I used to enjoy being disconnected when flying, but in recent years, that has flipped, and now I tend to get online on most flights I take. If there is a flight without wifi, or where it doesn’t work, I might feel like something is missing. Previously, I have written about other ways to access inflight WiFi at a discount. Many of them use the iPass network of partners. iPass grants to wifi hotspots worldwide, and better yet, includes inflight wifi on many carriers.
Currently, there is a deal out there from a website called AirlineCheckins that offers 3 months of iPass service for €9 per month. In some cases, this is less than the cost of inflight internet on a single flight
Doctor of Credit summarized this offer soon after it came out. This has been a little while, but I’ve finally had the chance to explore it. Here are some of my experiences, and a list of airlines where this deal can be utilized.
What is AirlineCheckins?
This is a service run by Lufthansa that automatically checks flyers in for flights when the window opens. Apparently this works for all airlines, even including Southwest. I haven’t tested that portion of their service, instead, I registered for their Plus plan, which allows access to iPass for 3 months, for around $30. Sign up is quick and easy, and then I downloaded the iPass app, and activated it on my various devices. This subscriptions lasts 3 months. If it continues to work as it has, I’m definitely planning to sign up again.
What is iPass?
iPass offers access to wifi networks world worldwide. There is an app that shows which networks are included, and then connection is nearly automatic. It isn’t perfect, but I’ve been pretty happy with iPass while I’ve used it for the last year or so. Mostly inflight, but there have been times when I found wifi networks that were appreciated for faster internet or if i had poor cellular access.
My main reason for enjoying iPass is excellent coverage with in flight wifi. Gogo is covered, as are many wifi providers for international flights. Not paying on a per-flight basis for this connectivity saves a lot. Here are some slides showing what iPass offers inflight:
Keep in mind that these images are a year or so old, and the coverage included with this deal doesn’t seem to match up exactly with the lists shown above.
How This Deal Works
So far so good, although I’ve had limited data points so far in the week or so since registering. In terms of providers, I’ve flown on American Airlines on domestic flights with Gogo, and international using Panasonic. Both connected easily, although not through the iPass app, as I have used in the past. There is a roaming option on the splash screen login page, that allows for iPass credentials. I haven’t tested this out on an American flight with Viasat WiFi, but based on my past experience when I had iPass, this is not included. I should have another American flight with Gogo 2Ku onboard, and I expect this will work using iPass credentials as well. It has in the past.
I’ve also flow Cathay Pacific on their A350s with Panasonic wifi. This is the same provider as AA’s international fleet, but unfortunately there is not any way to connect using iPass credentials. At least I couldn’t find any.
Here is a summary of which carriers work using this deal. Sourced from my own experiences, and Flyertalk. Happy to update this if you share your experiences.
Yes
- American Airlines: Domestic fleet with Gogo, International fleet with Panasonic
- Japan Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Singapore: mixed, sometimes yes, sometimes no
- Swiss
No
- Alaska
- American: Domestic (legacy AA fleet with Viasat)
- Cathay Pacific:
- Delta
- EVA
- Hong Kong
- Qatar
- United
Bottom Line
I have had iPass (mostly) for inflight internet off and on for more than a year now. Just as inflight wifi has changed how I travel, having easy and much cheaper access has made this easier. This deal from airlinecheckins.com has been well worth the nominal cost for my needs.
How about you? Have you tried getting inflight wifi with this deal?
