This story is part The New Era of Work TravelThe editors of Condé Nast Traveler The following are some examples of how to get started: WIRED You can use this guide to navigate the benefits and pitfalls of a modern business trip.
Expensive, unpredictable and difficult to use in-flight Wi-Fi Over the last decade, pipelines have been less of a joke than a reality. In 2025, the sky will be a completely different place: fast and free connectivity is being rolled out on the majority of major airlines around the world.
Satellite technology has allowed for a leap in bandwidth and speed. SpaceX‘s Starlink network of low Earth orbit satellites, for example, can deliver a connection capable of downloading more than 200 megabits per second—twice as fast as most basic home internet plans. A number of airlines around the world have signed deals with this company.
Grant Milstead is the vice president of digital technologies at United Airlines. The airline flew its Starlink-equipped first route from Chicago to Detroit in May.
Business travel is being transformed by the increase in bandwidth, which allows flyers to collaborate and Slack with their co-workers at 35,000 feet. They can edit Google Docs instantly, download PowerPoints in full length, and attend livestream conferences just as easily as they would on the ground. Satellite technology allows for voice and video calls, but they are prohibited by the FAA. They are also “strongly discouraged by airlines worldwide from a courtesy standpoint.”
At times, it felt like the shift would never happen. Most of the 21st century, airlines relied on ground-based cell towers that provided slow, or no, coverage over rural areas, deserts, and oceans—a problem for carriers such as Air New Zealand and Hawaiian Airlines. Aircell was launched in 2008. It would later be known as Gogo Inflight. The service offered by Aircell, now Gogo Inflight provided a spotty, but expensive air-to ground connection that became the industry standard.
JetBlue then partnered with Viasat in 2013 to pioneer satellite-based Wi-Fi in flight. Though faster and more reliable than Gogo, satellite-based connectivity was slow to take off—an expensive endeavor requiring affixing an antenna to the top of the plane and placing routers throughout the aircraft.
Viasat was the first to offer the service, but major carriers like Delta and Cathay Pacific joined the company several years after. The advent of Starlink has reduced Viasat’s advantage. Qatar Airways (Qatar), Scandinavian Airlines(SAS), Hawaiian Airlines Virgin Atlantic, Air France and Virgin Atlantic have all adopted Starlink technology or are currently in negotiations to pilot test it. WestJet from Canada and US charter operator JSX have also taken up the technology.
Air New Zealand plans to upgrade its domestic fleet later this year with Starlink, the satellite service it uses for transpacific flights. According to Nikhil Ravishankar of the airline, chief digital officer, this move will “change the game” for business travellers who would normally drive between hubs like Auckland and Wellington.
“We usually compete in a vehicle, but you cannot work from it,” Ravishankar states.
Satellite-based Internet will soon become the norm, now that there are sufficient satellites to meet the global passenger demand. Free Wi-Fi on aircraft is expensive, and it isn’t as easy as just sticking an aerial onto a plane.
