wifi on European airlines? How about European LCCs?
Oct 15, 2011, 6:18 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 97
wifi on European airlines? How about European LCCs?
simple question:
do any of the European airlines offer inflight wifi? I noticed Lufthansa does (according to their ads) but I haven't read where/what flights they are available for.
It'll be awhile before TATAL flights get inflight internet via sat as that's new technology most systems use ground based thus nothing on the water I'm debating whether I want to eventually book a flight from Berlin to Lisbon (which is almost 4 hours) or head to London but then I could watch movies, read a book and sleep but then I like the idea of inflight internet (never tried it yet!).
also I understand that some trains even have wifi but I am not sure about the long distance trains, I know that some of the SBB trains in Switzerland do but these are local trains (or regional) and besides I already priced out that it costs more to use the trains for long distance and would probably be cheaper if not the same for regional and short distance rides/flights.
do any of the European airlines offer inflight wifi? I noticed Lufthansa does (according to their ads) but I haven't read where/what flights they are available for.
It'll be awhile before TATAL flights get inflight internet via sat as that's new technology most systems use ground based thus nothing on the water I'm debating whether I want to eventually book a flight from Berlin to Lisbon (which is almost 4 hours) or head to London but then I could watch movies, read a book and sleep but then I like the idea of inflight internet (never tried it yet!).
also I understand that some trains even have wifi but I am not sure about the long distance trains, I know that some of the SBB trains in Switzerland do but these are local trains (or regional) and besides I already priced out that it costs more to use the trains for long distance and would probably be cheaper if not the same for regional and short distance rides/flights.
Oct 15, 2011, 6:36 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: MUCCI
Posts: 5,706
I noticed Lufthansa does (according to their ads) but I haven't read where/what flights they are available for.
It'll be awhile before TATAL flights get inflight internet via sat as that's new technology most systems use ground based thus nothing on the water
In the US, you have very long transcontinental flights that are domestic. Above the same country, so legalities are easy.
Not the case in Europe (or other continents that are not a single large country.
I'm debating whether I want to eventually book a flight from Berlin to Lisbon (which is almost 4 hours) or head to London but then I could watch movies, read a book and sleep but then I like the idea of inflight internet (never tried it yet!).
also I understand that some trains even have wifi but I am not sure about the long distance trains,
I know that some of the SBB trains in Switzerland do but these are local trains (or regional) and besides I already priced out that it costs more to use the trains for long distance and would probably be cheaper if not the same for regional and short distance rides/flights.
Oct 15, 2011, 6:50 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 97
None that I can think of, certainly for shorthaul.
NB. It's longhaul, not shorthaul.
Quite the reverse with regard to european carriers. The same reasons that live terrestrial TV is ultra rare inflight with european airlines - you pass over so many countries with shorthaul travel that the logistics - and licencing legalities would be a night mare. Domestically, flights are shorter still so there is little point/demand.
In the US, you have very long transcontinental flights that are domestic. Above the same country, so legalities are easy.
Not the case in Europe (or other continents that are not a single large country.
If you just want to try it, get yourself over to the USA and fly domestically, but I can't advise you which airline, as I don't go there.
Generally it is long distance trains. As the infrastructure on the coaches makes sense.
????
NB. It's longhaul, not shorthaul.
Quite the reverse with regard to european carriers. The same reasons that live terrestrial TV is ultra rare inflight with european airlines - you pass over so many countries with shorthaul travel that the logistics - and licencing legalities would be a night mare. Domestically, flights are shorter still so there is little point/demand.
In the US, you have very long transcontinental flights that are domestic. Above the same country, so legalities are easy.
Not the case in Europe (or other continents that are not a single large country.
If you just want to try it, get yourself over to the USA and fly domestically, but I can't advise you which airline, as I don't go there.
Generally it is long distance trains. As the infrastructure on the coaches makes sense.
????
This is the Europe forum, but yes I live in the USA so I know about live TV and wifi, what you said about licensing requriements makes sense actually.
As for your ?? A friend of mine travels on some of Swiss S-Bahns and he says some of them have wifi which is why I was not sure if long distance trains had them on the other hand I have read that some backpackers whom I follow on twitter don't seem to be aware of wifi on the trains (or they just don't talk about it?) I'm sure ultra long distance trains don't have them as I am sure some places just don't have the infrastructure.
Oct 15, 2011, 7:13 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: MUCCI
Posts: 5,706
As for your ?? A friend of mine travels on some of Swiss S-Bahns and he says some of them have wifi which is why I was not sure if long distance trains had them on the other hand I have read that some backpackers whom I follow on twitter don't seem to be aware of wifi on the trains (or they just don't talk about it?) I'm sure ultra long distance trains don't have them as I am sure some places just don't have the infrastructure.
However I'd point out that most railways are electrified, as a result there is plenty of trackside infrastructure along the whole length (not just signalling, but power distribuition also).
Also, some on-train wifi services make use of the mobile phone networks for service.
However, it is still only limited services that have wifi (both long distance and short comutter). But in percentage terms, I'd say it is probably more long than short. However, it is certainly still the level where you need to check specifically for it, no where near making assumptions or expectations levels.
Oct 16, 2011, 5:28 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: LH/LX, AY
Posts: 75
Some SBB trains have wifi. But it is only available in 1st class and on some routes.
See here:
http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-service...-en-route.html
See here:
http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-service...-en-route.html
Last edited by spellofiron; Oct 16, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Oct 17, 2011, 9:19 am
#7
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Biggleswade
Programs: SK*G, Lots of Blue Elsewhere
Posts: 13,611
More and more UK rail services are gaining wifi - some via Icomera (East Coast, NXEA), some via T-Mobile (Virgin, Southern, Heathrow Express).
Several long-distance bus and coach services are getting wifi, too, and some shorter ones too (near me, the X5 Oxford-Cambridge express, the Cambridgeshire (mis-)Guided Busway and further away, the Edinburgh Airport buses).
Several long-distance bus and coach services are getting wifi, too, and some shorter ones too (near me, the X5 Oxford-Cambridge express, the Cambridgeshire (mis-)Guided Busway and further away, the Edinburgh Airport buses).
Apr 1, 2014, 8:58 am
#9
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Apr 7, 2014, 6:57 am
#14
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Location: MEL
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Satellite?! That seems a bit odd to me. I've seen the service offered on some buses via a cellular network (essentially there is one device tethering wifi to the entire bus). I would guess that a satellite implementation would be considerably more expensive. (It's an uninformed guess though.)