Swiss Airlines plan to introduce in flight Wi-Fi and mobile phone roaming over the next year. It will be based on a trial period to see how many customers use it and whether or not it is worth continued investment. The trial will only be offered on their new Boeing 777-300ERs, which will be in service starting in March.
They are offering three packages. There will be one for CHF 9 (£6) that offers 20MB of data, which is good to check out a few websites or email. The second will be CHF 19 (£13) for 50MB which is good for those who wish to surf their social media websites, or those that wish to work. And the last is CHF 39 (£29) for 120MB for those who wish to use the Internet for most of its scope and possibilities. (With the exception of streaming.)
The airline says they are considering whether or not to extend the Wi-Fi to the rest of their A330 and A340 planes. The Wi-Fi service will be primarily offered on limited long haul destinations; Hong Kong, Los Angels, San Francisco, São Paulo, and Tel Aviv.
Swiss has not said what they will do if the service is successful, but from a writer’s perspective, it will be a great option, and will perhaps encourage other airlines to offer this. Although some already do, it can be inconsistent and choppy at best, so we hope it works out and if the airlines see the demand, this will improve services, as well as making them cheaper for everyone.