It's official: Say goodbye to putting your phone in airplane mode on flights, thanks to Elon Musk
The days of airplane mode on flights are numbered, but some airlines are recommending that you continue using it as a precaution. That’s starting to change forever thanks to Elon Musk and his Starlink phone network.
On October 22, the first Starlink-connected aircraft took flight, a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 flying from Doha to London. Other airlines including United Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air France, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Swiss International Air Lines are aiming to add Starlink services by the end of 2025.
It could take some time for companies to implement this technology on their aircraft, considering that most of them do not even provide Wi-Fi service to passengers on short flights.
Qatar Airways has announced that it will equip 12 of its Boeing 777 aircraft for long-haul flights, which will be available later this year. Starlink connectivity will take a little longer to reach the entire fleet on Airbus A380 and A350 aircraft, which are expected to be available from next year.
Hamad International Airport in Doha (Qatar) announced the arrival of Starlink flights with banners before boarding to London. Elon Musk's company showed a promotional video after safety instructions and distributed cupcakes bearing the Starlink logo.
Pete Sim took the first flight connected to the Starlink network service. The first surprise was that the mobile phone connects automatically when selecting the Starlink network without having to enter an email, flight number or pay for access.
Best of all, Starlink connectivity is free for users. The only thing you can do on board is watch YouTube videos in 360p, load web pages, and listen to music on Spotify.
Starlink's data capacity is up to 215MB, although it will decrease during flight depending on the area you're flying over.
Another new feature of high-speed satellite Wi-Fi is the ability to connect to the internet at all times, something that traditional airlines do not provide. Flights activate this service when the plane is already in cruise mode and a lot of time is wasted inside the plane waiting for boarding and disembarking and during takeoff and landing.