British Airways has begun offering inflight connectivity on certain aircraft in its long-haul fleet. Three connected aircraft are now in service, and the airline intends to add wi-fi services to a total of 118 of its long haul aircraft over the next two years.
To celebrate the launch, British Airways is partnering with Visa to connect customers on board the first wi-fi enabled flights. For a limited time, customers will be able to enjoy an hour of free browsing and streaming, courtesy of Visa.
Beyond that free hour, customers can choose from two paid-for wi-fi packages including the ‘Browse’ package, which supports internet surfing, social media and WhatsApp (priced from GB£4.99), or the ‘Stream’ package (from GB£7.99), which supports streaming of music and entertainment, from online content services, including Netflix. The packages are available to purchase for one hour, four hours or the full flight.
This announcement forms part of a major investment in customer experience at the airline. For example, GB£600 million will be spent on Club World with an emphasis on improved catering and sleep, and a new seat. At Heathrow a First Wing check-in area with direct security and lounge access has launched, and lounges around the airline’s network are to be revamped and improved. The Club Europe cabin has also been introduced on UK domestic services and all customers can look forward to the availability of inflight wi-fi across British Airways’ long-haul and short-haul fleets over the next two years.
