Does VA still offer wifi internet on domestic

[Vic]

Just looking for current experience with VA and internet access on board. The other half thinks there is none, based on a flight at the start of the year. I'm not at all sure about the current situation, as I've only used the inflight entertainment.

As background, I've got a flight next week in the evening, and a europe "zoom" meeting has come up 40 minutes into my 2 hour flight. Usually I don't need to say too much in these meetings, just be online. So if there is internet all good. Otherwise, I need to split the 2 pax into separate bookings, and find myself an earlier flight. The other half has work and can't get an earlier flight...

 

[AIRwin]

No WiFi currently

 

[Saab34]

The fact it’s dragged on this long would indicate some what I assume costly negotiation disagreements.

 

[Vic]

Thanks...

 

[bladeau1981]

Definitely no WiFi on board. Qantas is the go for that.

 

[ozstamps]

As it is knocking on the door on JULY in 2 hours there is no excuse for this.

Must be what - 2 years now?

Flew 8 hours each way, SYD-PER-BME this week and there was soooooo much June 30 work I needed to do, and this mindless penny-pinching policy really messed that up. Have a long life laptop battery, bought exactly for these longer trips, and still now, no internet.

IIRC there was a charge for it anyway? So make it user pays, but in 2022 it is an ESSENTIAL option for many. IF QANTAS OFFER IT, EVEN MORE REASON TO ADD IT BACK ON.

QF seem to be shooting themselves in the foot on many fronts, and having inflight Wifi is another reason to fly Virgin ... or not.

 

[Brizz]

Whilst I can think of reasons where it would be handy to have Wifi available, having 90(ish) minutes to myself whilst on a domestic flight, without intruding technology is great!

 

[Vic]

Whilst I can think of reasons where it would be handy to have Wifi available, having 90(ish) minutes to myself whilst on a domestic flight, without intruding technology is great!

Totally. I flew to Europe recently and avoided signing into the Qatar wifi. The break is welcome be it 90 minutes or 20 hours.
In this case, I'm just being lazy in not wanting to mess around with bookings to sit on line in a zoom just to have my name seen as being logged in. But it's good politics to be seen online, and I'm stuck.
Schedule means Qantas will likely be flying me...

 

[Saab34]

As it is knocking on the door on JULY in 2 hours there is no excuse for this.

Must be what - 2 years now?

Flew 8 hours each way, SYD-PER-BME this week and there was soooooo much June 30 work I needed to do, and this mindless penny-pinching policy really messed that up. Have a long life laptop battery, bought exactly for these longer trips, and still now, no internet.

IIRC there was a charge for it anyway? So make it user pays, but in 2022 it is an ESSENTIAL option for many. IF QANTAS OFFER IT, EVEN MORE REASON TO ADD IT BACK ON.

QF seem to be shooting themselves in the foot on many fronts, and having inflight Wifi is another reason to fly Virgin ... or not.

I recall that the QF vs VA Wifi setup is quite different. Virgin is older tech, while QF new tech, different equipment/providers. Perhaps the Virgin offer isn’t fit for purpose anymore, and the ability to upgrade to what QF has might be not even possible, or very costly. Reminds me of smaller cargo doors Virgin had on its 777s, once built sort of stuck with them, couldn’t modify.

Clearly something holding it up, is bizarre it’s dragged on this long so must be a significant road block.

 

[Harrison_133]

I recall that the QF vs VA Wifi setup is quite different. Virgin is older tech, while QF new tech, different equipment/providers. Perhaps the Virgin offer isn’t fit for purpose anymore, and the ability to upgrade to what QF has might be not even possible, or very costly. Reminds me of smaller cargo doors Virgin had on its 777s, once built sort of stuck with them, couldn’t modify.

Clearly something holding it up, is bizarre it’s dragged on this long so must be a significant road block.

Gogo was used for the wifi hardware on the VA 737s pre-administration. In 2020, the division of Gogo responsible for commercial aviation was sold off to Intelsat. Could be a factor? Delta thought they could find something better and are going to the effort of ripping the Gogo/Intelsat equipment out of their A320 & 737 family fleets, replacing it with newer Viasat hardware.

 

[kerfuffle]

Gogo was used for the wifi hardware on the VA 737s pre-administration. In 2020, the division of Gogo responsible for commercial aviation was sold off to Intelsat. Could be a factor? Delta thought they could find something better and are going to the effort of ripping the Gogo/Intelsat equipment out of their A320 & 737 family fleets, replacing it with newer Viasat hardware.

Definitely a factor. Heard a cabin manager said that the company who originally supplied the Wifi went broke.

 

[Saab34]

Gogo was used for the wifi hardware on the VA 737s pre-administration. In 2020, the division of Gogo responsible for commercial aviation was sold off to Intelsat. Could be a factor? Delta thought they could find something better and are going to the effort of ripping the Gogo/Intelsat equipment out of their A320 & 737 family fleets, replacing it with newer Viasat hardware.

Definitely a factor. Heard a cabin manager said that the company who originally supplied the Wifi went broke.

Grounding 80 odd 737s while conducting modification works which generally takes about a fortnight each, the costs alone in such a project would be significant. You are not doing that to make money, would be impossible to pull back such costs. However they don’t really have a choice with ZL and QF now Wifi.

 

[bladeau1981]

Grounding 80 odd 737s while conducting modification works which generally takes about a fortnight each, the costs alone in such a project would be significant. You are not doing that to make money, would be impossible to pull back such costs. However they don’t really have a choice with ZL and QF now Wifi.

If only they had some time in the last 2 years when planes were grounded.

 

[Vic]

in the end moved the qantas flight two hours earlier, sat in the QF lounge on my meeting until last flight then at the VA gate waiting for everyone else to arrive on the original flight.
Was as much fun as zooooommmmm gets.

 

[AIRwin]

Virgin Australia Announces “Switch-A-Roo” Discover Gold Status Match Offer and the Return of In-Flight Wi-Fi

Virgin Australia and Velocity Frequent Flyer launch Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold Status match offer.

newsroom.virginaustralia.com