I've said it time and time again, it feels like a real race for airlines to setup proper high speed internet connectivity on their planes and flights. I've already covered how Delta is teaming up with T-Mobile while United Airlines and Air France have gone with Musk's Starlink product. Well, team Starlink is about to get a new member: SAS Scandinavian Airlines.
High Speed Internet Coming Onboard SAS Flight and Fast!
SAS is the latest airline to announce it will be introducing onboard of its planes a high speed broadband internet solution. The airline has, in fact, decided to install across its entire fleet Starlink connectivity capabilities. That translates in the ability to remain online, connected and productive no matter where you are flying in the Scandinavian Airlines network.
Starlink relies on a mesh of satellites to cover the entire globe offering high speed internet access almost in any corner of the globe, even if flying at 30,000 feet. Therefore, gaps and network holes are extremely infrequent when operating on such a platform.
While other plans had more of a medium term goal to have the technology installed, SAS seems to be in a bit of a hurry to get it active on its aircraft. The plan is for the entirety of the fleet to have Starlink systems installed by the end of 2025.
Planes will go through the upgrade process gradually meaning that as we move further into 2025 more planes will have Starlink installed and it will become more common to find the service active on your flight.
Free High Speed Internet on Scandinavian For EuroBonus Members
Along with announcing its intention to wrap up the entire fleet connectivity capabilities by the end of 2025, the airline also let us know that this service will come at no additional cost for EuroBonus members.
EuroBonus is SAS' (Scandinavian Airlines') loyalty, or frequent flyer, program. It used to be quite an attractive program for Star Alliance frequent flyers, and probably suffered a bit of a hit from the alliance exit to enter SkyTeam with all the status match initiatives launched by competitor carriers.
Therefore, offering such a service free of charge in exchange for a loyalty program signup is a way to bring those membership numbers up again.
Have you tried Starlink connectivity onboard a flight? What was it like? Let me know in the comments below!
