Airline to offer free in-flight Netflix and Spotify

Passengers flying with Qantas will be able to watch thousands of hours of their favourite TV show and films for free, listen to 30million-plus songs and enjoy live sport - all at 35,000 feet.

A deal done by the Australian airline means its customers will have free access to usually paid-for subscription services Netflix, Spotify and Australian TV app Foxtel. Travellers will even retain their membership for a brief time after the aircraft touches down - with Spotify and Netflix giving away 30-day trials, though both require signing up, and Foxtel offering three days of full access.

• Read more: how does in-flight Wi-Fi work?

Launching later this month on some domestic routes, the in-flight Wi-Fi service will be 10 times faster than “conventional in-flight Wi-Fi”, Qantas says. The rest of the airline’s fleet of domestic Boeing 737 and Airbus A330 aircraft will be fitted with the technology from this summer. Qantas says it is looking into how to offer the service on its international flights.

“We know that email, online shopping and general web browsing will be popular uses when we switch on Wi-Fi,” said Olivia Worth, Qantas group executive of marketing. “But what a lot of people relish about flying is being able to catch up on their favourite TV shows or watch movies they didn’t get to see at the cinema.

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“Foxtel and Netflix have huge catalogues that are expanding all the time, so there will be no shortage of entertainment on board.

Airlines are increasingly striving to introduce Wi-FI on their aircraft. Last year British Airways said it will launch the capability on its short-haul flights this summer.

Airlines that offer free inflight wi-fi

Its owner IAG said it had done a deal with technology firm Inmarsat to connect to 4G in the skies.

The airline already offers Wi-Fi on some of its long-haul aircraft, while rivals Lufthansa and Norwegian offer it on shorter flights.

While relatively novel in the UK and Europe, Wi-Fi on flights is more common in the US, with American, Delta and United Airlines all providing the service.

Last month, American Airlines made the decision to ditch seat-back monitors on its new Boeing 737 Max aircraft as most passengers now travel with mobile phones, laptops and tablets. The airline will instead invest in upgrading its in-flight internet speed. 

Of Qantas’ new Wi-Fi, the airline said its faster connection speeds were made possible by the nbn Sky Muster satellite service, which “represents a significant upgrade over older satellite technology accessed by most airlines around the world”.