Does British Airways Have WiFi?

Staying connected is more important than ever, especially for frequent travelers who need to maximize their productivity while flying. But in-flight internet connectivity isn’t only for those who work. Other passengers simply want access to their everyday luxuries in the air, whether it’s social media or the latest streaming service.

British Airways passengers itching for the internet might be disappointed that the airline still hasn’t equipped all its aircraft with WiFi. The airline is five years past its 2019 deadline of equipping all long-haul aircraft with in-flight WiFi service. However, the new plan is to have the entire fleet equipped with WiFi by the end of 2025.

British Airways fleet connectivity

British Airways has only one year and change left to fully equip its long- and short-haul fleet with WiFi if it wants to reach the 2025 deadline. While progress is ongoing, the airline isn’t making a big deal about which aircraft have WiFi and which don’t, which doesn’t provide passengers with much uniformity.

Short haul fleet

Thanks to a post by AirGuide Destinations, we know which aircraft aren’t getting WiFi. The Airbus A319 models will not get a WiFi retrofit, as they are currently being phased out. Only four of the 29 aircraft of this particular variant are equipped with the service, so there’s a slim chance that the next BA A319 flight will have WiFi.

More than half of the A320 and A321 models, including the new engine option (neo) variants, are equipped with WiFi. However, the A320-200 and A321-200 variants have an average age of 17.6 and 18.4 years, respectively. This means that many older aircraft are nearing the end of their lives and will not see any future upgrades.

The airline also operates 20 Embraer ERJ-190 aircraft for smaller regional flights. It’s unclear if these have WiFi, and there’s very little information about them.

In summary:

• Airbus A319: Only four aircraft are equipped with WiFi
• Airbus A320: Most aircraft are being retrofitted with WiFi.
• Airbus A320neo: The new aircraft comes with WiFi fitted from the factory.
• Airbus A321: Most aircraft are equipped with WiFi.
• Airbus A321neo: Fitted with WiFi connectivity from the factory.
• Embraer ERJ-190: Not available.

Long-haul fleet

Over the last few years, British Airways has focused its WiFi retrofit efforts on its long-haul fleet, and it shows. Very few aircraft in the long-haul fleet lack internet connectivity.

Photo: Abdul N Quraishi – Abs | Shutterstock

Let’s start with Airbus’s latest aircraft, the A350 XWB. British Airways operates the larger A350-1000 variant, which is equipped with WiFi systems from the factory. The airline currently operates 18 A350s, all of which have WiFi. BA currently operates 12 Airbus A380 superjumbos as well, all equipped with WiFi.

Now, let’s move on to the Boeing side of things. BA operates an extensive 777 fleet, with 59 aircraft across two variants. According to One Mile At A Time, all 59 aircraft, 43 777-200 and 16 777-300ER models, are equipped with WiFi.

BA operates the latest widebody Boeing produced in its long-haul fleet – the 787 Dreamliner. The fleet has three variants: the B787-8, -9 and -10. None of the -8 and -9 models came from Boeing with WiFi and, therefore, needed a retrofit for the service to be available. BA had a program in Cardiff to retrofit the aircraft. However, it was stopped during COVID-19 and hasn’t been restarted.

Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock

As it stands, all 787-8s and four of the 18 787-9s lack WiFi. The 787-10 models were fitted with WiFi from the factory, and as a result, all seven are WiFi capable.

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How much does it cost?

British Airways charges passengers for WiFi unless they are BA First customers. Two WiFi packages are available, so passengers can choose the one that fits their needs.

Messaging package

The messaging package allows customers to send and receive instant messages and emails via various applications. However, attachments and large files are not allowed. The package is free for Executive Club Members, who can sign up at no cost.

The prices for non-members are as follows:

• £1.99 – £2.99 non-members on short-haul flights
• £2.99 – £4.99 non-members on long-haul flights

Photo: vaalaa | Shutterstock

The prices start at £1.99/£2.99 for one hour. At the top end, £2.99/£4.99 is for the flight pass, which lasts the entire flight duration.

The Browse and Stream package

Browse and Stream is a more comprehensive package that doesn’t limit what you can do on the Internet. It gives you all the perks of the messaging package, plus the ability to browse the Internet, view social media, and stream music and video content.

The prices for this package are as follows:

• £4.99 – £11.99 (short-haul flights)
• £4.99 – £21.99 (long-haul flights)

The package’s duration depends on the length of the flight. For example, a flight pass from Newark to London on a Boeing 777 costs £14.99.

The specific connectivity types and associated packages are shown below:

What’s the connection like?

The WiFi packages at British Airways tend to be a bit pricier. However, there is no data cap, which means you can use as much as you like. But passengers are often peeved by slow WiFi on flights, so how does BA fare?

Speeds can vary, depending on the route and satellite backhaul loads. British Airways doesn’t promise a certain speed, but says in its terms and conditions,

Due to a variety of factors, Wi-Fi Service coverage, speed and quality may vary there are areas in which there may be sporadic or no coverage, the Wi-Fi Service may be disrupted due to altitude, weather, flight path, solar (electromagnetic) storms or similar interference and issues with satellite or terrestrial backhaul may degrade, limit or prevent operation of the Wi-Fi Service.

UK-based ISP Preview conducted an onboard WiFi test in 2022, flying from London to Dubai on an Airbus A380. The reviewer stated the below results:

Fastest Results (Average)

• Download Speed: 5.80Mbps
• Upload Speed: 2.73Mbps
• Latency: 655ms

Slowest Results (Average)

• Download Speed: 0.57Mbps
• Upload Speed: 0.22Mbps
• Latency: 736ms

These speeds mean passengers will likely struggle to do large file transfers, P2P, video streaming or online gaming. However, Netflix is possible, and general work stuff like emails, Slack and documents should be fine. Social media scrolling and uploading essential travel photos should all work well.

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