The airlines offering free Wi-Fi and why Qantas is behind the times
A Qantas aircraft. Picture: Shutterstock
By Sarah Falson
Updated July 15 2025 - 9:42am, first published 9:16am
Airlines are increasingly offering free Wi-Fi to everyone on board. But what if you're travelling on Qantas? They're behind the times. Subscribe now for unlimited access.
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I travelled economy class to Europe recently and three of the four planes I flew on had free Wi-Fi. Staying connected made such a huge difference to my journey.
The airline was Qatar Airways, which is now offering free Starlink Wi-Fi to all passengers on all Boeing 777s. You don't need to be a member of their loyalty program - just hook up to the Oryx One Wi-Fi network and you can use online messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Messenger and surf the web - all flight long.
So why isn't Qantas offering this?
If you fly overseas with our national carrier, you can get free Wi-Fi on some flights, for some of your flight. To explain, some of their planes are equipped with Wi-Fi but only over Australian airspace, so if you're flying to Bali for example, you'll be covered while flying across Australia but then it will cut out once the aircraft exits Australian airspace.
They say it's due to satellite coverage and regulatory requirements. So why can an airline like Qatar offer this service all the way?
To be fair to Qantas, they do offer Wi-Fi on select flights to and from New Zealand as well.
Picture: Jacky Watt/Unsplash
Free Wi-Fi is a game changer at 42,000 feet and will now be a factor in my airline choice when flying long haul. Staying connected with family and friends - even so they can text you and give you moral support on your flight ("only 10 hours to go, hang in there!") makes a difference to what can be a lonely and isolating experience - particularly if travelling solo.
Here's what some of the major airlines flying to Australia are doing in the Wi-Fi space.
As mentioned above, they now offer free Wi-Fi to everyone on board all their Boeing 777s through the Starlink satellite service.
They offer satellite Wi-Fi on all enabled aircraft including Boeing 777s.
Available for free but only if you are a member of their loyalty program KrisFlyer.
If you're in economy class you can access complimentary Wi-Fi but only for messaging with WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and other text messaging services (no internet surfing), and only if you are a member of their loyalty program, Emirates Skywards Blue.
You can access free Wi-Fi on flights to New Zealand. You can also get it on select flights to South East Asian destinations including Bali, Singapore and Manila, but only for the portion of the trip that occurs in Australian airspace. Qantas has aircraft on order that will offer Wi-Fi on more international routes in the coming years.
Words by Sarah Falson Sarah is ACM's travel producer. She believes regional travel is just as fun (if not better) than staying in the big cities and loves any travel experience to do with nature, animals and food!.My all-time favourite destination is ... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me. Next on my bucket list is … Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life.
My top travel tip is … Don't plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what's within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.
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