Your complete guide to Cathay Pacific inflight WiFi

Cathay Pacific's inflight WiFi keeps you connected above the clouds: here's what the business traveller needs to know.

By David Flynn, September 3 2019
Your complete guide to Cathay Pacific inflight WiFi

Cathay Pacific is steadily adding inflight WiFi to its international Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 jets, along with the Airbus A350 and the factory-fresh Airbus A321neos. So while it's wonderful to be able to 'switch off' during a flight, business travellers will appreciate the ability to go online and tackle last-minute work such as proposals and presentations.

All of Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 jets feature satellite Internet.
All of Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 jets feature satellite Internet.

Do Cathay Pacific flights have WiFi?

Yes, although at the time of writing it depends which Cathay Pacific aircraft you're flying on.

You'll find WiFi on board all Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 and A321neo jets, as well as on most of the Boeing 777-300ER and A350 fleet, making your odds of getting WiFi on your next Cathay Pacific flight pretty high.

Cathay Pacific's regional business class Airbus A330 jets will also be getting WiFi.
Cathay Pacific's regional business class Airbus A330 jets will also be getting WiFi.

Do Cathay Pacific's Boeing 777 aircraft have WiFi?

Yes, although not all of the Boeing 777s have been fitted with WiFi. At the time of writing, approximately 75% of Cathay Pacific's Boeing 777-300ER jets have been upgraded with the fast satellite WiFi service, although that number is steadily growing.

How much does Cathay Pacific WiFi cost?

Cathay Pacific's WiFi pricing has three tiers, based on how long you are connected:

  • US$10 for one hour
  • US$13 for up to six hours
  • US$20 for over six hours, through to the entire flight

The six-hour and entire-flight (or 'flight pass') plans offer the best value. You can switch between devices – for example, signing up on your laptop, but later in the flight using your smartphone – although you have to log out from one device before logging in with another.

You can switch between smartphones, tablets and laptops, but only one device can be used at a time.
You can switch between smartphones, tablets and laptops, but only one device can be used at a time.

For flights lasting less that six hours, the Message Pass is also available at US$3.95, allowing you to send and receive messages with WiFi on Whatsapp, iMessage and Facebook Messenger apps - although this service is only offered on the airline's A350 aircarfts.

Is there free WIFI on Cathay Pacific?

While Cathay Pacific only offers complimetary WiFi in first class, you may occasionally find special promotions on the Cathay Pacific WiFi sign-up screen that offer up to one hour of free Internet access.

These usually involve issuing an electronic voucher for that flight, although there's typically a limited number of vouchers, so they get snapped up fairly quickly.

Watch for special partner promotions which offer a voucher for free Cathay Pacific WiFi.
Watch for special partner promotions which offer a voucher for free Cathay Pacific WiFi.

So if you see a free WiFi offer on your flight, claim it right away – you don’t have to redeem the voucher and actually connect until later on.

How fast is Cathay Pacific WiFi?

The speed of your Cathay Pacific WiFi connection depends on which aircraft you're flying on, because some aircraft use different satellite technology.

The Airbus A350s generally offer WiFi speeds of around 3Mb; the Boeing 777s use an ever faster satellite system which reportedly delivers at least 10Mbps.

Do I need the Cathay Pacific app to use Cathay Pacific WiFi?

No, you don’t need to have the Cathay Pacific app to use Cathay Pacific WiFi. You can connect directly to the Cathay Pacific inflight WiFi network from any device – a smartphone, tablet, laptop or even a smartwatch – in exactly the same way that you’d connect to a WiFi hotspot at work, home, a hotel or your local cafe.

If you’re using a smartphone or other 3G or 4G device (such as a tablet with its own SIM card), switch on Flight Mode and then re-activate WiFi. Browse for local WiFi networks, select the Cathay Pacific network and choose your sign-up plan.

Cathay Pacific warns, however, that WiFi will not be available during the take-off and landing phases of the flight, nor when flying over the northern polar region - common on flights to North America.  

What are the accepted payment methods for Cathay Pacific's in-flight WiFi?

Cathay Pacific offers a variety of payment methods for its in-flight WiFi services, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay, Paypal and Alipay.


David

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

02 Aug 2012

Total posts 74

This article does not mention if the service is free for business class customers. However from past experience I think that it isnt. Is that the case?....... I think that it should be free in J

QF

02 Sep 2013

Total posts 7

Cathay WiFi is the worst I have experienced. Dropouts and slow speeds are common. Cathay uses Panasonic which is much worse than airlines using gogo inflight.


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