If you’ve booked or are just about to book a long haul flight on Etihad Airways there’s some good news for you. The Middle Eastern carrier has announced that it’ll introduce two all new data plans for its onboard Wi-Fi service. Let’s find out how these Etihad Wi-Fi plans will work and what you need to know.
What New Data Plans Is Etihad Launching?
There will be 2 new plans launched by Etihad on its fleet of wide body aircraft:
- Chat
- Surf
Chat as the name hints to, will allow passengers only essential access to chatting and messaging services, such as: Whatsapp Messenger or WeChat.
Surf on the other hand will allow full access to the internet. Passengers who will opt for this option will be able to browse and work with a full data service.
How Much Will These Plans Cost?
This is where it gets a little tricky. We need to split flights in those above 7 hours in duration and those below. For those flights shorter than 7 hours the two plans will always have to be paid:
- Chat is free for Etihad Guest members and will cost 2,99 USD for non registered passengers
- Surf will cost 9,99 USD
For flights above 7 hours in duration:
- Chat will be free for Etihad Guest members and will cost 4,99 USD for non registered passengers
- Surf will cost 19,99 USD
To get the free chat Wi-Fi service during your flight you’ll have to enrol online to Etihad’s membership to get immediate access onboard.
Gold frequent flyer status holders will also get a 25% discount on the Surf internet rate.
Free Onboard Internet For First Class And Platinum Etihad Members
There is one last passenger category that has a special benefit regarding onboard internet, First class passengers and Platinum frequent flyers.
These two categories will get complimentary access to the onboard internet regardless of the duration of the flight.
