Inflight Internet in Australian skies is still somewhat of a novelty, although more and more airlines are powering up their satellite links to make sky-high surfing a reality.
Among the ranks are Singapore Airlines, United and Emirates, while both Qantas and Virgin Australia are notably absent from the list of tech-touting carriers.
While some travellers look forward to ‘zoning out’ at 35,000 feet, others prefer to keep in touch with the office, their business interests or friends and loved ones back home – an easy task when an inflight Wi-Fi hotspot is at hand.
As you can send and receive emails live throughout the flight, it also means skipping the customary ‘send and receive all’ as soon as you’ve reached your hotel, allowing you to freshen up and head straight for a meeting or dinner function without wasting time on your laptop.
If you’re the type to stay connected in the air, here’s where you’ll find inflight Internet in Australian skies.
Emirates
Australian routes: All non-stop flights between Dubai and Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane; selected services across the Tasman and one-stop flights from Australia to Dubai via Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
Aircraft types: Airbus A380 (all flights), Boeing 777 (selected aircraft only).
What it costs: 10MB at no charge, US$1 per additional 600MB or part thereof:
X-Factor: Complete your obligatory social media check-in at 35,000 feet without paying a cent, and pay just a dollar to continue working or browsing Facebook.
Etihad Airways
Australian routes: All flights between Abu Dhabi and Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane (via Singapore).
Aircraft types: Boeing 777 and Airbus A330, plus Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 from June.
What it costs: US$11.95 for two hours, US$17.95 for four hours and US$21.95 for 24 hours, including onward access on any connecting Etihad flights.
X-Factor: A single 24-hour pass covers you from Sydney right through to London and other destinations across Europe and the Middle East.
Singapore Airlines
Australian routes: Sydney and Melbourne to Singapore.
Aircraft types: Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER only.
What it costs: Where OnAir is the provider (all A380s and some Boeing 777 flights), US$14.99 for 15MB of data or US$28.99 for 30MB on laptops and US$5.99 and US$9.99 for 5MB and 10MB, respectively, on smartphones.
On newer Boeing 777-300ERs with Panasonic eXConnect, prices start at US$11.95 for one hour up to US$21.95 for the entire flight.
X-Factor: Pay less to surf if you’re only browsing from a handheld gadget.
Japan Airlines
Australian routes: Sydney to Tokyo Narita (until March 29).
Aircraft type: Boeing 777-300ER
What it costs: US$10.15 for one hour or US$18.80 for the entire flight, plus any onward international JAL connections where Sky Wi-Fi is available. Free for business and first class passengers:
X-Factor: Travellers at the pointy end receive an access card for free browsing, and if you have two devices such as a smartphone and a laptop or tablet, just ask for a second card.
United Airlines
Australian routes: All flights between Melbourne and Los Angeles plus selected services between Sydney and both Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Aircraft types: Boeing 787-9 (all), Boeing 777-200 (selected aircraft).
What it costs: US$17 for unlimited access throughout the flight. Connecting onwards within the USA requires a new paid Internet connection.
X-Factor: United is the only airline to offer inflight Internet between Australia and North America, yet the cost remains low.
Garuda Indonesia
Australian routes: Sydney and Melbourne to Jakarta and Denpasar (Bali), Perth to Denpasar.
Aircraft types: Airbus A330-200/300
What it costs: US$9.95 for 10MB or US$21.95 for 25MB on laptops, and US$2.49/US$9.95 for 3MB and 10MB on smartphones, respectively.
X-Factor: $1/MB isn’t great, but could well be the same or better as you’d pay for global roaming on the ground.
Philippine Airlines
Australian routes: Sydney and Melbourne to Manila.
Aircraft types: Airbus A330-300 (selected aircraft).
What it costs: US$5 for 30 minutes, US$10 for one hour, US$20 for three hours or US$40 for the entire flight.
X-Factor: Don’t want to enter your credit card information online? Easy – Wi-Fi access cards can also be purchased directly from the inflight duty-free catalogue.
Courtesy – Australian Business Traveller
