Virgin Australia In Flight Wifi availability

[Wolbi136]

I've got a reward seat on the CNS-HND route in October which will likely be operated by a 737-8. I'm also platinum status so get complimentary in-flight Wifi. I've flown the 737-8 a couple of times recently and once there was no entertainment or Wifi at all, and the second time there was entertainment only and no Wifi. Do any of Virgin's 737-8s have internet connection? I've also heard stories of the entertainment having issues. It would certainly make the 7.5 hours go a bit quicker!

 

[asterix]

I've got a reward seat on the CNS-HND route in October which will likely be operated by a 737-8. I'm also platinum status so get complimentary in-flight Wifi. I've flown the 737-8 a couple of times recently and once there was no entertainment or Wifi at all, and the second time there was entertainment only and no Wifi. Do any of Virgin's 737-8s have internet connection? I've also heard stories of the entertainment having issues. It would certainly make the 7.5 hours go a bit quicker!

We flew CNS-HND with Virgin on 26/06/2024 and had inflight wifi and entertainment on BYOD.

 

[RooFlyer]

I've had much better success in having wifi on VA recently - each of my past 6 flights. Hopefully you'll be OK but I still make sure my phone is also loaded!

 

[PERLHR]

I had none on a max between SYD and PER a few weeks back. The max was one week old at that time. I messaged VA asking them to tell me why I should not just dump them for QF who offer now probably a much better experience, at least down the back although I did happen to be in biz). After the usual standard response of how sorry they were I went back and reiterated that for a five hour flight without blanket or pillow at least wifi should be a must. We settled on 5,000 point credit.

 

[Wolbi136]

It's only been the MAX 8s and the newer ex-Silk Air -800s where I've had a hit and miss experience. All their other aircraft have had IFE and Wifi working perfectly.

 

[henrus]

I messaged VA asking them to tell me why I should not just dump them for QF who offer now probably a much better experience, at least down the back although I did happen to be in biz)

Give me the economy x and VA wifi any day of the week. Qantas as a platinum gets nothing special in legroom or wifi noting that whilst it’s free it’s heavily oversubscribed with many 737 flights seeing 300+ active connections to the internet. When it works VAs wifi has a 600-700ms ping and often 50mbps speeds whereas QF is often 1000ms and 1-2mbps.

 

[p--and--t]

It's only been the MAX 8s and the newer ex-Silk Air -800s where I've had a hit and miss experience. All their other aircraft have had IFE and Wifi working perfectly.

Wondering if it is a max issue generally. I couldn’t get free wifi for J working on 4 x AeroMexico flight max flights.

 

[RooFlyer]

Wondering if it is a max issue generally. I couldn’t get free wifi for J working on 4 x AeroMexico flight max flights.

Doesn’t seem to be. Two of my last flights out of my past six VA successes were on Maxes.

 

[BRIS_VA_HAWK]

Onboard VH-YIG at the moment, wifi hasn't skipped a beat. Have had wifi for most of my VA services so far this year, so not complaining.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Have found video streaming to be hit & miss but generally better in 2024 than 2023. I mostly fly MEL-PER though so the extent of the southerly track probably has a significant effect on coverage.

 

[PerryPl]

Anyone noticed that the Moving Map is not available anymore on certain aircraft that seem to have updated IFE? Just a duration to destination countdown, and thats it? Are there plans to bring this back?

 

[kerfuffle]

Anyone noticed that the Moving Map is not available anymore on certain aircraft that seem to have updated IFE? Just a duration to destination countdown, and thats it? Are there plans to bring this back?

Yep, I've noticed this as well. Bring back the moving map!

 

[PerryPl]

Yep, I've noticed this as well. Bring back the moving map!

Its strange, as both aircraft were WiFi equipped, BSI fitted, and rolled off the production line one after the other in the same month. The WiFi landing page of both aircraft looked the same, but then the entertainment section was different - without the moving map. Absolutely need to bring this back!!

 

[moa999]

heavily oversubscribed with many 737 flights seeing 300+ active connections to the internet.

How do you know how many devices are connected?

 

[henrus]

How do you know how many devices are connected?

ah my comment was in regards to Qantas domestic wifi which were recently mentioned in a press release as having over 300 individual devices on some 737 flights.

Unlike Emirates which shows the total number of active session neither Qantas or Virgin Wifi shows that information.

 

[elanshin]

Just curious with VA wifi - does it just not activate sometimes even on their M8s or or NGs? it might have been my bad luck but my last couple of flights didnt have wifi working. I think the last one i was on 8IA going SYD - MEL.

 

[Harrison_133]

Just curious with VA wifi - does it just not activate sometimes even on their M8s or or NGs? it might have been my bad luck but my last couple of flights didnt have wifi working. I think the last one i was on 8IA going SYD - MEL.

My last 3 MAX flights both the IFE and wifi weren't working (8IB and 8IF x2). 800s are usually fine in comparison.

 

[henrus]

Anyone noticed that the Moving Map is not available anymore on certain aircraft that seem to have updated IFE? Just a duration to destination countdown, and thats it? Are there plans to bring this back?

So the older wireless IFE and moving map was a product called BoardConnect made by Lufthansa Systems. Lufthansa developed the system and licensed it to other airlines including Virgin (who in 2013 was the first in the region to use the system). Most of the airlines using the platform are Lufthansa group airlines but its also been seen on others like El Al, Condor, Virgin America, SpiceJet.

BoardConnect Digital Experience Platform

Lufthansa Systems

www.lhsystems.com

When Virgin first offered WiFi they used the same network wifi network that the boardconnect system had and installed Gogo equipment as apart of the same network so provide the satellite which was why one used a different login page for the wifi compared to the ife.

Now after during the administration the deal with gogo seemed to abruptly end I'm guess this is because they likely become a creditor but in the mean time gogo was purchased by satellite company Intelsat who have signed the new deal with Virgin to once again deliver satellite internet.

What has changed since the first implementation is that Intelsat has a unified internet/entertainment WiFi system hence the single login page and if you look at the screenshot below you may notice the promotional layout looks familiar. Despite this the one thing the new system lacks as a base level is a moving map feature, my guess (but again just a guess) is Intelsat charge more for a moving map feature and from a cost perspective it made sense not to include it, as seen on Intelsat's website they offer other things like live tv so in the future these features are not out of the question (could go back to live2air days but on your own device)

Entertainment and Engagement | Intelsat

Mobile device views have grown by more than 600% since Wireless Inflight Entertainment (W-IFE) was introduced, and it continues to increase.

www.intelsat.com

I'm also guessing that Virgin pay Lufthansa systems a license fee for the system on a per aircraft basis and it's highly likely the Intelsat platform that delivers both wifi and entertainment in one is cheaper so expect to see less moving maps in the future as aircraft get switched over.