Internet is so expensive on a plane

Being connected to the internet on an airplane: that was unthinkable for a long time. However, this is now possible with many airlines. And some of them allow themselves this service princely pay.

Since smartphones, tablets and laptops have been part of our everyday life, flight mode has become indispensable when flying. But this can quickly become quite annoying, especially on long-haul flights.

That is why many airlines are now offering internet on the plane. But the connection to the WLAN above the clouds can quickly become quite expensive.

Internet on the plane

Just in time for the holiday season, the comparison portal Check24 evaluated the internet offers of 110 airlines. The result is pretty sobering. Almost half of the airlines surveyed offer no internet access at all.

A total of 57 of the 110 airlines considered offer Internet access. 53 of them charge a fee for the offer, which varies greatly from airline to airline.

With four other airlines, passengers can use the internet on board – at least partially – free of charge. With two providers, the entire offer is free of charge, with two others, streaming is included in the offer.

In addition, many airlines now offer a chat flat rate. According to Check24, these cost an average of 2.89 euros. Passengers cannot surf with this flat rate. However, they can use apps such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger on board to stay in touch on the plane.

These airlines are price leaders

The prices for surf packages on the plane vary greatly. According to Check24 calculations, the average surf package on short-haul flights is 12.36 euros. On the long-haul, however, it is 16.21 euros. The price differences are between four and 54 euros.

The most expensive long-distance Internet service costs a whopping 54.14 euros. With Thai Airways International you can surf the entire flight. This price applies to Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 777 aircraft models.

The airline Thai Airways International is also the leader on short-haul routes. Here 36.70 euros are due for surfing the entire flight.

You are significantly cheaper with Eurowings, for example. Because here you only have to shell out 7.90 euros for a flight of less than two hours for the entire time. For longer flights it is 9.90 euros.

Internet on the plane: With these airlines you can surf for free on vacation

According to Christian Meier, Flight Managing Director at Check24, the airlines’ Internet tariffs are “very confusing”. Because almost every airline offers different packages – either a certain number of data volumes, chat packages or time limits. On average, travelers come to 8.09 euros per hour or 16 cents for one megabyte of data volume.

Internet tariffs differ significantly depending on the type of aircraft. Travelers could fall into a cost trap if they want to book data volume. If you want to watch your favorite series on the trip, it is best to download it beforehand.

Exceptions are the airlines Air China and Air New Zealand. Because with these two airlines you can surf for free on all flights. The airlines Qantas and JetBlue also offer you a free streaming flat rate.

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