Emirates made an announcement on May 19th regarding the introduction of complimentary basic inflight WiFi for all passengers, irrespective of cabin class. Although the airline offered a similar service before the pandemic, this time there are no apparent time restrictions. While this change will benefit a considerable number of passengers each week, it does come with its own unique implications.
Emirates has made a substantial investment of over $300 million to ensure onboard connectivity across its fleet of Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s. This investment covers the expenses related to equipping the aircraft with the necessary technology and providing the actual inflight WiFi service. Although the costs associated with inflight WiFi can be significant, Emirates is committed to delivering a seamless connectivity experience for its passengers.
Although the inflight internet service does not incur any charges, there is one condition: it is exclusively complimentary for Emirates Skywards members. Emirates Skywards is the loyalty program of the airline, and joining it is free of charge.
Passengers at any tier level, including Blue, Silver, Gold, or Platinum, and traveling in any class, such as Economy, Premium Economy, Business, or First Class, will have the privilege of enjoying complimentary app messaging.
Furthermore, Emirates highlights that first-class passengers who are Skywards members will receive unrestricted and complimentary access to the Internet during their flight, allowing them to engage in online shopping or work. Similarly, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Skywards members traveling in business class will have full internet access, as well as Platinum Skywards members, regardless of their travel class.
This represents a significant shift since May 2020 when we previously reported that the airline had discontinued complimentary basic onboard WiFi for passengers. Prior to the change, all passengers were granted access to 20 MB of free data or two hours of free messaging.
How to join SkyWards by Emirates?
Similar to the practices of other airlines globally, Emirates restricts access to its complimentary basic inflight messaging to members of its loyalty program, which the airline considers a simple and cost-free procedure. Emirates provides the option to join the loyalty program through emirates.com, flydubai.com, the official Emirates app, the flydubai app, or directly through the WiFi portal onboard.
In essence, non-Skywards members have the option to purchase access to this service at a cost of $2.99 to $5.99 (varying with the duration of the flight). Consequently, being a Skywards member allows travelers to save the corresponding amount per flight.
For economy class passengers without Platinum status, full internet connectivity is obtainable for $9.99 to $19.99, depending on the duration of the flight. Alternatively, a 30-minute unlimited data package is available for $9.99.
