Oct 26, 2015, 2:06 am
Last edit by: Adam Smith
General WiFi Tidbits
Detailed WiFi roll-out info compiled by FTers:
Planes with WiFi (confirmed by FTers):
Remaining planes planned for WiFi that are still without WiFI or unknown:
Planes with no plans to install WiFi:
Air Canada Status WiFi Benefit
- WiFi is managed by "WiFi Onboard", formerly known as "Gogo"
- If you have a pass from WiFi OnBoard for their entire fleet that will generally work
- You can redeem Aeroplan points for various packages ranging from one hour to the entire flight and at different speeds
- Only one device at a time can use the plan. Once you log in with another device with your WiFi Onboard or Aeroplan account the other device will drop
- Rouge J customers are now getting a one-time WiFi Onboard code for free WiFi on the flight instead of getting an iPad
Detailed WiFi roll-out info compiled by FTers:
Planes with WiFi (confirmed by FTers):
- GoGo 2Ku satellite-based system (fast, large coverage area, including over water - coverage map):
- 223
- 319 (rouge)
- 320 (rouge)
- 321 (rouge)
- 333 (except 946 and 948)
- 788
- 789 (except 860)
- 77L
- 77W
- Gogo ATG system (old, slow, only works over land in North America, and not very far north - coverage map)
- CR9: 701-721, 780-784 (note: a recent report from a Jazz pilot suggests the system may be disabled on 780-784)
- E75
- 319 (mainline)
- 320 (mainline)
- 321 (mainline)
Remaining planes planned for WiFi that are still without WiFI or unknown:
- CR9: 722-730 (note: a recent report from a Jazz pilot suggests the system may be disabled on 780-784)
- 7M8: all (AC had an embarrassing escapade with a Thales system that was completely inadequate. As of March 2023, they appear to have given up on this system. What they plan to replace it with is uncertain)
- 789: 860
- 333: 946, 948
Planes with no plans to install WiFi:
- DH4s
- CRJs
Air Canada Status WiFi Benefit
- The benefit lasts for 12 months from the date of activation, which is the first date you sign into Gogo on an AC flight using your Aeroplan account. Date of benefit selection is irrelevant. It must be activated by the end of the calendar year.
- Benefit currently works on all aircraft with WiFi, except possibly rouge. Some rouge aircraft have reported having access to the Aeroplan sign in which was required for the Aeroplan benefit to work. It's unknown whether the benefit will be extended to those fleets in the future.
- The benefit says you can have up to 5 users but that is five unique devices in a one month period and not simultaneous usage. You will need to log off one device to use another device on the same flight. GoGo will apparently block if it sees too many devices in a one month period to avoid credential sharing.
- There are huge problems with the Aeroplan login for this benefit. There is a high likelihood that you will need to attempt to log in numerous times for it to work, and it may not work at all. Chatting with WiFi Onboard support should get you a one-time code for free WiFi for the flight.
On-Board WIFI (2013-2022)
Jun 8, 2018, 7:23 pm
#948
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: YEG
Programs: AC Lifetime SE100K, 3MM, SPG Lifetime Plat, Hertz PC, National Executive Elite
Posts: 2,901
Jun 9, 2018, 4:40 am
#949
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan, Flying Blue Gold, Accor Silver, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 662
Are the prices online accurate? When I search for a flight (ie AC1) it shows wifi being available with option to purchase before. The cost for the one way flight is $21, which is reasonable. Page seems to be geared at North American flights though with surface to air connectivity. Are the prices for TPAC posted anywhere?
Jun 9, 2018, 9:50 pm
#950
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,767
Are the prices online accurate? When I search for a flight (ie AC1) it shows wifi being available with option to purchase before. The cost for the one way flight is $21, which is reasonable. Page seems to be geared at North American flights though with surface to air connectivity. Are the prices for TPAC posted anywhere?
Jun 10, 2018, 9:11 am
#951
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YQG
Programs: TK M&S Elite, Delta PM, *G, Skyteam ElitePlus, Nexus,
Posts: 40
I would take that with a grain of salt. It says all 21 CR9s have WiFi, but the 5 new-build CR9s have been flying for about 18 months with no WiFi. I did manage to avoid any CR9 flights in May, but I flew on a couple different fins in late April and there was no sign of WiFi, nor do any of those birds appear to have been taken out of service for a few days for WiFi install in the past few weeks. It's possible that I'm wrong and they do now have WiFi, but I'm skeptical.
Jun 12, 2018, 3:14 pm
#952
Join Date: May 2005
Location: YOW
Programs: AC-SE100K MM, BA-S HH-D, MB-G LT Sil, IHG-Plt, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 3,803
AC is tweeting this link today https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...ard/wi-fi.html which says 19 of 19 77W's and 1 of 6 77L's now have Wi-Fi.
--
13F
--
13F
Jun 12, 2018, 5:01 pm
#953
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Toronto - YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan/Hilton Gold/Marriott Bonvoy Titanium/Accor/Hyatt Gold Passport
Posts: 5,899
AC is tweeting this link today https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...ard/wi-fi.html which says 19 of 19 77W's and 1 of 6 77L's now have Wi-Fi.
--
13F
--
13F
Jun 12, 2018, 5:32 pm
#954
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,324
AC is tweeting this link today https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...ard/wi-fi.html which says 19 of 19 77W's and 1 of 6 77L's now have Wi-Fi.
--
13F
--
13F
Though I'm extremely disappointed about the Dreamliners.
I "hope" they have a bunch set up, just not turned on. Although that might annoy me even more. Ugh.
And yes, I acknowledge that I never told you I was on 739 today
Jun 12, 2018, 6:02 pm
#955
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,324
Okay I am streaming Hulu (restricted to US only) on YYZ-SFO with my AC monthly pass. I am EXTREMELY impressed right now.
Jun 17, 2018, 2:22 pm
#956
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YQG
Programs: TK M&S Elite, Delta PM, *G, Skyteam ElitePlus, Nexus,
Posts: 40
Wifi confirmed on fin 701. Very spotty over China. And there was no connection over the pole!
Jun 17, 2018, 5:53 pm
#957
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: YYT
Programs: AC E35k, HHonors Silver
Posts: 743
GoGo coverage map here: (Scroll down a bit to find it) https://www.gogoair.com/commercial/i...t-systems/2ku/
Jun 17, 2018, 11:06 pm
#958
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,767
However, the website tool will not be reliable until all fins of a type have WiFi installed because aircraft are not assigned to flights until about 48 hours out, and even then the assigned fin will usually change several times between when it's first visible publicly (based on what's on FR24) and the flight. Unless one is checking just a few hours before a fight, when the fin is fairly locked in, the tool's result will be a guess, at best.
Jun 21, 2018, 7:32 am
#959
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
......
However, the website tool will not be reliable until all fins of a type have WiFi installed because aircraft are not assigned to flights until about 48 hours out, and even then the assigned fin will usually change several times between when it's first visible publicly (based on what's on FR24) and the flight. Unless one is checking just a few hours before a fight, when the fin is fairly locked in, the tool's result will be a guess, at best.
However, the website tool will not be reliable until all fins of a type have WiFi installed because aircraft are not assigned to flights until about 48 hours out, and even then the assigned fin will usually change several times between when it's first visible publicly (based on what's on FR24) and the flight. Unless one is checking just a few hours before a fight, when the fin is fairly locked in, the tool's result will be a guess, at best.
Not everyone understands when or how aircraft are assigned, that swaps can happen, that wifi may not work on an aircraft that had it installed (and may have worked on a previous flight), and that there are dead zones around the planet. As many of us know, some of this info is in the link posted above by @AtlanticXpat
This morning's Altitude Report had a segment about the wifi....
....which links to the AC page https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...ard/wi-fi.html
I noted these 2 pieces of info
On the AC page with this bit is a list of all the aircraft and the percent of completed installation of wifi
And this bit
Jun 22, 2018, 4:04 am
#960
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan, Flying Blue Gold, Accor Silver, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 662
It’s funny that on Air Canada’s page, they claim you “Can now stream your favourite TV show or movie during your flight just as you would at home.”, while when you try to pre-purchase a plan on the gogo site, it says “Gogo does not support live video or streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and HBO GO.”
Has anyone pre-purchased a $21 one way pass and used it on an international flight?
Has anyone pre-purchased a $21 one way pass and used it on an international flight?