Currently, Wi-Fi service is available on all of Emirates’ 59 Airbus A380 aircraft and 47 of its Boeing 777 aircraft.
Emirates now offers first 10MB data free Wi-Fi on 106 of its aircraft, with two to three more aircraft being installed with Wi-Fi connectivity every month.
After updating the service in early February with a simpler sign-on process on top of other software updates, Emirates has seen a further 25% increase in uptake.
Emirates said it continues to invest over $20mn annually on installing and operating inflight connectivity systems, which enable onboard Wi-Fi services. On Emirates’ ultra-long-haul flights (14 hours and more), over 30% of passengers typically use Wi-Fi services, and on a recent flight to New York, 66% of passengers used onboard Wi-Fi.
Currently, Wi-Fi service is available on all of Emirates’ 59 Airbus A380 aircraft and 47 of its Boeing 777 aircraft. On more than 60% of the installed fleet, the first 10MB data is free – sufficient for an update on social media accounts or texting via instant messaging apps. Thereafter, and for the rest of the fleet, users can enjoy 500MB of data for a token $1 charge. By giving either free access or charging a token amount since last October, Emirates has seen a near fivefold increase in usage.
Besides offering Wi-Fi connectivity on all A380 flights, Emirates is in the process of converting all of its Boeing 777-300ERs and 777-200LRs to become Wi-Fi ready at the rate of two-to-three aircraft per month.
“As a global connector of people and places, Emirates is committed to making our entire fleet Wi-Fi enabled. Customers seek free Wi-Fi on-the-go, especially while travelling, and it is becoming the norm for most people who want to stay connected through online social networks and instant messaging. Emirates is subsidising or waiving the high cost of buying data to serve our passengers on routes across six continents. We foresee that free Wi-Fi onboard is the future standard for all our customers, something that will require no charge or limitations,” says Patrick Brannelly, divisional vice-president for Customer Experience (Inflight Entertainment & Connectivity).
Due to current industrial technical limitations such as speed and bandwidth availability and the lack of advanced hardware and software support, the small token charge for additional data usage is required to keep the Wi-Fi service operational.
In 2014, about 650,000 customers used Emirates’ Wi-Fi service on board and as of early March this year, more than 350,000 customers have already used the service.
According to the airline’s data, the websites its passengers most frequently access onboard include Facebook and Google, and chat services such as Skype and WhatsApp, reflecting travellers’ strong desire to stay connected on the move and their use of social media channels to do so.
Passengers on board Emirates also have other ways to stay connected with personal mobile phones services offered on more than 75% of the fleet and in-seat email, telephone and SMS services on every aircraft. All of Emirates’ 37 dedicated airport lounges around its global network offer complimentary Wi-Fi connectivity.
Orlando service from September 1
Emirates is commencing a daily service to Orlando, Florida from September 1, the Dubai-based airline said.
The route will be served by a Boeing 777-200LR with eight first class suites, 42 business class lie-flat beds and 216 economy class seats.
US visitors continue to visit Dubai - Emirates’ home and hub - in their thousands. In 2014, more than 500,000 US citizens stayed in Dubai to conduct business and explore the emirate’s array of leisure opportunities. Emirates’ flight, the first direct service from Florida to Dubai, will connect well with many of the airline’s services to and from the Middle East, South Asia, the Far East and Africa, giving passengers from those regions seamless connectivity to the “Sunshine State” as Florida is known.
Orlando is famous for its world-class theme parks, family entertainment and year round sunshine which bring in over 59mn visitors each year. It also has a “strong” business base with thriving industries in advanced technology, film and digital media production, aerospace and life sciences.
Emirates customers can also “connect seamlessly” onto many destinations in the US, the Caribbean and South America through the airline’s codeshare partner JetBlue’s regional hub in Orlando, which serves 24 cities including San Juan in Puerto Rico; Bogota, Colombia and Nassau, The Bahamas.
“Orlando is one of the world’s premier leisure and conference destinations, a dynamic business centre and a destination which Emirates has long wished to serve”, said Sir Tim Clark, Emirates president.
“As a growing region, we believe that our service will facilitate further growth for both Orlando as well as central Florida by connecting the city with our global network of 145 destinations across 80 countries; and give customers from Orlando the choice of flying Emirates whilst experiencing our award-winning inflight product and service.”
