Singapore Airlines WiFi review: free, and very fast

Singapore Airlines offers free WiFi to almost every passenger on almost every flight – and it can be surprisingly fast, too.

On flights taken by Executive Traveller we’ve often clocked around 10Mbps, which is a cut above many airlines and indeed many which charge for frustratingly slow and unstable connections.

This guide to Singapore Airlines WiFi will get you up to speed before your next SQ flight so you can keep in touch with the world below.

Which Singapore Airlines flights have WiFi?

Almost all Singapore Airlines flights have WiFi on board, with satellite Internet tech fitted to the following types of Singapore Airlines jets:

• Airbus A350
• Airbus A380
• Boeing 737-8 MAX
• Boeing 777-300ER
• Boeing 787-10

‘Almost’ is the caveat here, and that exception is the older Boeing 737-800 model commonly seen on regional flights within Asia.

The 737-800s were previously flown by Singapore Airlines’ regional arm SilkAir, and although they have an internal WiFi hotspot-style system for streaming entertainment such as movies to passengers’ own smartphones and tablets, there’s no Internet connection to the outside world.

Singapore Airlines’ inflight Internet access is available shortly after take-off when the aircraft reaches level cruising altitude, through to when the aircraft is ready to begin its descent.

Singapore Airlines free WiFi

Singapore Airlines offers free WiFi packages to all passengers, depending on their class of travel and membership of Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer loyalty program.

• Singapore Airlines first class and business class passengers enjoy unlimited free WiFi
• Singapore Airlines PPS Club members travelling in any cabin also get unlimited free WiFi
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer members in premium economy and economy can also tap into unlimited free WiFi

The trick here is that while Singapore Airlines first class and business class passengers get access to free WiFi because they are travelling in a premium cabin, everybody else needs to have their SQ frequent flyer number (either from their PPS or KrisFlyer account) listed in their booking.

Those details can be entered when you book your flight, via the Manage Booking option (online or in the Singapore Airlines app), or at the airport check-in desk or kiosk – however, there's no way to add them once your flight is underway.

Singapore Airlines paid WiFi plans

If you’re sitting in premium economy or economy but there’s no KrisFlyer membership number against your booking – perhaps because you’re not a KrisFlyer member, or because you’re collecting points through a partner airline such as Virgin Australia or a Star Alliance member – then you’ll need to purchase a WiFi plan.

Singapore Airlines has three paid WiFi plans:

• the 1-hour Surf Plan costs US$4 
• the 3-hour Surf Plan costs US$9
• the Full Flight Surf Plan costs US$16

Note that the 1-hour and 3-hour plans can’t be paused, so once you click the Connect button the click is ticking.

In comparison the Full Flight plan lets you remain connected for the entire flight, so you can power down for dinner, to watch a movie or to sleep, and then later reconnect to jump back online at any time.

Of course, if you want to avoid those costs, just be sure to join the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer scheme before you travel – it's a fast and free process.

How fast is Singapore Airlines WiFi?

Singapore Airlines WiFi speeds can vary from a modest-but-still-usable 3Mbps to a much zippier range around 8-10Mbps and as high as 16Mbs.

You can forget about trying to make Zoom-type calls, and streaming video is also blocked – no doubt to maximise the available bandwidth so it can be shared by all passengers.

And if there's unavoidable work to be done, our advice is to tackle any substantial tasks – such as research and data-gathering, plus solid downloading – at the airport lounge, and rely on Singapore Airlines’ inflight Internet mainly for necessary follow-up plus emailing as necessary.

How to connect to Singapore Airlines WiFi

You can connect to the Singapore Airlines WiFi network on your flight with your laptop, smartphone or tablet in the same way as you’d normally would do at home, the office or the airport lounge.

First, put your device into flight mode but then switch WiFi back on again.

Then, find and connect to the KrisWorld network.

Your Web browser should automatically call up the Singapore Airlines WiFi portal – if it doesn’t, enter the krisworld.singaporeair.com address – then click the WiFi Portal button.

Your connection should soon fire up and you’ll be online.

Also read: Seven expert tips for getting into the inflight work zone