Just months after one round of complimentary inflight Wi-Fi enhancement, Singapore Airlines has now announced a further expansion of complimentary inflight Wi-Fi. From 1 July 2023, passengers in all cabin classes will be able to enjoy complimentary unlimited inflight Wi-Fi. This is available on all aircraft equipped with inflight Wi-Fi, which excludes the seven ex-SilkAir 737-800NGs which were never equipped with inflight W-Fi.
Previously, only First, Business and PPS Club members (including supplementary card holders) enjoyed complimentary unlimited inflight Wi-Fi. This will remain unchanged of course. KrisFlyer members in Premium Economy and Economy were limited to 3h and 2h surf plans previously, which will now become unlimited with this change.
The catch
The catch is that the passenger must be a KrisFlyer member, and their KrisFlyer number must be in the booking. The previous complimentary allowances in Premium Economy and Economy were already restricted to KrisFlyer members only, so there’s no change in policy here. That’s problem not a problem for most infrequent flyers who aren’t accruing miles in a specific programme. However for those who are trying to accrue in a partner programme (such as Lufthansa) Miles & More or Virgin Australia Velocity), this may be a stumbling block. Depending on which FQT field the complimentary Wi-Fi is tied to, it may be possible to have different programme numbers in the different FQT fields. Thus, allowing the passenger to enjoy the benefits of KrisFlyer while accruing in the partner programme.
My other concern is what the Wi-Fi speeds will look like. Given that most passengers have a similar sleep/active pattern on long-haul flights, I can imagine there will be certain periods of peak Wi-Fi usage. Not all passengers can be bothered to avail of inflight Wi-Fi even complimentary, so things may not get too bad. Many do enjoy the opportunity to disconnect onboard.
Conclusion
Passengers in all cabin classes will soon be able to enjoy complimentary unlimited inflight Wi-Fi on Singapore Airlines, as long as they are a KrisFlyer member and is reflected in the booking. No more excuses for not replying that email or WhatsApp anymore. It’s some positive coverage for Singapore Airlines, after a torrid week where the airline has had to embarrassingly backtrack on paper meal boxes and finally restore some meal service cuts.