I for one value the peace and quiet, and the 'break' that I get inflight!

Still, perhaps after this?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...-internet.html

Congtatz, FINALLY there is one thing which they are a step above CX on :rolleyes:

So PRC, now that one of your allies are already ahead of the dark horse, does it mean it's fine for CX to advance forward as well to where it really belongs?

Great I hope al the people who think they need wifi on flights start using other airlines as for me I will happily pay more to fly CX without the danger of some idiot using voip to talk to people on the ground and we all know how that conversation will go

I am not annoyed at CX not being able to bring this feature onto their flights (it frankly doesn't matter that much for me), I'm just pissed at the fact that the mainland is such a major obstacle blocking CX's path of increasing its service level.

VOIP doesn't work on low bandwidth, high-latency links.

All this paranoia about idiots with lack of etiquette doing Skype voice or even video sessions is misguided. The airlines propose to filter/block it and even if they did not, it simply won't work.

On second thought... I can see there's a valid concern that people will TRY anyway and sit next to you screaming into their tablet "Dad, can you hear me ? I can see you but it's not moving... Hello??? HELLO!!!"

FWIW - I *think* United has to turn off their onboard wifi over China.

on LH
You can enjoy the full communications freedom of the Internet on almost the entire Lufthansa global long-haul network. The sole exceptions are flights over China — the system automatically switches off on entering Chinese airspace and switches on again when leaving it — and flights to Cape Town. We are currently unable to offer FlyNet® on this route because there is insufficient satellite capacity available.

http://http://www.lufthansa.com/onli...l=en&cid=18002

Does CX have wifi on board?
 

Any new progress on this issue?

CX still using the mainland excuse

most of their on haul flights only have 3-4 hours over mainland space- for a 16 hour flight that is hardly anything


not to mention Australia /NZ/SOUTHEAST ASIA/AFRICA have virtually no mainland aerospace flights.

and the middle east Indian flights only have 1-2 hours of Chinese aerospace

so CX has no excuse to not introduce it, at least on their 777's and long haul A330's

btw CX is going to offer it for free that is the one progress since any latest announcement

China Eastern is going to be offering internet inside Chinese airspace after their service provider Panasonic (which I also believe is CX's provider) signed an agreement with China Telecom.

Source:
http://www.panasonic.aero/News/Artic...elliteand.aspx

So if CX is to use China Telecom as well, will all traffics be subject to Chinese government surveillance and firewall rules even when the plane is outside of Chinese airspace?

The Great Firewall is only in effect when you are routed through China's internal internet switches. Actually this might be a reason why China-based airlines have been so slow to introduce internet on flight. They are finding a way to make sure all internet traffic, whether you're on mainland air space or not, to be funneled through China's switches to contain you within their Great Firewall.

Sounds silly, but then again when it comes to China I am not at all surprise.

Especially considering they have blocked Apple Daily as well as BBC (which is required under UK law to be neutral on the issues that they report...)

Are they really?

Even if I'm using my China Unicom HK 跨境王 prepaid SIM in China (I was meeting moondog), I can browse Apple Daily/Facebok/Twitter to my heart's content - just so long as I'm using China Unicom HK's APN.

Can't believe a HK carrier overflying China (or even travelling into China for the matter) will be subject to GFW on the plane even if they open doors in a PRC airport.

Oh. I see the LH post. Typical PRC uneven regulation again...

I saw a China Eastern airline commercial which highlights onboard Wi-Fi, hmmm