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Everything You Need to Know About Gogo Inflight Internet

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Spencer Howard
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Spencer Howard

Former Content Contributor

51 Published Articles

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Always a fan of flying, Spencer wanted to find ways to upgrade his travel experience. Over the years, Spencer has been a guest speaker on multiple YouTube shows as well as podcasts on maximizing point...
Edited by: Keri Stooksbury
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Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

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With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now editor-in-chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...

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Whether you travel in first, business, or economy class, having Wi-Fi access on your flight can make it more enjoyable. This can be particularly important on transcontinental flights and long international flights.

Some passengers just want to be able to talk with friends or browse the web, while others are traveling for work; either way, having Wi-Fi inflight could make their lives much easier.

Whether you’re looking for some entertainment or trying to finish a project, Gogo inflight Wi-Fi could be an important part of your flying experience.

What Is Gogo?

Gogo is an inflight broadband Wi-Fi provider that serves around 20 airlines and is installed on thousands of aircraft.

The Gogo inflight network allows travelers to access the internet to respond to send messages, email, browse, and stream.

What Airlines Use Gogo?

Airlines from around the world utilize Gogo to provide Wi-Fi access for their passengers.

  • Aeromexico
  • Air Canada (and Rouge)
  • Air France
  • Alaska Airlines
  • American Airlines
  • British Airways
  • Cathay Pacific
  • Delta Air Lines
  • GOL Airlines
  • Iberia
  • Japan Airlines
  • JTA
  • KLM
  • LATAM
  • Level
  • Qatar Airways
  • United Airlines
  • Virgin Atlantic
  • Virgin Australia

How Reliable Is Gogo Wi-Fi?

Gogo 2K Satellite Service
Gogo 2K satellite service. Image Credit: Gogo

The Gogo inflight network has improved significantly since it was first launched on commercial aircraft over a decade ago.

That being said, Wi-Fi speeds remain inconsistent since some planes are still outfitted with air-to-ground (ATG) systems. This is significantly slower than Gogo’s newer satellite system.

On planes using the older ATG systems, load speeds can become frustratingly slow if most people on your flight decide to use Wi-Fi. Since T-Mobile partners with Gogo to provide its Magenta plan customers with 1 hour of Wi-Fi for free, this can result in what amounts to a traffic jam on the inflight network.

As Gogo rolls out its newest product, a satellite system known as 2Ku, passengers should experience up to 20 times more bandwidth than the older ATG connection.

Gogo’s older system does not cover the entire globe, and when on a long-haul flight, there’s a good chance you’ll cross through a dead zone at some point and lose Wi-Fi.

With Gogo 2Ku satellite Wi-Fi, the network will be vastly improved, covering much of the world, as you can see from the map above.

Gogo 5G

Gogo announced that it will be launching its 5G network in 2021 for regional and mainline commercial jets flying within the contiguous U.S. and Canada. The 5G network will provide passengers with fast and uninterrupted connectivity when flying over urban and non-urban areas.

Can You Stream Video Inflight?

Unfortunately, if your flight is utilizing the ATG system, it is not possible to stream video. There is good news, though! The newer 2Ku satellite system does support video.

How Much Does Gogo Cost?

For participating airlines, Gogo allows you to purchase hourly and day internet passes and plans prior to flights. If you forget to do so before your flight, you can still purchase a pass inflight (although it may be more expensive).

Gogo Day Passes
Gogo Day passes. Image Credit: Gogo

Currently, 4 of Gogo’s airline partners participate in these passes: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.

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Gogo Passes

1-Hour Pass

$7

Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines

All-Day Pass

$19

Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines

Delta Global Day Pass

$28

Delta Air Lines

If you travel regularly, you might be better off purchasing one of its 4 subscription plans.

Gogo Subscription Plans
Gogo subscription plans. Image Credit: Gogo
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Gogo Subscription Plans

Monthly Airline Plan

$49.95 per month

Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines

2-Device Plan

$59.95 per month

Delta Air Lines

Global Delta Plan

$69.95 per month

Delta Air Lines

Annual Airline Plan

$599 per year

Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines

Make sure you read the details about each plan to ensure it covers your needs. If you have a lot of upcoming domestic travel, a global plan might not be necessary. If you will be traveling internationally, though, a global plan would be vital.

How Do I Get Free Wi-Fi When Flying?

As you can see from Gogo’s pricing plans above, inflight Wi-Fi is not cheap. Fortunately, there are a few credit cards that provide Gogo Wi-Fi passes as part of their perks, valid on domestic and international flights.

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Credit Card

Number of Free Gogo Passes

Credit Card Annual Fee

UBS Visa Infinite Credit Card

12

$495

Crystal® Visa Infinite® Credit Card

12

$400

Even if you will need more Gogo Wi-Fi passes, knocking out some of the cost is a great benefit from these cards!

Hot Tip: Want to learn more about how inflight Wi-Fi works? Check out our article: Airplane Wi-Fi — How It Works, Airline Availability, Fees, & More

Is Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi Worth It?

Whether purchasing Gogo’s inflight Wi-Fi is worth it to you will be determined by several factors.

Business travelers with tight deadlines might find internet access a must on all flights. However, leisure travelers on short flights might see the price and decide they’d be happy to read a book instead.

Final Thoughts

At this point, almost all travelers expect access to an inflight Wi-Fi network. Gogo continues to roll out a better product, but it’s not cheap.

However, staying connected to the world outside of their plane can be valuable to travelers of all sorts.

The information regarding the Crystal® Visa Infinite® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Gogo inflight internet?

Gogo provides inflight Wi-Fi on thousands of planes across 20 commercial airlines. Depending on the type of Wi-Fi provided (air-to-ground or satellite), passengers can send and receive messages using messaging apps, read emails, browse the web, or stream video content (if the service supports this).

How do I use Gogo Wi-Fi?

You can purchase a pass or a plan prior to or during your flight. You then simply log in to your Gogo account to redeem your day pass/plan.

How much is an internet pass with Gogo?

Prices vary from a 1-hour pass for $7 to $599 for an annual subscription plan.

How does Gogo work?

Currently, Gogo operates 2 different inflight Wi-Fi systems. One is an air-to-ground (ATG) system while the other is a satellite system. Gogo is in the process of rolling out the latest satellite system (2Ku) that will be the fastest inflight Wi-Fi available.

Can I stream video with Gogo?

Gogo does not currently support inflight video streaming. However, its 2Ku satellite system has the necessary speeds to allow travelers to watch videos.

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About Spencer Howard

Always a fan of flying, it was only natural that Spencer was drawn to finding a way to improve the travel experience.

Like many, he started this journey searching for cheap flights to take him around the world. This was fun for a while, but Spencer was intrigued by the idea of flying in business and first class!

Throwing himself into what became an extensive research project, Spencer spent 3-4 hours per night learning everything he could about frequent flyer miles over the course of several months (he thinks this is normal). He runs Straight to the Points, an award-seat alert platform.

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