New free service available to passengers registered in the Emirates Skywards frequent flyer program, and the level of connection depends on the level of membership, as well as on which class passengers are traveling.
Most passengers will receive free access only to Internet messengers, including WhatsApp, and full internet access for First Class and Elite Skywards members.
Recall that Emirates has previously stated several times that it considers the cost of providing free Wi-Fi on board as mandatory, aimed at improving the service, but with the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, the airline quickly turned off free Internet to reduce costs.
< p> For the same reason, the carrier turned off live television. It returned to passengers in June 2021, but free internet access never arrived.
Before the pandemic, Emirates offered 20MB of free data per device, now the “norms” changed:
Regular Skywards Blue passengers traveling in Business, Premium Economy and Economy Class receive unlimited chat options. And, sitting in a first class chair-bed, they will also receive full Internet for the entire duration of the flight.
Elite cardholders, of course, have more opportunities in any class of service.
Passengers who are not registered with Skywards will be charged between $2.99 and $5.99 for the ability to chat. At the same time, the airline itself draws attention: registration with Skywards is free, so it is much more profitable to become a member of the program and not pay every time.
The cost of Internet tariff plans for the entire flight ranges from 9.99 to 19.99 dollars, depending on the duration of the flight. Emirates also offers a $9.99 30-minute package in select regions.
Since the introduction of free Wi-Fi, the number of passengers using the internet in flight has increased by 30% to about 450,000 users per month. 20 percent of passengers on flights to the US connect to in-flight internet services. On European and African routes, this is almost half that, at 11 percent.
Last week, Emirates reported a record profit of $3 billion for 2022/2023 on the back of revenue of AED19.8 billion ― US$32.6 billion. Thus, the airline has fully recovered after several years of crisis.