Lufthansa debuts in-flight Wi-Fi

Monday 06 December

In-flight broadband: now a reality

It’s been quite a month already: first we hear mobile access on the Tube is on its way, now Lufthansa tells us we can use Wi-Fi on our computers during intercontinental flights.

Lufthansa’s FlyNet service has been relaunched and new offers customers broadband internet access on several North Atlantic routes, with the goal to make web access available on the carrier’s entire intercontinental network by the end of next year.

The infrastructure for the in-flight network comes thanks to Panasonic, and while no performance figures have been quoted, Lufthansa assures us that performance will be fast enough to open large email attachments without any problem.

The internet access itself is provided by Deutsche Telekom, and until the end of January is completely free. After that, you’ll be charged a not-unreasonable €20 for a 24-hour pass that also works on the ground if you’re connecting between two flights, or €11 for one hour.