Emirates has enhanced its inflight connectivity so that all passengers in every class of travel enjoy free WiFi once they have signed up to Emirates Skywards.
Even economy-class passengers will be able to text chat with friends and family to help while away the hours onboard - as long as they have signed up as Skywards members. The system will allow passengers to sign up onboard the flight.
All Skywards members, whether Blue, Silver, Gold or Platinum, and whether travelling in economy, premium economy, business or first class, now enjoy free app messaging, on WhatsApp, iMessage, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Line and Viber.
First-class passengers have unlimited free Internet if they are Skywards members, as do Silver, Gold and Platinum Skywards members in business class, while Platinum Skywards members have complimentary Internet access in all classes.
The airline reports that it currently has an average of 450 000 free connectivity users a month, 30% more than last year. It says almost 10% of its passengers use the complimentary onboard WiFi.
Said Patrick Brannelly, Senior Vice President Retail, In-flight Entertainment & Connectivity: “In March we delivered about 55% more data per customer session compared with early 2022, despite the number of sessions increasing by 68% in the same period. We will continue to work to invest in upgrades and enhancements, and our A350 aircraft will arrive with the next generation of satellite connectivity already equipped.”
Emirates said it would offer new high-speed, inflight broadband powered by Inmarsat’s GX Aviation, onboard 50 new Airbus A350 aircraft entering service next year. This is expected to greatly improve passengers’ experience with enhanced connectivity and greater global coverage, even on flights over the Arctic Circle.
The airline has invested over $300 million (R5,78 billion) in onboard connectivity to date. It has confirmed an investment of over $350 million (R6,75bn) to equip a 50-strong fleet of A350s in 2024 with enhanced passenger connectivity via Thales’ AVANT Up system, and Optiq, the first smart display to offer two Bluetooth connections and built-in WiFi for passengers on multiple devices while supporting fast charging of personal devices.
