop flights between Dubai and Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, as well as on some cross-Tasman flights, and one-stop flights from Australia to Dubai via Singapore, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur. Available on the Airbus A380 (all flights), and Boeing 777 (most aircraft).
Cost: Free for first 10MB, US1$/additional 500MB or part thereof
Etihad Airways on all flights between Abu Dhabi and Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane on the Airbus A380, Boeing 777, and Boeing 787.
Cost: US$11.95/2 hours, US$17.95/4 hours, US$21.95/24 hours including on onward connecting Etihad flights
Japan Airlines Sydney to Tokyo Narita on Boeing 777-300ER
Cost: free for business and first class passengers
Qatar Airways Adelaide and Sydney to Doha on Airbus A350 and A380
Cost: free 10MB/15 minutes, US$5 30MB/1 hour, US$10 100MB/3 hours, US$20 200MB/duration of flight
Qantas domestic flights between Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane on Airbus A330s and Boeing 737s (roll-out across 80 aircraft still in progress, to be completed by the end of the year)
Cost: free on Australian domestic flights
Singapore Airlines Sydney and Melbourne to Singapore on Airbus A350, A380, and Boeing 777-300ER
Cost: On all A380s and some Boeing 777 flights where OnAir is the service provider, the costs are:
For use on laptops – US$14.99/15MB, US$28.99/30MB
For use on smartphones – US$5.99/5MB, US$9.99/10MB
Thai Airways Melbourne to Bangkok on Airbus A350
Cost: free for business class passengers
United Airlines Sydney and Melbourne to Los Angeles, and Sydney to San Francisco on Boeing 787-9
Cost: US$16.99 for flight duration for Australian departures, US$19.99 for flight duration for US departures
Virgin Australia domestic routes on some Boeing 737s and between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane to Los Angeles and on four of five Boeing 777-300ERs.
Cost: complimentary for standard connection on domestic routes, AU$8.99 for high speed connection on domestic flights, AU$9/hour or AU$20 flight pass for duration of flight to Los Angeles.
** Please note: rates, aircraft, and routes may be subject to change. Please always ensure you check with the airline prior to your departure. **