Survey Results: Airlines With the Best WiFi

Since its introduction 10 years ago, WiFi access on planes is becoming as ubiquitous as a free set of headphones. But while internet access at 30,000 feet is practically expected on board flights, the quality of the service is questionable from airline to airline.

Routehappy, a company that collects and tracks passengers’ opinions of airlines and amenities, released the results of a survey (the 2017 Wi-Fi Report) that conveys the quality of WiFi service on both international and domestic flights. The top three airlines in terms of the number of seats with possible WiFi connectivity are Delta Air Lines, Emirates and United Airlines, while the top three long-haul flights where WiFi is accessible are Emirates, Lufthansa and United. In a class of their own, Etihad, Iberia and Icelandair offer WiFi on all of their flights.

Results also show U.S. airlines rank highest in the world in terms of the percentage of availability across the country. JetBlue, for example, offers free WiFi at every passenger seat on all flights. Passengers on board U.S. airlines have an 83 percent chance of accessing a WiFi connection, compared with a 28 percent chance on other countries’ airlines.

Last year there was an increase in overall WiFi availability from 59 airlines worldwide to 70 airlines, and coverage will continue to increase with advancing technology.