SWISS Introduces Free Wi-Fi Onboard Long Haul Flights

Passengers flying SWISS on long-haul flights will have the option to take advantage of free Wi-Fi packages that the airline sets to offer in the coming month.

Following in United Airlines' Footsteps 

The move to add free messaging and partial internet access packages as an option available all passengers onboard is not a new idea. Earlier in 2023, United Airlines implemented the idea on-board most of its medium to long haul fleet - including the carrier's nearly 30 year old Boeing 757-200's.

The new free Wi-Fi package is available on all long-haul flights from Wednesday August 2nd. 

Passengers travelling in all classes on SWISS Airlines flights will be able to send text and photo messages through popular messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, and Telegram. Much like United Airlines, this free option will also be available for the duration of the long-haul flight. 

SWISS Adds Additional Wi-Fi Packages For Purchase

Should a traveler onboard a 12-hour long SWISS flight like to have the additional ability to browse the internet, send and receive emails, or peruse social media, but not for the entire flight, then the airline's novel "Wi-Fi 4 Hours" package is the way to go. The price of this package is CHF 25 (~USD 28). For passengers wanting to stay connected for the whole duration of their flight, another package named "Wi-Fi Premium" can be purchased price of this package is CHF 35 (~USD 40).

All three new services - "Messaging", "Wi-Fi 4 Hours", and "Wi-Fi Premium" - have no data cap. This means that someone using the free messaging package can send and receive photos of any size. Want to access a 25-megabyte photo your family member sent you while in-flight? Now it is possible to receive such a photo due to the aforementioned no data cap.

"In offering these new wi-fi options we're taking a big step forward. With our new free chat facility...our guests can keep in contact with their families, friends and business partners throughout their flight...our customers now have even more choice in how they wish to stay in unbounded touch with the world while they are onboard our long-haul flights." states SWISS CCO Tamur Goudarzi Pour in regard to the updated Wi-Fi options.

A Modernizing Airline

In recent years, SWISS Airlines has been attempting to modernize its cabin interiors and onboard products. This is due to the ever decreasing appeal that the airline has to trans-atlantic travelers, which is the market that SWISS Airlines obtains most of its revenue from. This decreasing appeal is mostly due to the airlines' out-dated seats onboard it's 12 Airbus A330-300 aircrafts, which comprises half of the carriers long haul fleet. For more information about SWISS Airlines' A330-300's, click here.

The other half of the SWISS Airlines long haul fleet is comprised mainly of the Boeing 777-300ER, of which the average age is 6.2 years. The carrier's Boeing 777-300ERs have modern interiors with updated seating, which makes this aircraft a more appealing option to fly on. 

However, the airline only deploys these high-capacity aircraft on it's longer haul routes such as Zurich to Los Angeles. While updating Wi-Fi offerings on-board the airline's A330-300s might boost passenger numbers in the short term, this won't suffice. In the long term, SWISS should renovate its Airbus A330-300 interiors and seats in order to keep up, and stay current with, the ever increasing standard of comfort passengers in all classes expect within the commercial aviation industry.