Singapore Airlines Extends Free Wi-Fi to All Cabins
by Daniel McCarthy /Photo: Singapore Airlines
Another airline is expanding its free Wi-Fi offerings.
Singapore Airlines this week announced that it was extending its free Wi-Fi service, which had previously only been available to those flying in Suites, First Class, or Business Class. The carrier says that starting July 1, 2023, it will offer complimentary Wi-Fi access to all travelers in all cabin classes, including its premium economy and standard economy classes, on essentially all of its flights (the only exceptions will be seven Boeing 737-800s the airline operates on short-haul services).
Just like Delta, Singapore will require guests to have a frequent flyer number (Singapore calls it a KrisFlyer membership), in order to access the Wi-Fi. All passengers will be able to create a KrisFlyer membership online or onboard their flight for free.
In a statement announcing the news, senior vice president of customer experience for Singapore Yeoh Phee Teik said that free Wi-Fi is “one of the most important requirements for our customers.”
“Our customers will be empowered to stay connected, entertained, and productive, even at 36,000 feet in the sky,” he said.
In North America, Wi-Fi has been a big topic for the air industry ever since Delta Air Lines said it would offer Free Wi-Fi to its passengers earlier this year.
Delta said that initially, free Wi-Fi would only be available on planes that are capable of providing it, which accounts for nearly 80% of its domestic fleet (those that are equipped with Viasat). Delta is now working to make it available across its full fleet, with the goal of doing so by the end of 2024 for all domestic, international, and regional flights.
While the hope for North American consumers is that other carriers work to match Delta’s standard, Delta, along with JetBlue, is currently only one of a few carriers to offer free Wi-Fi. American Airlines says that Wi-Fi is available on almost all domestic routes for $10, while United Airlines and Alaska Airlines offer the same for $8.
