Wi-Fi becomes free (and efficient) on Air France planes, with Starlink

Today, the highest speed Wi-Fi package at Air France costs 38 euros for the entire flight (prices have recently increased). The “Stream pass,” as the airline calls it, does not guarantee access to a stable network. Several white zones are generally in the program, with a bandwidth sometimes sufficient to stream a low definition video, sometimes too low to open the attachment of an email.

From summer 2025, Air France will offer high-speed Wi-Fi to all passengers on its planes, all free of charge. The company announces that it has signed a partnership with StarlinkElon Musk’s company, to use its satellites in flight. It decided to include Wi-Fi in its flights, in order to win a commercial argument against its competitors.

Wi-Fi will become the standard in Air France flights, which is becoming a pioneer in the sector

When you take an Air France flight today, you have the choice between several packages on the open AirFrance_CONNECT network.

There is the “message pass”, which is free, but which limits connections to iMessage, WhatsApp and Messenger. There is the “surf pass”, with a reduced speed Internet connection. And there is the “stream pass”, which offers the best connection at the time, which is not necessarily a guarantee of quality. Air France generally offers different prices, depending on the desired connection time (one hour or the entire flight).

With its partnership with Starlink, Air France should resolve connection problems. Elon Musk’s low-orbit satellites, closer to the plane than those currently used, should offer speeds worthy of 4G. The company will only require the creation of a Flying Blue account, its free loyalty program, to gain access. No other major airline offers Wi-Fi as generously today, although American Airlines recently announced a similar partnership. Air France is undoubtedly banking on free Wi-Fi to make its tickets more interesting and attract new travelers.

Thanks to Starlink, Air France says it will be possible to access Netflix easily from its planes, without downloading content first. The first planes will be equipped with the Starlink network from summer 2025, with gradual deployment to the rest of the fleet. In the meantime, the old offers remain current, with the obligation to pay to connect to the Internet (unless you just want messages).

Before Air France, other companies like Hawaiian Airlines tried Starlink. American Airlines has also partnered with the company, but has not yet deployed its new Wi-Fi network. Air France is undoubtedly a precursor of a trend in aviation, which is about to switch to era of everything connected.