The free in-flight WiFi provided by Emirates is provided without charge. However, there is one catch.
No matter the cabin or travel class, Emirates announced on May 19 that it will provide free basic inflight WiFi to all customers. Similar services were offered by the airline prior to the epidemic, but this time, time restrictions don’t seem to apply. Even if this adjustment will benefit tens of thousands of people each week, it will nevertheless have a cost of its own.
Onboard connectivity received $300 million in funding.
Inflight WiFi is expensive, both in terms of equipping aircraft with the proper technology and in terms of actual service costs. Emirates has so far spent more than $300 million on onboard connection for its fleet of Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s, so it seems like they are prepared to go the extra mile. Despite being cost-free, this in-flight internet will only be available to Emirates Skywards subscribers. The airline’s loyalty program, Emirates Skywards, is open to everyone and is free to join.
“Whether Blue, Silver, Gold, or Platinum tier, traveling in any class, whether Economy, Premium Economy, Business, or First Class will enjoy free app messaging.”
Additionally, according to the airline, first class guests who are Skywards members will have unrestricted free (full) internet access, “enabling them to shop or work online while in flight.” This complete access is available to Silver, Gold, and Platinum Skywards members regardless of whether they are flying first class, business class, or first class.This is a significant change from May 2020, when we reported that the airline had stopped providing passengers with free basic onboard WiFi. All travelers had access to 20 MB of free Internet or two hours of free messaging prior to the cut.
the prerequisite for joining Skywards
Emirates’ free basic inflight message is only accessible to members of the airline’s loyalty program, which it views as a “easy and complimentary process.” This is consistent with the approach of certain other airlines operating globally. Interested parties can register on emirates.com, flydubai.com, the official Emirates app, the flydubai app, or straight via the WiFi gateway aboard, according to Emirates.
Another well-known airline that provides free in-flight WiFi to all of its loyal customers is US carrier Delta Air Lines. For its Delta SkyMiles customers, Delta became the first of the major US airlines, as we reported last year, to offer free WiFi onboard.
Only simple message is cost-free.
This free inflight WiFi, despite being complimentary and ‘unlimited’ in time, will only cover app messaging. This includes messaging programs like:
iMessage
Instagram Messenger
WeChat Line
Viber
Additionally, it is unclear that this “plan” will allow for voice and video calls or the ability to transmit photographs or videos inside of these apps.
In the end, non-Skywards members can use this service for $2.99 to $5.99 (depending on the length of the flight). At the end of the day, this is how much a Skywards member would save (per flight). Full internet connectivity is available to economy class passengers without Platinum status for $9.99–19.99, depending on the length of the flight. Alternatively, you can purchase 30 minutes of unlimited bandwidth for $9.99.
