British Airways to power long haul flights with Wi-Fi

British Airways has started powering some of its long-haul aircraft with high-speed Wi-Fi, with its first three connected aircraft now in service. The airline will connect 118 of its long haul aircraft over the next two years.

Customers will be advised of the availability of Wi-Fi when they board a connected aircraft allowing them to browse and stream from the comfort of their seat.

Using the latest generation technology, British Airways will provide high-speed bandwidth to customers, with internet being available approximately 10 minutes after take-off when the aircraft has passed 10,000ft. The portal will work with the latest operating systems from Apple, Android and Windows, allowing customers to connect on a variety of devices.

To celebrate the launch, British Airways is partnering with Visa to connect customers on board the first Wi-Fi enabled flights. For a limited time, customers will be able to connect to high speed Wi-Fi and enjoy an hour of free browsing and streaming, courtesy of Visa.

Customers can choose from two paid-for Wi-Fi packages including the ‘Browse’ package, which supports internet surfing, social media and WhatsApp, or the ‘Stream’ package, which supports streaming of music and entertainment, from the very best online content services, including Netflix*. The packages are available to purchase for one hour, four hours or the full flight.

Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ director of brand and customer experience, said: “British Airways has launched its multi-million pound investment plan to benefit its customers with more choice and quality for all. Staying connected is important to our customers who want to be able to work, browse and stream in the air. They can now look forward to enjoying the latest generation Wi-Fi across our long haul fleet over the next two years.”

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British Airways has launched its multi-million pound investment plan to benefit its customers with a focus on excellence in the premium cabins and more choice and quality for all. Six hundred million pounds will be spent on Club World with an emphasis on improved catering and sleep, and a new seat in the future. At Heathrow a First Wing check-in area with direct security and lounge access has launched, and lounges around the airline’s network are to be revamped and improved. The Club Europe cabin has also been introduced on UK domestic services and all customers can look forward to the latest generation Wi-Fi across British Airways’ long-haul and short haul fleets over the next two years.