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
Sep 14, 2020, 11:15 am
#706
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 30
Nov 29, 2020, 6:30 am
#709
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA, U2+, SK, AF/KL, IHG, Hilton, others gathering dust...
Posts: 2,552
On a recent long haul flight, I noticed that BA has changed the inflight WiFi costs from being time-based (1h/4h/whole flight, IIRC), to usage based charging (25/75/150MB). Not sure if this is aircraft-specific (these were my first flights on a BA A350), or something across the fleet.
Also, there was no option for basic/faster speeds, just “messaging” and “browsing”. Given that a whole flight at the faster “streaming” speed with no major usage restrictions previously on other aircraft was GBP 23.99, getting only 150MB for GBP 19.99 seems a significant price increase.
Also, there was no option for basic/faster speeds, just “messaging” and “browsing”. Given that a whole flight at the faster “streaming” speed with no major usage restrictions previously on other aircraft was GBP 23.99, getting only 150MB for GBP 19.99 seems a significant price increase.
Nov 29, 2020, 6:32 am
#710
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,020
On a recent long haul flight, I noticed that BA has changed the inflight WiFi costs from being time-based (1h/4h/whole flight, IIRC), to usage based charging (25/75/150MB). Not sure if this is aircraft-specific (these were my first flights on a BA A350), or something across the fleet.
Also, there was no option for basic/faster speeds, just “messaging” and “browsing”. Given that a whole flight at the faster “streaming” speed with no major usage restrictions previously on other aircraft was GBP 23.99, getting only 150MB for GBP 19.99 seems a significant price increase.
Also, there was no option for basic/faster speeds, just “messaging” and “browsing”. Given that a whole flight at the faster “streaming” speed with no major usage restrictions previously on other aircraft was GBP 23.99, getting only 150MB for GBP 19.99 seems a significant price increase.
Nov 29, 2020, 8:05 am
#711
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA, U2+, SK, AF/KL, IHG, Hilton, others gathering dust...
Posts: 2,552
Thanks for the clarification, I had wondered if it was aircraft-specific. System limitations aside, one would assume BA has control over how much allowance it gives and/or how much it charges for that allowance.
Nov 29, 2020, 8:09 am
#712
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,020
Yes they will. Presumably if it was the same as the old pricing and unlimited too many people would use it to maintain the promised speeds. So to keep the same useable speeds as the better system, they have to charge more/have smaller data amounts offered. This in turn will cause a smaller percentage of customers to think it’s worthwhile. Just my 2 cents.
Nov 29, 2020, 2:26 pm
#714
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Belfast
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 379
Paul Lucas posted a video to YouTube this morning in which he flew on G-ZBJA to Athens. It also has the .air sticker by the door but the wiki has it as one yet to be fitted.
Dec 1, 2020, 4:16 am
#715
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leicestershire / Dubai
Programs: BA Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite & Lifetime Gold, Heathrow Rewards Premium, Tesco Clubcard
Posts: 663
I was on BA118 from BLR > LHR on Sunday and the WiFi was hopeless. I paid for the whole flight for basic messaging but it kept disconnecting (when I went on shop.ba.com it would ask me to buy again several times). One way to fix it was to switch off WiFi on the iPhone and switch it back on and even that was hit and miss.
I.e. it wasn't so much a signal problem on the WAN side (aircraft to satellite), but on the LAN side (my device to the aircraft's WiFi access point).
CC suggested I pay again (twice) and reclaim the cost when I arrived, which I did.
I.e. it wasn't so much a signal problem on the WAN side (aircraft to satellite), but on the LAN side (my device to the aircraft's WiFi access point).
CC suggested I pay again (twice) and reclaim the cost when I arrived, which I did.
Dec 14, 2020, 5:18 am
#716
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 19,903
Based on what you're saying, wifi on the A350 and 787-10 must be very expensive to use.
Dec 14, 2020, 6:00 am
#717
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: WAW ✈ LHR ✈ GLA
Programs: BA GfL/GGL/CCR, HH Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,502
Dec 14, 2020, 6:18 am
#718
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 19,903
Dec 14, 2020, 6:37 am
#719
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: WAW ✈ LHR ✈ GLA
Programs: BA GfL/GGL/CCR, HH Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,502
Upgrading WiFi post-delivery wouldn't take long and cost peanuts, as a benefit it would provide an unified WiFi experience across the fleet. but #costcuttingisinourDNA
Dec 14, 2020, 8:25 am
#720
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 30
It's more complicated than that. Installing Wi-Fi post-delivery requires essentially tearing apart the entire interior of the brand new aircraft. All the seats, all the sidewalls, all the ceiling panels, it all comes out to install the wiring, access points, etc. It's a lot of work.