Qantas sets a date for free high-speed Wi-Fi on international flights

High speed Wi-Fi is finally coming to Qantas international flights, and CEO Alan Joyce has promised it will be free.

Qantas will roll out high speed Wi-Fi to its international flights in time for the first ultra-long haul Project Sunrise services, scheduled for late 2025.

The airline is throwing everything at the flights to be operated by new A350-1000s with a $100m investment in lounges also timed to coincide with the non-stop Sydney-London services.

Airline boss Alan Joyce said he hoped to have Wi-Fi on international flights sooner than that, possibly next year, but that would depend on the availability of satellite coverage.

The lack of Wi-Fi on international flights has been seen as a weakness in the Qantas service, with most other premium carriers operating to Australia offering internet access, albeit at a cost.

But Mr Joyce said he would rather have no Wi-Fi than offer a substandard service to passengers.

“We tested Wi-Fi on the A380s and because of the low band satellite coverage, you can’t give it free to everybody because it’s so slow and intermittent, it’s a terrible product,” he said.

“What happened domestically is for the nbn these great satellites were put up and we tapped into that and it meant everybody can stream Netflix simultaneously.”

He said the delay on international was due to the fact a similar product simply wasn’t available — until now.

“The great news is satellites have been launched and we think coverage will start appearing from 2024-25 onwards so we’re looking at equipping Project Sunrise aircraft with high speed Wi-Fi,” Mr Joyce said.

“Our intent has always been to offer it free to customers, and I think we’re one of the only airlines that give Wi-Fi for free.”

Qantas will roll out high speed Wi-Fi to its international flights in time for the first ultra-long haul Project Sunrise services, scheduled for late 2025. Picture: iStock

Mr Joyce said other airlines generally charged fees for Wi-Fi on international flights to restrict useage.

“I’d be very frustrated as a frequent flyer, streaming Netflix on Melbourne to Sydney and then when I get on to Sydney-LA only being able to do emails and it’s so bad I have to pay for it because I can’t let everybody on the aircraft use it,” he said.

“We want it to be the same (as domestic Wi-Fi) and we’re nearly there so the next few years you’ll see that happening.”

His comments could be seen as a dig at rival Virgin Australia which was in the process of reintroducing inflight Wi-Fi to its domestic and international flights, at a cost of $10 for 30-minutes or $20 for the flight duration.

Business class travellers and top tier Velocity members will be able to access the service for free.

Other airlines offering Wi-Fi on international flights include Emirates which charges between $15 and $30 for access; Etihad which charges $7.30 for every 30-minutes; Japan Airlines’ Wi-Fi costs $15 for an hour and Qatar Airways charges $12 to $15 for access to “super Wi-Fi” for the entire flight.

Singapore Airlines sells “surf hours” to premium economy and economy passengers for around $5.80 an hour, and Air New Zealand is in the process of extending Wi-Fi capabilities to its entire fleet, at no additional cost. The catch is certain “high data” use functions are blocked including streaming services.

As well as Wi-Fi, Qantas’s Project Sunrise flights from Sydney to London initially, will have new first and business class products, to be unveiled at the airline’s half year results on Thursday.

Mr Joyce said the suites were “the best in the world” and would ensure a comfortable trip for premium travellers over the 20-hour plus journey.

Qantas was expected to announce a profit for the six-months to December 31, 2022 of between $1.35bn and $1.45bn, on the back of strong demand for travel and high airfares.

As a “thank you” to travellers, Mr Joyce on Tuesday announced the airline would plough $100m into its lounge network, including a new first lounge at Heathrow Airport due for completion in late 2025.

Major upgrades of the Sydney and Melbourne international business lounges are also on the cards, along with a new Qantas club at Hobart Airport and a bigger lounge in Broome.

Considered crucial to “loyalty” from travellers, the lounges were accessible to “eligible” frequent flyers of gold status and above, plus business and first class passengers.

Qantas Club memberships were available from $699 in the first year, and cost $540 to renew each year.