Your complete guide to Singapore Airlines inflight WiFi

Singapore Airlines offers WiFi on almost every flight and on board almost every plane it its fleet, from the modern singe-aisle Boeing 737 MAX to the double-decker Airbus A380.

And with free inflight Internet in first class, and complimentary WiFi packages in business class, it’s the ideal way for travellers to keep in touch with the world below.

This Executive Traveller guide to Singapore Airlines WiFi will get you up to speed with the airline’s inflight Internet options.

Does Singapore Airlines have WiFi on flights?

Yes, almost all Singapore Airlines flights have WiFi on board.

Singapore Airlines’ inflight Internet access is available shortly after take-off, as the aircraft reaches level cruising altitude, through to when the aircraft is ready to begin its descent.

The Singapore Airlines Internet service is available on board almost every plane – including the Airbus A350 and A380, Boeing 787-10 and Boeing 777-300ER, and the single-aisle Boeing 737 MAX 8.

The sole exception are the older Boeing 737-800s, previously flown by Singapore Airlines’ regional arm SilkAir (although these jets do have an internal WiFi system for streaming entertainment such as movies to passengers’ own devices).

How much does Singapore Airlines WiFi cost?

You can purchase Singapore Airlines WiFi as one of four plans, with prices ranging from US$3.99 to US$15.99:

• Chat is optimised for text-only messaging on chat apps such as iMessage, WeChat, WhatsApp, Viber, Line, Telegram and Facebook Messenger. The connection lasts for two hours (but can’t be paused, and is capped at 30MB of data) and costs US$3.99
• Pro offers a faster connection suitable for Web browsing and emails; you get 100MB of data (and cause pause and resume the session) for US$9.99
• Premium has the same speed and pause/resume capability as Pro, but doubles the data allowance to 200MB for US$15.99
• Surf has the same speed as Pro and Premium but runs for three hours (the plan can’t be paused) for US$15.99

Unlike many airlines, Singapore Airlines doesn’t offer a ‘flight pass’ which is valid for the entire length of your journey.

Does Singapore Airlines have free WiFi?

Singapore Airlines offers free WiFi packages to all passengers, depending on their class of travel and membership of Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer loyalty program.

• Singapore Airlines first class and A380 Suites passengers enjoy unlimited free WiFi
• Singapore Airlines business class passengers also enjoy unlimited free WiFi
  
• Singapore Airlines PPS Club members travelling in any cabin also get unlimited free WiFi
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer members in premium economy receive a freet three-hour Surf WiFi package (note that your KrisFlyer membership number must be entered when you book your flight or when you check in for your flight)
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer members in economy receive a free two-hour Surf WiFi package (note that your KrisFlyer membership number must be entered when you book your flight or when you check in for your flight)
• If you’re in premium economy or economy but are not a KrisFlyer member, you’ll need to purchase a WiFi plan – or just sign up to the KrisFlyer rewards program before your flight (joining KrisFlyer is fast and free) to enjoy those gratis hours of surfing.

Free Singapore Airlines WiFi with Boingo

Selected Mastercard holders worldwide (including Australia’s Latitude 28° Degrees Card) receive a complimentary Boingo account which “provides access to more than 1 million premium Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide” – including free and unlimited WiFi on board Singapore Airlines.

Yes, that’s the same perk as anybody in SQ’s first class suites, even if you’re tucked away in the last row of economy.

The only caveat is that the free Singapore Airlines/Boingo WiFi deal is restricted to Singapore Airlines planes with WiFi power by a Panasonic Avionics system – which are the long-range Airbus A350-900s (but not the medium-range A350s with the regional business class seat) and the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners.

Does Singapore Airlines have WiFi in business class?

Yes, and it’s a great feature for business travellers: you can tackle a lot of work (especially attending to emails) during the flight, and as a result, once you land you don’t have to plough through hundreds of often-urgent emails.

As noted above, all Singapore Airlines business class passengers receive unlimited WiFi for the duration of their flight.  (This replaces the airline’s previous plan of just an initial 100MB of free WiFi.)

Does Singapore Airlines have WiFi in economy?

Yes, and if you’re a member of Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer rewards program you’ll get two hours of free WiFi at speeds suitable for sociual media, Web browsing and email.

(This is a welcome update to the previous offering of two hours of messaging-only access courtesy of the Singapore Airlines Chat package.)

Just make sure your KrisFlyer membership number is entered against your booking: this can be done when you maker the booking, through the SQ websites Manage my Booking page, at the airport when you check in for your flight or at the Singapore Airlines lounge.

Singapore Airlines WiFi speed

So just how fast is Singapore Airlines WiFi? You can expect to see download speeds from around 1Mbps through to a zippy 8Mbps, with uploads at 1-2Mbps.

Practically speaking, this means you need to be patient when loading Web pages (and avoid the habit of swapping between multiple websites on multiple browser tabs).

You’d also be wise to disable any automatic online backups, cloud synchronisation and so on, as this will not only slow your connection but also chew up your plan’s data allowance.

Singapore Airlines WiFi review

Executive Traveller has made use of Singapore Airlines’ WiFi on many flights, and while it’s obviously nothing like you’d expect on the ground, it’s still sufficient to get basic work done – and along as the connection isn’t frustratingly unstable or unusable, it’s better than not being connected at all.

Our advice is to tackle any substantial work – especially downloading, as well as any research and data-gathering – at the airport lounge, and use Singapore Airlines’ inflight Internet mainly for necessary follow-up plus emailing.

As we said in one Singapore Airlines WiFi review on board an Airbus A350 en route to Singapore, “using the service to respond to emails in real-time on a busy business day was also enough to confuse colleagues into thinking I'd already reached my destination, as replies to messages were transmitted as promptly as on the ground – with the added advantage of being able to relax and unwind upon landing.”

“For many business travellers, that's the biggest advantage of inflight WiFi: being able to tackle work as things arise, and arrive at their destination with business taken care of, rather than an overflowing inbox.”

Singapore Airlines WiFi promo codes

Singapore Airlines sometimes issues WiFi promo codes which can be redeemed through the Singapore Airlines WiFi portal page to provide anything from a free WiFi package to free Internet for the entire flight.

However, any Singapore Airlines WiFi promo codes you find floating around the Internet are unlikely to work.

As noted earlier, the simplest and best way to get free WiFi onboard a Singapore Airlines flight is to join the airline’s KrisFlyer program, as this gives you two hours of a free Chat service.

Do I need the Singapore Airlines App to use WiFi?

No, you don't need the Singapore Airlines App to access inflight WiFi. Just connect to the Singapore Airlines WiFi network on board your flight with your laptop, smartphone or tablet, as you normally would do at home, the office or the airport lounge.

How do I access Singapore Airlines WiFi?

• Put your device into flight mode if possible, but then turn on WiFi again; ensure background updates and cloud sync apps are switched off
• Find and connect to the 'KrisWorld' network
• The next screen will be Singapore Airlines' WiFi portal, where you either activate your complimentary allowance or purchase a plan
• You're now connected to the Internet – but keep that page open, as it tells you your data allowance remaining and lets you pause the connection on the Pro and Premium plans if you're not using the device for a while

Can I use my Singapore Airlines WiFi allowance across separate devices?

Yes, but only one device at a time can be active. Before switching, pause the connection on the first device before disconnecting. Then on the new device, connect to the 'KrisWorld' network and log in with your details again to continue your browsing session.