Qantas WiFi (aka Qantas inflight Internet)

[albatross710]

four years is a long time in wifi electronics.

surely they can position it so that customers understand it's a bonus if it's available. "hey for the next few years we are offering you the change to be part of our wifi roll out. it's not available all the time on every flight. when it is, please use it.

Did foxtel,optus, NBN wait until they have total coverage? They bring people online as they go.

 

[moa999]

In any case, it's ridiculous Q Streaming can only be accessed via an iOS/Android app.

From memory when it first launched you could use Windows but you had to use Silverlight (Microsofts equivalent to Java, now closed). I suspect it's down to security of content requirements from the studios (eg. You can't install the Qantas App on rooted devices)

My memory is still good - Media Release - Qantas customers experience world first entertainment technology

It doesn't appear that Lufthansa offers a Windows solution (checking Lufthansa and Virgin Australia for example)

 

[moa999]

it's not available all the time on every flight. when it is, please use it.

Isn't that what they are doing with the domestic rollout?

I fully expect any international rollout will be similarly gradual. The question is whether they will start it if they can only have Europe, US and Australian continent coverage.

 

[moa999]

A rollout update for inflight internet from QF789 on airlines.

737s - 41 of 75 (55%)
332s - 4 of 10 (40%) - Note the 8 longhaul 332s which are occasionally used on dom
domestic routes aren't gettingguograded at this point.

Was 17 737s on 1Jan, so only 24 737s and 4 332s added through 2018.
Could well take all of 2019 and then some of 2020 at that rate.

 

[calmelb]

A rollout update for inflight internet from QF789 on airlines.

737s - 41 of 75 (55%)
332s - 4 of 8 (50%)

Was 17 737s on 1Jan, so only 24 737s and 4 332s added through 2018.
Could well take all of 2019 and then some of 2020 at that rate.

A positive is that at least you’re at 50% or greater chance of wifi?

 

[moa999]

Interesting new bridge product offered by ViaSat

Viasat bridges the gap to global Ka-band coverage - Runway Girl

For airlines that want to take advantage of a single inflight connectivity provider globally, but still want Viasat’s regional Ka-band service in the next three to four years before the company completes global Ka-band coverage, Viasat has launched a second-generation version of its hybrid...

runwaygirlnetwork.com

Would be good if Qantas could consider installing this on the A380s as they go through their refurb in the next 18 months

 

[DavidFlynn]

Just my personal non-expert 2c here – I really don't think Qantas will pull the trigger on international WiFi until 2022-23, as that's the timeframe for the third (Asia-Pac) bird in the Viasat 3 network. The inflight kit's going to get better and cheaper and QF can get a superb WiFi ideally suited to those marathon Project Sunrise flights as well as Asia, trans-Pac and SIN-LHR. Naturally I'd love to be wrong and have WiFi sooner on international flights, but...

 

[DavidFlynn]

A positive is that at least you’re at 50% or greater chance of wifi?

Interestingly, >50% is also the 'zone of disappointment' according to airlines and inflight Internet providers, and there's an interesting psychology at play.

When WiFi installations begin it's a bit of a lottery, you haven't had it previously so you don't really notice it not being there – but if you get it, it's that classic 'surprise and delight' (assuming it works properly LOL).

As the rollout continues you find it on more and more flights, still not expected but cool to have and use.

When you pass the 50% mark it's become more of an expectation, in theory you're getting it on every other flight and becoming used to it being there, so there's a disappointment when it isn't there.

Things apparently taper off around the 80-90% mark because you're getting WiFi more often than not, say four out of five times, and you know the rollout's ongoing and you're a bit more likely to go "Ah, bugger!" while being a tad more forgiving!

 

[moa999]

I really don't think Qantas will pull the trigger on international WiFi until 2022-23, as that's the timeframe for the third (Asia-Pac) bird in the Viasat 3 network.

While I unfortunately tend to agree with you,

That RG article suggests this hybrid product is ViaSat3 ready so it's presumably a relatively easy software switch as the US (probably less relevant to QF), European and finally Asia-Pac ViaSat3 satellites get switched on but at least provides some service in the intervening period.

And while the A380 aircraft are out of action for about two months with at least the majority of the upper deck pulled out would seem (at least to this also non-expert) a sensible time to install.

The specs of the ViaSat3 Ka band satellites are basically fixed.

We will see consumer devices with Wifi6 (formerly 802.11ax) coming out in the next few years, but with the still constrained speeds of satellite you really don't need an in-plane connection better than Wifi4 (old 802.11n)

 

[DavidFlynn]

That RG article suggests this hybrid product is ViaSat3 ready so it's presumably a relatively easy software switch as the US (probably less relevant to QF), European and finally Asia-Pac ViaSat3 satellites get switched on but at least provides some service in the intervening period.

And while the A380 aircraft are out of action for about two months with at least the majority of the upper deck pulled out would seem (at least to this also non-expert) a sensible time to install.

Oh, I agree with you 100%. No argument that this would all seem to make sense. That's why I would be happy to be wrong!

 

[jase05]

Don’t know if they were telling porkies or not but on our flight ADL-MEL last week we had one without WiFi and one of the other J pax queried the CSM who replied that there is only 17 737’s remaining without WiFi

 

[moa999]

Sounds pretty correct to me

 

[Mondo]

I seem to always get WiFi planes on the trans Tasman routes, which I can't use, and hardly ever on the domestic flights. Why schedule the WiFi aircraft on trans tasman flights when it's just a waste??

 

[moa999]

Think it's more they try to schedule the IFE aircraft on the NZ routes (same with Bali and Perth), and almost all of those have Internet

 

[RichardMEL]

Casual observation of departure boards at major ports over recent months has definitely seen far more wifi symbols showing then there used to be, so there's definitely now more with than without doing the rounds. My last 4 or 5 domestic flights have had it(and it's worked brilliantly)

 

[Mark213]

QF650 today PER to BNE - Wifi connected but I could only get to google but no other website. Also only YouTube worked but not netflix or other streaming sites. Was using a Android S8+. Guy next to me had android too and didnt work, but bloke behind had an apple and was working with Whatsapp fine.

Is it always this flakey or intermittent amongst individual users? It could be anything in reality, but when some sites work and some dont its definitely something wrong on the deployment or security updates by the user phones that QF arent testing...

 

[baggyred]

When the A330s were being refurbed - we knew which bird you were flying in advance by the seatmap (assuming no late metal change)

Is there anyway to know in advance if an upcoming flight has wifi scheduled ?

 

[moa999]

Only by the flight boards or by identifying tails.

The stated plan is that the 10 28J / 243 Y 332s will get Inflight Internet and it's currently installed on 6 (EBB, EBC, EBD, EBE, EBF, EBL) though not confirmed as active on all of them, with EBG due back soon.

However EBM and EBN are still in the 28 J/ 243 Y config and yet to be converted to the 27 J / 224 Y config

 

[baggyred]

Only by the flight boards or by identifying tails.

The stated plan is that the 10 28J / 243 Y 332s will get Inflight Internet and it's currently installed on 6 (EBB, EBC, EBD, EBE, EBF, EBL) though not confirmed as active on all of them, with EBG due back soon.

However EBM and EBN are still in the 28 J/ 243 Y config and yet to be converted to the 27 J / 224 Y config

Thank you

Looking at Qantassource - i was at least able to see what birds the route typically has access to - which is at least promising. Fingers crossed.

 

[33kft]

Is it always this flakey or intermittent amongst individual users?

I had this just the other day on QF 776 PER-MEL. Not sure what the story was but for half of the flight I could get to the wifi.qantas.com site and to any qantas sites (ie my QF app worked fine and updated during the flight with a new points posting) but nothing else. After a while I suspect the FAs reset the system since it was showing the "wifi unavailable" splash screen for a while, then everything worked as normal.

That's the first time I've seen it myself, it's always worked well in my experience. I also found it was odd that qantas.com worked but nothing else, but I was thinking more along the lines of perhaps some sore of walled garden where if it doesn't think you're authorized it will restrict you to certain sites? Who knows.