Starting Aug. 2, (almost) free wi-fi for everyone on board Swiss planes
Starting Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023, passengers will be able to enjoy free Internet for chat services such as WhatsApp on all Swiss long-haul flights
Swiss
Star Alliance
Swiss seems to have watched my review on Youtube. o read the article here on the site because not even a week later they announced a radical change in connectivity service on board the long-haul fleet.
What's changing on Swiss planes
In this article:
As of Wednesday, August 2, 2023, Passengers will have free Internet access for chat services such as WhatsApp on all long-haul flights. The new facility will be available in all travel classes, throughout the flight and without data limits.
The new service, which is already on Lufthansa aircraft, will allow passengers in all travel classes to send and receive free text and picture messages via smartphone, laptop or tablet during the flight. The apps that can be used will be the major messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Telegram.
New packages for those who also want to surf
The best bonuses
SWISS travelers will also be able to use the Internet to surf, send and receive e-mail or visit social media platforms by opting for one of two additional Internet packages: Wi-Fi 4 Hours", which offers four hours of access for 25 Swiss francs (about 26€) , or the Premium Wi-Fi from CHF 35 (plus or minus 36.50€), which provides such access during the flight.
First Class travelers and HON Circle Members can enjoy unlimited Internet access for the duration of the flight.
All new services-the free chat option and the additional Wi-Fi 4 Hours and Wi-Fi Premium packages-offer unlimited data volumes, allowing even data-intensive content to be easily consumed.
A remarkable change from what was currently happening with crazy prices and limited to very little traffic.
And an alignment also with what LH offers on its flights, although the prices are definitely more expensive than the German aircraft flights with the unlimited package costing almost 50% more.
"By offering these new Wi-Fi options we are taking a big step forward," says Tamur Goudarzi Pour, Chief Commercial Officer of SWISS. "With our new unlimited free chat feature in all of our travel classes, our guests can keep in touch with their families, friends and business partners during the flight. Our exciting new packages for browsing, email and social media also offer unlimited data volumes. So our customers now have even more choices on how they want to stay in unlimited contact with the world while on board our long-haul flights."
No streaming from Netflix and the like
Only video streaming services will be disabled, to ensure the simultaneous availability of adequate bandwidth for as many passengers as possible.
However, videos on social media platforms will be playable and audio streaming, cloud services and VPN services will be offered. In addition, all travelers will be able to read the digital SWISS Magazine on their device at any time, even without activated Internet access.
In conclusion
Excellent news, which for me comes about a month too late. In compensation, however, it bodes well for when ITA ends up in the Lufthansa group. Free connectivity, without absurd traffic limits, is news that will please travelers around the world.