Qantas customers on Wi-Fi enabled domestic flights will be able to watch their favourite shows, avoid missing out on live sport and listen to almost any song they like, with Foxtel, Netflix and Spotify coming on board to provide content in 2017.
While Foxtel, Netflix and Spotify are all paid subscription services, they will offer free access to Qantas customers on and off the aircraft for between three days and one month after their Qantas flight. Specifically:
- Foxtel will offer three days free access to its Foxtel app every time a customer flies, allowing customers to stream live sports, news and TV shows as well as its full range of on-demand content. No sign-up to a subscription is required.
- Netflix will offer new customers access to the entire Netflix service as part of a 30-day free trial. Existing Netflix members only need to log in to continue watching at no extra charge.
- Spotify will offer a 30 day free trial of its Premium music service, which has no ads, shuffle play and unlimited skips.
Literally gob-smacked that this is happening, especially as the Wi-Fi access is going to be free for anyone to use onboard.
It should also be noted that the Wi-Fi tech in use here is very different to what’s generally used by airlines at present. If you’ve ever used it in the US for example you know how painfully slow and incapable of streaming it is. For Qantas (and any other airline down-under) in-flight Wi-Fi, with it’s streaming capabilities, comes courtesy of the nbn’s Sky Muster service.
Qantas’ domestic fleet is currently scheduled to be upgraded with Wi-Fi across the board by “Mid 2017”.