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
Aug 16, 2018, 11:52 am
#271
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 726
https://spacenews.com/eutelsat-takes...s-ean-license/
I'm sure at some point Viasat and Eutelsat will give up as this must be costing them money and they don't seem to be having any success apart from delaying the EAN launch. Or maybe that's all they want to do until they get their own systems up and running?
Last edited by Schind; Aug 16, 2018 at 11:58 am Reason: Typo
Aug 16, 2018, 3:01 pm
#272
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Seattle, Wash. USA
Posts: 1,531
I flew SEA-LHR on G-BYGE. When I checked, the WiFi signal was available, but the Website it takes you to said that Internet access was not yet active. That was early in the flight, and I didn't check later. When we were starting the descent, CC announced that the WiFi would be closing down along with IFE, so maybe they fired it up mid-flight.
Aug 16, 2018, 9:25 pm
#274
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Amsterdam, Asia, UK
Programs: IHG RA (Spire), HH Diamond, MR Platinum, SQ Gold, KLM Gold, BAEC Gold
Posts: 5,072
Is there anyway to check in advance (and how far out) which longhaul route the one wifi enabled A380 is provisionally scheduled for (assuming no late swaps). Selfishly I'd like g-xleg on LHR-HKG-LHR route as thats the only A380 I'm likely to fly, though could in theory fly via SIN instead.
I can see from flightradar24 history G-XLEG flies all the routes, some more frequently than others, but without any underlying pattern I can concern.
I can see from flightradar24 history G-XLEG flies all the routes, some more frequently than others, but without any underlying pattern I can concern.
Aug 16, 2018, 11:27 pm
#275
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Edi
Posts: 2,203
Is there anyway to check in advance (and how far out) which longhaul route the one wifi enabled A380 is provisionally scheduled for (assuming no late swaps). Selfishly I'd like g-xleg on LHR-HKG-LHR route as thats the only A380 I'm likely to fly, though could in theory fly via SIN instead.
I can see from flightradar24 history G-XLEG flies all the routes, some more frequently than others, but without any underlying pattern I can concern.
I can see from flightradar24 history G-XLEG flies all the routes, some more frequently than others, but without any underlying pattern I can concern.
Taking CX from Gatwick would also give you WiFi with their A350.
Aug 17, 2018, 2:41 am
#276
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,111
Of course it has to work; Emirates might be cheap, but as noted below it doesn't always work. Emirates may also treat it as a loss-leader, quarterly and annual results with shareholder return are not their main focus as a company.
[1] One time it did not work very well but I had dismissed the experience as just something that can happen - Internet access from an aircraft flying over Iceland is a dancing bear, the wonder is that it dances at all not that it dances well. I was pleasantly and very surprised to receive an email a few days later with a refund of my payment because the experience had been less than promised, without action on my part. Is any other airline (than AA) actively monitoring the network service quality and refunding when it's bad?
Aug 17, 2018, 2:55 am
#277
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: UK/France
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hertz Gold, Avis Preferred, Honours Silver, Marriott, Hyatt, IHG
Posts: 275
AA's long haul wifi, which works quite well most of the time [1], is $19 for the whole flight. So it's comparable pricing to their JBV ventures. Frankly, especially since I know in detail how complex the infrastructure is, you're expecting a lower cost than is practical.
Of course it has to work; Emirates might be cheap, but as noted below it doesn't always work. Emirates may also treat it as a loss-leader, quarterly and annual results with shareholder return are not their main focus as a company.
[1] One time it did not work very well but I had dismissed the experience as just something that can happen - Internet access from an aircraft flying over Iceland is a dancing bear, the wonder is that it dances at all not that it dances well. I was pleasantly and very surprised to receive an email a few days later with a refund of my payment because the experience had been less than promised, without action on my part. Is any other airline (than AA) actively monitoring the network service quality and refunding when it's bad?
Of course it has to work; Emirates might be cheap, but as noted below it doesn't always work. Emirates may also treat it as a loss-leader, quarterly and annual results with shareholder return are not their main focus as a company.
[1] One time it did not work very well but I had dismissed the experience as just something that can happen - Internet access from an aircraft flying over Iceland is a dancing bear, the wonder is that it dances at all not that it dances well. I was pleasantly and very surprised to receive an email a few days later with a refund of my payment because the experience had been less than promised, without action on my part. Is any other airline (than AA) actively monitoring the network service quality and refunding when it's bad?
Aug 17, 2018, 2:59 am
#278
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
EK is variable I agree. The 380s seem fine but the 777s mixed. However the live TV on EK was a bonus, I was on a flight to Johannesburg when England played Sweden and half the cabin was watching.
Is it a loss leader - I really dont know what the depreciation of the kit and the satellite connection costs. Maybe it isn't that much?
Aug 17, 2018, 3:39 am
#279
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
If one has access to inside information, my suspicion is that the aircraft allocation is done at about T-72h, as that's when a lot of things seem to happen.
Aug 17, 2018, 5:35 pm
#281
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Edi
Posts: 2,203
Things can change but it's very unlikely at best.
Aug 24, 2018, 11:47 am
#282
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 726
The whole Viasat v Inmarsat thing got another write-up on Runway Girl Network yesterday. Viasat are saying they'll keep challenging the legality of the EAN, Inmarsat are saying "we remain on track for commercial service launch to passengers later this year."
https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2018/0...-inmarsat-win/
https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2018/0...-inmarsat-win/
Aug 24, 2018, 12:08 pm
#283
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Greater Metropolitan Area
Programs: Yes
Posts: 367
Thanks for that link!
*cough* What track might that be - the one that had it "fully operational" in September 2017? The launch in 1H 2018? The launch by July 2018?
we remain on track for commercial service launch to passengers later this year.
Aug 24, 2018, 5:48 pm
#285
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 228
I flew SEA-LHR on G-BYGE. When I checked, the WiFi signal was available, but the Website it takes you to said that Internet access was not yet active. That was early in the flight, and I didn't check later. When we were starting the descent, CC announced that the WiFi would be closing down along with IFE, so maybe they fired it up mid-flight.
