SAS the first Nordic airline to launch high speed WiFi
Passengers on SAS short and medium haul routes will now have access to a stable, fast and strong WiFi signal, enabling them to stream and work inflight problem-free.
Today, SAS is launching new high speed WiFi on its short and medium haul routes between Scandinavia and Europe. The new WiFi system from SAS is the best product on the market. It is more stable, stronger and faster than many other solutions found in the industry today. This means that passengers can now stream their favorite movies, use social media, send images from their seat or answer their emails.
“We have made a big investment that will ensure that our customers enjoy the best inflight experience. Together with our recent fleet order, this will strengthen SAS’ competitiveness even further and maintain our strong position in the Scandinavian market,” says Rickard Gustafson, President and CEO of SAS.
Passengers will be able to start streaming and go online as soon as the aircraft is airborne.
The new WiFi system also makes for more efficient operations.
SAS WiFi has already been installed in 28 aircraft, and by September, around 40 aircraft will have the new high speed WiFi installed. SAS expects the vast majority of its fleet to be WiFi enabled by the first quarter of 2020.
“Fast and stable WiFi connection is a service passengers ask for today. Regardless if you want to watch a movie, stay connected with friends and family or work onboard, you require a reliable highspeed connection. By this investment we continue to deliver on our promise to make life easier for our customers” says Rickard Gustafson.
10 times faster than traditional WiFi onboard
SAS WiFi is based on a satellite communication system supplied by Viasat Inc.; a global company from California, USA, that supplies internet services to private and public organizations, the military and airlines, including US government aircraft, Qantas and Jetblue.
“Viasat’s satellite-based inflight internet service taps the power of the world’s most powerful satellites. This enables the service to be 10x faster than traditional in-flight WiFi services,” says Don Buchman, General Manager & Vice President, Viasat Inc. Commercial Aviation.
The Viasat Ka-Sat satellite is behind SAS WiFi. Ka-Sat orbits Earth at around 28,000 kmph and has 82 signal points around Europe. Every time a passenger accesses a website inflight, a signal is sent to and from a point on Earth.
More facts about SAS Wifi:
Payment model
Travelers in SAS Plus, EuroBonus Diamond and Gold members enjoy free WiFi all the way. Passengers in Go pay €4.90 (or the equivalent in other currencies). Silver members will be offered free WiFi in the launch campaign period from May to 19 August.
Naturally, the SAS App is available free of charge in the air. At our onboard portal, passengers have free access to SAS websites and scandinaviantraveler.com.
Devices
SAS WiFi is optimized for use on all major operating systems (e.g. Windows, macOS, iOS and Android) and for use with all major browsers (e.g. Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Safari). Using other systems or browsers may not provide the same full WiFi experience.
For more information, please contact:
SAS pressoffice, phn 46 8 797 2944