Hawaiian Airlines Now Offers Free High-Speed Wi-Fi on Most Planes

One of the most frustrating things about commercial flying is how inconsistent inflight access to the internet can be.

Some flights offer fast speeds; on others, connectivity can be spotty or even non-existent. And then there are the differences in pricing.

Hawaiian Airlines announced plans for free high-speed Wi-Fi on flights crossing the ocean. And the good news is that this free internet service is now available on nearly all Hawaiian Airlines transpacific flights.

Most Transpacific Hawaiian Airlines Flights Offer Free Internet

Hawaiian Airlines has finished installing Starlink on its Airbus aircraft, starting first with the Airbus A321neo models and then, just recently, finishing the Airbus A330 planes. Hawaiian was the first airline to announce an agreement with the satellite network company Starlink to offer high-speed internet on its transpacific flights.

The airline doesn’t plan to offer complimentary Wi-Fi service on flights between Hawaiian islands, given how short they are. However, Wi-Fi is available on transpacific flights from the moment passengers board the plane. Hawaiian also touts that this service doesn’t require “tedious registration pages and clunky payment portals” you’ll find with other inflight internet providers.

Though Hawaiian Airlines now provides complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi on its Airbus jets, it still has 2 Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes flying between Hawaii and the West Coast that do not have Starlink installed. Neither do the 10 additional Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners that Hawaiian has on order. However, these should have Starlink installed by the end of the year.

That implies that all flights beyond the Hawaiian Islands should have free, fast internet connection by the end of the year, and the majority of planes are currently equipped with it for passengers to use.

Final Thoughts

This is really exciting news for travelers. Multiple airlines are starting to offer fast, free inflight Wi-Fi for travelers, and Hawaiian Airlines seems to be moving faster than its peers in getting the service ready for travelers.

Unless you’re flying between the West Coast and Hawaii on a Dreamliner aircraft, your long-haul flight with Hawaiian Airlines should now have complimentary Starlink access. And those Dreamliner planes should have it ready soon.