Internet a vol –
Swiss holds the highest price record for Wi-Fi on board
A study compares the Internet prices of 50 airlines. While some offer the connection, others charge up to 37 euros for unlimited access.
Wi-fi above the clouds, a service for some, a luxury for others.
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Many airlines offer Wi-Fi connection to passengers who want to work, surf or watch streaming movies. However, price differences remain considerable. A German comparison portal recently analyzed the unlimited internet access rates offered by 50 of them. He relied on the information available on their websites. Swiss displays the highest price.
The five most expensive streamings
The Swiss airline of the Lufthansa group invoices 37.45 euros for the entire flight. There are certainly cheaper variants, but they are limited over time. Passengers who wish to send only messages can do so for free. Prices are also high among competitors. Air Europa invoices up to 35 euros, Thai Airways 34.40 euros, Oman Air 34.30 euros. At Turkish Airlines, prices oscillate between 12.90 and 30.10 euros depending on the duration of the flight.
Cheapest, or even free access
Passengers spend much less at Scandinavian Airlines (3.90 euros), Air Canada (4.10 euros) or Korean Air (4.30 euros). These prices generally only apply to short journeys. British Airways offers prices from 5.70 euros, which can reach 25.30 euros on long-haul flights. Condor and Iberia offer Wi-Fi at 5.99 euros on short and medium-haul flights.
Some airlines offer this service without any supplement: China Southern, JetBlue, Eva Airways and Delta. The latter has been offering free Wi-Fi on all its transatlantic flights since April 2024. Eva Airways offers free flights during the summer of 2025 as part of a special offer.
Lufthansa is much cheaper than its subsidiary Swissat least for basic services. The comparative study indicates 3 euros for messaging and internet navigation. No unlimited streaming package is available during the flight, which limits online entertainment options. This is why the German company does not appear in the table above.
Austrian Airlines and Eurowings, two other group subsidiaries Lufthansaalso apply lower prices. This could be explained by different commercial strategies or fleet equipment.
No network on board
Seven airlines, including EasyjetRyanair and Sunnexpress, do not currently offer Wi-Fi on board. The Polish airline Lot plans to equip its fleet accordingly, by early 2026.
The prices mentioned come from the German comparator onlinecasinosdeutschland.com. The rates indicated correspond to unlimited Wi-Fi with streaming option, when available. The data comes from the official airline websites and was converted to euros at the exchange rate of July 18, 2025.
Surf above the clouds, it has been possible since 2003
What seems to be going out of course today started over twenty years ago. In January 2003, Lufthansa became the first airline in the world to offer the Internet on board, on a Frankfurt-Washington flight, thanks to the Satellite Connexion by Boeing system. The technique was ahead of its time, but commercial success did not follow. In 2006, the project was abandoned.
As early as 2008, American airlines bet on ground connections, then in 2013 on satellite Wi-Fi, including long-haul flights. Since then, many carriers have modernized their fleets with systems that now allow video streaming at 10,000 meters above sea level.
Translated from German by Emmanuelle Stevan
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