Swiss Air has announced that it will be the latest to join the list of airlines offering some level of free in-flight connectivity. Aiming to redefine passenger experience, the airline is rolling out free inflight messaging and revamping its Wi-Fi packages.

Complimentary Inflight Messaging

Beginning August 2, 2023, Swiss Air will offer free inflight messaging on all their long-haul flights.

This feature will be available to all passengers, regardless of travel class, providing unlimited data throughout the flight.

The service will support popular chat applications like iMessage, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram, allowing you to stay connected across various devices including smartphones, laptops, and tablets.

Note that this is only intended for text messaging. While sending and receiving pictures will be possible, you won’t be able to send or receive videos. Access to social media and email services won’t be available via this free messaging feature.

Upgrading Your Digital Experience: Revamped WiFi Packages

Alongside the free messaging, Swiss Air will also be upgrading inflight WiFi offerings. From August 2, 2023, the airline will introduce two WiFi packages on long-haul flights, both of which come with no data caps:

1. A four-hour WiFi pass at a cost of around $29 (CHF 25)
2. A full flight WiFi pass at a cost of around $40 (CHF 35)

This represents a big improvement for Swiss Air.

Swiss Air’s previous inflight WiFi plans were based on data usage, costing the princely sum of 59 CHF (nearly $70) for just 220 MB with the largest package — a cost seen as exorbitant or even extortionate by passengers. The new packages provide unlimited data during the time of the session.

Video streaming services will be disabled to ensure sufficient bandwidth for all passengers. However, video content on social media platforms will remain accessible.

Audio streaming, cloud services, and VPN services will be available for use during the flight.

Free Unlimited WiFi for First Class & HON Circle

While rolling out the new WiFi packages, Swiss is also making a significant experience for first class passengers and its top-tier HON Circle members.

First class and HON Circle members will get unlimited free WiFi onboard, allowing them to stay connected while in the air

Inflight Connectivity: A New Era

Swiss Air’s revised inflight connectivity policies are slated to take effect on August 2, 2023.

That makes the Lufthansa Group airline the latest to acknowledge the trend of passenger demand, especially on premium carriers, of having access to in-flight connectivity.

In recent weeks, Singapore Airlines added free WiFi for premium passengers. Emirates has added WiFi for all passengers and Delta added access for all passengers on domestic flights. Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines, Air Canada, and Etihad have also introduced free inflight messaging. They join industry-leading carriers like JetBlue and Japan Airlines which have long offered some level of free WiFi connectivity onboard.

Bottom Line

In today’s hyper-connected era, passengers increasingly expect free and competitively speedy inflight WiFi as a norm rather than an exception in the air. Swiss Air is the latest to announce changes to its inflight connectivity policies, effective August 2, 2023. The airline will offer free inflight messaging and revamped WiFi packages on all long-haul flights. Free messaging will support popular chat applications like iMessage, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram, providing unlimited data throughout the flight. However, this service is limited to text messaging and does not include access to social media and email services.

Meanwhile, the new WiFi packages on long-haul flights will offer unlimited data. The packages include a four-hour WiFi pass for around $29 and a full-flight WiFi pass for around $40. This marks a significant improvement from the airline’s previous data-based WiFi plans. First class passengers and HON Circle members will enjoy unlimited free WiFi onboard, further enhancing their in-flight experience. While still not industry-leading, the decision marks a significant improvement to the onboard experience at Swiss Air.