Qantas WiFi (aka Qantas inflight Internet)

[Pleb Status]

The viasat tech is being used by lots of planes in the US now. Gogo initially used to ground based system but they are also upgrading to the faster technology.

I recently used the inflight wifi with Virgin America HNL-SFO. Advertised as able to stream Netflix, much like Qantas marketing currently, but it was useless for any video content. I contacted tech support and was told the plane was not within the coverage area. It tended to drop out throughout the flight but was still okay for email and web browsing.

I have used the US services quite a bit and most of them are very usable work work email, browsing etc. If the Qantas service is reliable the video streaming probably doesn't matter so much if you can be a little productive while in the air.

This experience appears to be nowhere near the level purported by the QF hype machine. Hard to complain if it is a 'free' service however.

There may still be some bugs in the system (hence the delayed rollout) so may reach a better level in the future.

 

[njba]

This experience appears to be nowhere near the level purported by the QF hype machine. Hard to complain if it is a 'free' service however.

There may still be some bugs in the system (hence the delayed rollout) so may reach a better level in the future.

I think QF would be better served by managing expectations. They should be billing this more as a email and social media tool rather than a HD streaming media resource. But yes, hopefully it will be improved as the roll out continues.

 

[clazman]

As per AusBT review all traffic is currently going
Aircraft-Sat-Ground-LA-Target content-LA-Ground-Sat-Aircraft.

ViaSat will relocate a server from LA to Aus, which will drop the ping to Australian servers to about 600ms.

But physics is physics and the satellites are a lot higher than the plane

We can only wish, in my experience even with having local teleports connections has made little or no difference to latency

 

[clazman]

Everyone was well behaved, although how much of that was the result of QF's content filter.

Must have missed this QF content filters.. can any one provide more details?

 

[milehighclub]

I happened to be on board this aircraft yesterday. On the ground I was able to download at 32mb and in the air at 5.71mb

I watched Stan and it had about a minute of buffering at the start but worked fine for the flight (quality varied). Because of the large buffer at the start, I wasn't affected by the handover into the next band.

 

[vertisol]

Happily watched Netflix Mel-CBR last night. Good quality on my iPad.

I did find it hard to get going but once I tried to open a website and got diverted to the "I Agree" page all was well.

 

[moa999]

Happily watched Netflix Mel-CBR last night. Good quality on my iPad..

Interesting. Interrupted the normal SYD-MEL pattern to fly MEL-CBR-PER-SYD

 

[Limewood]

Sitting at our bar as we do daily inwards last week to the iPhone came a text message with flight path map mid flight to PER attached - "what you doing and I'm here", yep a Qantas friend trying out the onboard WI FI, impressed we were so had another drink - bottle .

 

[vertisol]

Interesting. Interrupted the normal SYD-MEL pattern to fly MEL-CBR-PER-SYD

Perhaps sharing the experience around?

I must say though, I'm going to hold off using it for work purposes as long as possible.

I still regard that hour or so each leg as my own time.

 

[Sdtravel]

Pleasantly surprised when i stepped onto my flight this evening BNE to SYD.
Got onto this as soon as I could (only active once the final door is closed). Got a bunch of screen grabs with speed tests if there is interest seeing those.

I guess the blocking of voice and video is still being worked out. I was able to beiefly test a video call. While i didn't speak to anyone i was able to connect.

My PIA vpn connected but i wasn't able to browse once it established, both phone and latop had the same issue. I think some here had a question about that.
Although my work vpn worked fine and i was able to remote to one of our servers. So perhaps it depends on the port or vpn being used.

Its interesting that its on a plane with no q streaming and uses seatback entertainment. I would have thought it would have been a Q streaming plane.

The service did drop out for about 10 minutes 3/4 way through the flight just north of Newcastle.

I don't have Netflix or Spotify so can't comment on streaming.

One thing that my friend noted and pushed him not to use it were the T's & C's about privacy and recording your information. I breezed passed it as i was too excited but perhaps someone with more restraint can screen grab it and comment on it.

Despite announcements about it i don't think a lot of people around me were using it. It was a meal flight so that could have contributed. I had to make a decision to either surf the web or eat. There wasn't space for both simultaneously. But still i saw people watching regular entertainment and perhaps a few on tablets and ipads. Since there is no pre warning prior to stepping aboard pax don't have the opportunity to take advantage of it.

Anyway that's my little review of it.

 

[moa999]

Perhaps sharing the experience around?
.

And testing it works across a selection of SkyMuster spot beams.

 

[greyyy]

QANTAS B737-800 VH-XZC Sydney Test Flight. | The QANTAS Source

QANTAS Boeing 737-838 VH-XZC, which has been under maintenance at Sydney since 9th May, undertook a Sydney – Sydney test flight this afternoon as QF6163. The aircraft has been fitted with Wifi.

VH-XZC has been in maintenance for the past month. Today it went for a test flight over the ocean and back to Sydney.

 

[moa999]

Interesting.
I thought they had originally said one trial 737 and one 332.

Maybe we've gone straight to full rollout.

 

[greyyy]

I thought they had originally said one trial 737 and one 332.

Nope, only a single 737 at the moment, VH-XZB.

Note that last time there was a lag between installation, test flights and the network becoming public.

 

[moa999]

Report from ZacM on YSSY board that B737 #2 VH-XZC will re-enter service 12/6 with Wifi fitted.

Also surmises that VH-VXB (the former Yananyi Dreaming) is next up, having not flown since 7/6

 

[greyyy]

Report from ZacM on YSSY board that B737 #2 VH-XZC will re-enter service 12/6 with Wifi fitted.

Also surmises that VH-VXB (the former Yananyi Dreaming) is next up, having not flown since 7/6

XZC (and additional planes) will not have wifi enabled for the public until a bit later this year.

 

[dk4]

:shock:





:!:


:evil:

 

[greyyy]

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/r...aking-update-on-qantas-inflight-connectivity/

A couple photos on their Instagram Story. Important bits from the article is that eight additional aircraft will be installed with Wifi by the end of September, however won't be public until end of September until testing has completed.

 

[moa999]

Also Aus Aviation article.
http://australianaviation.com.au/20...-wi-fi-installation-on-second-boeing-737-800/

So looks like rapid fire rollout over next 3 months at which time they will switch on 10 aircraft.

If completing 8 in the next 3 months, would still suggest a lengthy rollout on the remaining 737 fleet.

Not sure what's happened to the 332 trial

 

[DavidFlynn]

Not sure what's happened to the 332 trial

A332 fitout has been pushed back, as per https://www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-ramps-up-inflight-internet-ahead-of-september-launch