Qantas starts international wifi

[moa999]

Penultimate 789 VH-ZNM back from HKG overnight and straight into service as QF255 today.

ZNN has been sitting at SYD since arriving this morning.
Edit. And now scheduled as QF6009 to HKG at 2120.

 

[shuuy]

International wifi is here and free - this was a pleasant surprise on VH-ZNA ex-YVR

 

[tomlee1986]

International wifi is here and free - this was a pleasant surprise on VH-ZNA ex-YVR
View attachment 509420

safe flight from YVR!! Enjoy the flight and the wifi!!

 

[moa999]

International wifi is here and free - this was a pleasant surprise on VH-ZNA ex-YVR

Presumably getting heavily used for streaming at the time with that odd 2.9 down / 24.0 up ratio.

 

[elanshin]

I almost booked QF1 over QF255 until i remembered that the a380 has no wifi and the b787 does. Definitely makes SYD-SIN route a bit more interesting.

I wonder if you could even book QF255 -> QF1 because of it.

 

[burneracc]

10/ 14 787s - all bar ZNA L M N

Excellent info I must say - flying on ZND which qf app says no WiFi, and previously flew ZNE which was the same - app says no WiFi, but experience in flight said otherwise.

 

[blackcat20]

Looks like we have ZNL next week, app says no wifi

 

[elanshin]

Looks like we have ZNL next week, app says no wifi

I imagine we'll only see an update after the last 787s comes back. Its always safer to underpromise and over deliver than the other way around.

 

[mviy]

My 787 flight for later this year says “Chance of Wi-Fi” in the Onboard Experience.

 

[blackcat20]

Looks like we have ZNL next week, app says no wifi

Now swapped to another with no wifi . ZNG.

 

[AIRwin]

Now swapped to another with no wifi . ZNG.

Zat's No Good!

 

[HMcM]

Until recently app was saying no wifi on any of my status run flights over the weekend, now showing as wifi on all of them. Bring on the status run!

Interesting that there's a wording difference between "Fast and free Wi-Fi" and "Streaming Capable Wi-Fi", does anybody know the difference?

 

[TeaKozy]

Interesting that there's a wording difference between "Fast and free Wi-Fi" and "Streaming Capable Wi-Fi", does anybody know the difference?

I think 'Fast and free' is more of a generic term meaning Wi-Fi is available ('fast' being subjective), vs. 'Streaming Capable' inferring that it's using the new Viasat F-series satellites that can support Netflix.

 

[moa999]

Now swapped to another with no wifi . ZNG.

Per the tracking in this thread, all active 787s, including ZNG, should have Wifi, with the final aircraft ZNN currently in HKG.

The current website map shows steaming capable as Aus and NZ and varied connection outside that

https://www.qantas.com/en-au/onboard/entertainment/wifi

 

[blackcat20]

Per the tracking in this thread, all active 787s, including ZNG, should have Wifi, with the final aircraft ZNN currently in HKG.

The current website map shows steaming capable as Aus and NZ and varied connection outside that

https://www.qantas.com/en-au/onboard/entertainment/wifi

When the app went from showing no specific plane to a specific one, it went from 'may have wifi' to 'wifi unavailable' I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

 

[moa999]

Article in the Australian on Qantas Wifi quoting Cam Wallace stating full installation will be complete by March or April 2027.

Then what appears to be a misquote stating 10 A380s and three 787s are still to be wired up.
As per discussion above, think all 789s are now complete (with ZNN likely out of HKG in the next week).
With 4 333s (QPA-QPD) to be complete

(And no comment on the two leased 333s (QPK-QPL), or the announced purchase due soon)

More interesting however was the comment on the Viasat contract.

Mr Wallace also indicated Qantas would look at “other providers” when the airline’s contract with current supplier Viasat was up in two years time.

And by then StarLink won't be the only option. Likely also Amazon Leo, Telesat Lightspeed, Eutelsat, maybe BlueOrigin Terawave as well as two Chinese offerings - Guowang (National Network) and Qianfan (Thousand Sails)

 

[blackcat20]

Looks like we will never know, flight cancelled

 

[elanshin]

Article in the Australian on Qantas Wifi quoting Cam Wallace stating full installation will be complete by March or April 2027.

I wonder when the 380s would start if its on this timeline.
They tend to need all sorts of other maintenance as well and spend a while at the shop.

More interesting however was the comment on the Viasat contract.



And by then StarLink won't be the only option. Likely also Amazon Leo, Telesat Lightspeed, Eutelsat, maybe BlueOrigin Terawave as well as two Chinese offerings - Guowang (National Network) and Qianfan (Thousand Sails)

Although I'd say given QFs tendency to play it safe only Starlink would be a relatively mature product with a reasonable history to back it up.

 

[TeaKozy]

Although I'd say given QFs tendency to play it safe only Starlink would be a relatively mature product with a reasonable history to back it up.

Obviously the Wi-Fi itself won't need to be swapped, but are the antenna largely compatible with both LEO and GEO birds? Curious about how much effort would be required to change providers in two years (if it's just a software thing or perhaps replacing the physical hardware).

Although somewhat amusing that the 'premium' Viasat offering they delayed the Wi-Fi rollout for might only see less than a year's use on some frames.

 

[sudoer]

but are the antenna largely compatible with both LEO and GEO birds? Curious about how much effort would be required to change providers in two years (if it's just a software thing or perhaps replacing the physical hardware).

They will almost certainly swap the antenna hardware. The Starlink dome is significantly more aerodynamic than the Viasat dome, and would save millions of dollars worth of fuel over the life of the solution. I find it bonkers they are even continuing to install the Viasat gear.