In-flight WiFi tends to be somewhere between unusable and downright terrible, especially when it comes to streaming video. Most airlines, in fact, block streaming video altogether. The reasons why are fair: Airplanes rely on expensive and slow Internet-via-satellite connections that they then have to share to several dozen cranky, bored passengers. Streaming video takes far more bandwidth than, say, updating a Facebook post. It’s a numbers game, and the services that hog the most data are the first to go.
To that end Virgin America is outfitting all of its new planes with a new type of satellite-based Internet connectivity that it claims will alleviate the technical hurdles that prevent streaming video and other bandwidth-intensive services from being viable. In fact, Virgin explicitly states in its press release that the new tech can support streaming
And that’s where Netflix’s new Virgin partnership comes in with an awesome offer: Free in-flight WiFi for subscribers.
Some streaming video services, like Amazon Prime, have started offering limited downloads of their content to appease those that are often in low-connectivity situations like cross-country flights.. This means that one could – in theory – download an entire season of Star Trek and be able to watch it within a certain amount of time without the need for a stable Internet connection.
Netflix, however, has always maintained that it would never allow for this type of downloading, as it believes that given access to quality WiFi at all times it wouldn’t be required. Netflix is, of course, correct, WiFi that is both truly ubiquitous and high-quality would solve the video problem as well as many others, but we are nowhere near there yet.
Unless, of course, you’re on one of Virgin’s new ViaSat-equipped planes, and thus the offer. It’s a way for Netflix to show off its streaming services in the air while also giving its users an added value for their subscriptions. It also lets Virgin show off its fancy new in-flight WiFi.
There are limits, though: The Netflix-sponsored WiFi only realy work for streaming its content – Hulu users, for example, won’t be able to take advantage of the free connection. And it expires relatively soon, March 2nd of 2016, so those traveling soon will want to move fast to take advantage of the offer.
