Oct 1, 2017, 1:57 am
Last edit by: sigma421
Onboard WiFi has been introduced to BA's fleet and is being marketed as Highlife Connect. This thread is to track the rollout. See https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb.../wifi-on-board for BA's FAQ on the system.
Long-haul aircraft with WiFi fitted
A350-1000 - All fitted (12 aircraft).
A380 - All fitted (12 aircraft)
777-200ER - All fitted (43 aircraft)
777-300ER - All fitted (16 aircraft)
787-8 - 0/12 aircraft
787-9 - 14/18 aircraft
G-ZBKA, G-ZBKB, G-ZBKC, G-ZBKD, G-ZBKG, G-ZBKH, G-ZBKI, G-ZBKJ, G-ZBKK, G-ZBKL, G-ZBKM, G-ZBKN, G-ZBKO, G-ZBKP
787-10 - All fitted (2 aircraft).
BA are currently trialling free WiFi in first class cabins. For those in other cabins the current cost on all long-haul aircraft is:
Note that prices and services offered are subject to change.
787-8 - G-ZBJA/B/C/D/E/F/G/H/I/J/K/M
787-9 - G-ZBKE/F/R/S
The majority of aircraft have wi-fi equipment fitted with the exception of those expected to retire within the next few years. Wi-fi equipment is installed after delivery and the rate at which this happens appears to have slowed down post-COVID.
A319 - 12/29 Aircraft
G-EUOA
G-EUPL/M/N/O/P/R/S/T/U/Y/Z
A320 - 61/67 Aircraft
G-EUUA/B/C/E/F/G/H/I/J/K/L/M/N/O/P/R/T/U/V/W/X/Y/Z
G-EUYA/B/D/E/G/H/I/J/K/L/M/N/O/P/R/S/T/U/V/W/X
G-GATH/J/K/M/N/P/R/S/U
G-MEDK
G-MIDO/S/T/X/Y
G-TTOB/E
A320neo - 17/20 Aircraft
G-TTNA/B/C/D/E/F/G/H/I/J/K/L/M/N/O/P/Q/R
Wi-fi installation has not yet occurred for aircraft delivered from October 2022 onwards.
A321 - 15/18 Aircraft
G-EUXC/D/E/F/G/H/I/J/K/L/M
G-MEDL/M/N
A321neo - All fitted (10 aircraft)
The price of WiFi on short-haul flights varies according to the length of the route. The following prices are known:
Messaging - £1.99 or £2.99 depending on flight distance.
Browse & Stream (one hour) - £4.99
Browse & Stream (whole flight)
£4.99 (MAN / NCL)
£6.99 (ARN / HAM)
£7.99 (KRK / LIS / MAS / PMI)
£8.99 (AGP)
£9.99 (LED / SOF)
£11.99 (LCA)
Short-haul aircraft not planned to receive WiFi due to retirement
A319 - 18 Aircraft
G-EUOE/F/G
G-EUPD/G/J/K/W
G-DBCA/B/C/D/E/F/G/H/J/K
Background information:
Long-haul aircraft with WiFi fitted
A350-1000 - All fitted (12 aircraft).
A380 - All fitted (12 aircraft)
777-200ER - All fitted (43 aircraft)
777-300ER - All fitted (16 aircraft)
787-8 - 0/12 aircraft
787-9 - 14/18 aircraft
G-ZBKA, G-ZBKB, G-ZBKC, G-ZBKD, G-ZBKG, G-ZBKH, G-ZBKI, G-ZBKJ, G-ZBKK, G-ZBKL, G-ZBKM, G-ZBKN, G-ZBKO, G-ZBKP
787-10 - All fitted (2 aircraft).
BA are currently trialling free WiFi in first class cabins. For those in other cabins the current cost on all long-haul aircraft is:
- 1 hour: £7.99
- 4 hours: £17.99
- Full flight: up to £23.99 depending on route
Note that prices and services offered are subject to change.
Long-haul aircraft still to be fitted with WiFi
787-8 - G-ZBJA/B/C/D/E/F/G/H/I/J/K/M
787-9 - G-ZBKE/F/R/S
Short-haul and mid-haul aircraft known to have WiFi fitted and enabled
The majority of aircraft have wi-fi equipment fitted with the exception of those expected to retire within the next few years. Wi-fi equipment is installed after delivery and the rate at which this happens appears to have slowed down post-COVID.
A319 - 12/29 Aircraft
G-EUOA
G-EUPL/M/N/O/P/R/S/T/U/Y/Z
A320 - 61/67 Aircraft
G-EUUA/B/C/E/F/G/H/I/J/K/L/M/N/O/P/R/T/U/V/W/X/Y/Z
G-EUYA/B/D/E/G/H/I/J/K/L/M/N/O/P/R/S/T/U/V/W/X
G-GATH/J/K/M/N/P/R/S/U
G-MEDK
G-MIDO/S/T/X/Y
G-TTOB/E
A320neo - 17/20 Aircraft
G-TTNA/B/C/D/E/F/G/H/I/J/K/L/M/N/O/P/Q/R
Wi-fi installation has not yet occurred for aircraft delivered from October 2022 onwards.
A321 - 15/18 Aircraft
G-EUXC/D/E/F/G/H/I/J/K/L/M
G-MEDL/M/N
A321neo - All fitted (10 aircraft)
The price of WiFi on short-haul flights varies according to the length of the route. The following prices are known:
Messaging - £1.99 or £2.99 depending on flight distance.
Browse & Stream (one hour) - £4.99
Browse & Stream (whole flight)
£4.99 (MAN / NCL)
£6.99 (ARN / HAM)
£7.99 (KRK / LIS / MAS / PMI)
£8.99 (AGP)
£9.99 (LED / SOF)
£11.99 (LCA)
Short-haul aircraft not planned to receive WiFi due to retirement
A319 - 18 Aircraft
G-EUOE/F/G
G-EUPD/G/J/K/W
G-DBCA/B/C/D/E/F/G/H/J/K
Background information:
FAQ : Status of on-board WiFi rollout on BA aircraft
Mar 10, 2019, 11:20 pm
#481
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: WAW ✈ LHR ✈ GLA
Programs: BA GfL/GGL/CCR, HH Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,501
Got G-TTOE on one of my recent flights and got to try the WiFi. It was short segment from London to Hamburg, so around 50 minutes in the air. Prices were £1.99 for messaging or £6.99 for streaming - easy to pay via my account (I was already registered). Speed was 620kbps on the streaming package - enough to watch YouTube, but not enough for Netflix.
On my two recent BA11s (London - Singapore, so 12h in the air) internet was priced at £14.99 for full flight messaging or £24.99 streaming. On the first flight internet got reset a number of times requiring me to pay again. I've asked for refund of additional charges and got refunded all of them. On the second flight internet stopped working a couple of hours into the flight. Speed was decent though: 6mbps on the steaming packagepackage.
On my two recent BA11s (London - Singapore, so 12h in the air) internet was priced at £14.99 for full flight messaging or £24.99 streaming. On the first flight internet got reset a number of times requiring me to pay again. I've asked for refund of additional charges and got refunded all of them. On the second flight internet stopped working a couple of hours into the flight. Speed was decent though: 6mbps on the steaming packagepackage.
Mar 11, 2019, 4:34 am
#482
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 726
Got G-TTOE on one of my recent flights and got to try the WiFi. It was short segment from London to Hamburg, so around 50 minutes in the air. Prices were £1.99 for messaging or £6.99 for streaming - easy to pay via my account (I was already registered). Speed was 620kbps on the streaming package - enough to watch YouTube, but not enough for Netflix.
Mar 11, 2019, 5:09 am
#483
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: WAW ✈ LHR ✈ GLA
Programs: BA GfL/GGL/CCR, HH Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,501
Thanks for this. I was wondering how they'd do pricing for the shorthaul flights. I'll update the main wiki with this info but one question remains - does anyone know if these prices are for all shorthaul flights or are they time limited meaning the longer shorthaul flights(!) may have another priceband?
Mar 12, 2019, 10:15 am
#486
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: London, UK
Posts: 5,105
There’s a very handy feature in Windows 10 called Mobile Hotspot, which basically allows you to share your laptop internet connection with max eight other devices, like your phone or pad, by converting your laptop into a WiFi access point. I’ve been using this feature on AY and it works perfectly. Does BA have any policy regarding sharing your WiFi connection? How would crew react if they find unauthorized WiFi networks on-board? I’ve been sharing the connection only to my private devices so far but there’s no reason why you couldn’t share it with your family on board or even fellow passengers (perhaps for a nominal fee… 
).
). 
Mar 12, 2019, 10:21 am
#487
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: GGL/CCR
Posts: 1,899
iPhones cant share a WiFi connection - only Windows 10 and Android.
Mar 14, 2019, 11:39 am
#489
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,190
Mar 14, 2019, 6:45 pm
#490
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 17
Would using a wifi connection device like Hootoo work with the BA wifi system . I have used it when flying American Airline before ? Or would using the Hootoo reduce the down speed i have used it sometime and the speed is reduced. I wouldn't want to reduce it so much it wouldn't work .
Can you log in with one device like my iPhone then log out of that and log into my iPad ? i know you can't have two devices running at once?
Thanks
Can you log in with one device like my iPhone then log out of that and log into my iPad ? i know you can't have two devices running at once?
Thanks
Mar 14, 2019, 7:09 pm
#491
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,190
Would using a wifi connection device like Hootoo work with the BA wifi system . I have used it when flying American Airline before ? Or would using the Hootoo reduce the down speed i have used it sometime and the speed is reduced. I wouldn't want to reduce it so much it wouldn't work .
Can you log in with one device like my iPhone then log out of that and log into my iPad ? i know you can't have two devices running at once?
Thanks
Can you log in with one device like my iPhone then log out of that and log into my iPad ? i know you can't have two devices running at once?
Thanks
The session is per-device (or more accurately, per MAC address and probably some other device relevant piece(s) of information) so unless one can do some serious spoofing, one cannot switch from one device to another with the same paid session, even if only one device is active at a time.
rb211.
Mar 15, 2019, 10:22 am
#492
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
I believe the note in the Wiki suggesting that Scandinavian routes will not have service until 2020 is a misinterpretation of that ATW story. The story highlights a goal of adding ATG towers in the North Sea to improve performance and capacity, but the system is designed to work with both satellite and ATG networks and should revert to the satellite connection during the periods it is out of range of a ground station.
Mar 15, 2019, 11:25 am
#493
Join Date: May 2016
Location: EDI
Programs: Was BA GGL but no longer travelling
Posts: 583
I am currently on QR572, and WiFi is infinitely better than anything I have ever had in the BA rollout (7 US/CA Flights in last 12 months). Browsing is both faster and more stable.
On my last BA (SEA to LHR about a week ago I was getting 7mbps but it was very erratic. On this flight I’m getting 1mbps but it’s stable. Maybe BA are pushing it too hard?
Do the experts here know if QR are using different technology to BA? I know it’s all satellite, and we are currently over water, but I never expected such a dramatic difference.
Maybe I’ve just been unlucky on the BA flights?
On my last BA (SEA to LHR about a week ago I was getting 7mbps but it was very erratic. On this flight I’m getting 1mbps but it’s stable. Maybe BA are pushing it too hard?
Do the experts here know if QR are using different technology to BA? I know it’s all satellite, and we are currently over water, but I never expected such a dramatic difference.
Maybe I’ve just been unlucky on the BA flights?
Mar 15, 2019, 11:45 am
#494
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Greater Metropolitan Area
Programs: Yes
Posts: 367
Wifi on Qatar seems to be a bit of a mishmash - you are on A7-BET, which is less than a year old, and it seems to have Wifi by Global Xpress. BA use GoGo 2Ku for transatlantic Wifi.
I was on a Qatar A380 recently and internet was reaaally low, bordering on unusable. I believe the A350 was the same. That seems to have been OnAir.
As all of the transatlantic flights are satellite based, I think the regional capacity can make quite a bit of difference too. Technically, Gogo 2Ku seems to be quite capable, but it sounds like there might be satellite capacity problems in certain locations. Not sure how true that is for the other platforms.
I was on a Qatar A380 recently and internet was reaaally low, bordering on unusable. I believe the A350 was the same. That seems to have been OnAir.
As all of the transatlantic flights are satellite based, I think the regional capacity can make quite a bit of difference too. Technically, Gogo 2Ku seems to be quite capable, but it sounds like there might be satellite capacity problems in certain locations. Not sure how true that is for the other platforms.
Mar 15, 2019, 11:51 am
#495
Join Date: May 2016
Location: EDI
Programs: Was BA GGL but no longer travelling
Posts: 583
Many thanks, very useful. Dare I ask how you know which providers they are using, besides a tracert from onboard?
i was on a a350 this morning (qr32) but didn’t try the WiFi. Maybe I should, on the return next weekend.
i was on a a350 this morning (qr32) but didn’t try the WiFi. Maybe I should, on the return next weekend.