Air travel is a great means of escape — and not just to your destination. Sometimes, it’s nice to spend a few hours in limbo, away from the world outside the airport and the world beneath the clouds.
And until recent years, the fact that internet access was sketchy or completely impossible was a bonus. For a few hours at a time, travelers had no choice but to log off and be in the moment, with no network coverage abroad or public Wi-Fi that was snail-paced at best. Great. Right?
But thankfully, for those who need or crave it, airport and airline Wi-Fi has improved lately. Airplanes rely on satellites to deliver a connection when in the air: tracking the satellites can be an issue, but with improved technology, broader rollout and more satellites, today’s airplane antennae can re-triangulate for a better connection thousands of times per second. Meanwhile, better infrastructure in airports allows thousands of users at a time to jump from transmitter to transmitter as they move through the complex.
But some airports and airlines have better Wi-Fi than others. To find which is which — and help you choose who to fly with — the data team here at Electronics Hub has analyzed “Wi-Fi connectivity” star ratings from travelers on Airlinequality.com (Skytrax) for airlines and airports around the world.
Key Findings
- Indianapolis Airport is the U.S. airport with the best Wi-Fi (4.00 stars).
- Alaska Airlines is the U.S. airline with the best Wi-Fi, with an average rating of 2.41 stars, whereas Spirit is the one with the worst Wi-Fi (1.11).
- Ljubljana Airport (Slovenia) has the best airport Wi-Fi in the world, with an average rating of 4.46 stars.
- Sharm El Sheikh Airport (Egypt) has the world’s worst airport Wi-Fi (1.04), according to Skytrax users.
- Garuda Indonesia is the airline with the world’s best Wi-Fi (4.12).
The 20 Global Airlines with the Best and Worst Wi-Fi Connectivity
The airline with the best Wi-Fi in the world is Garuda Indonesia, with an average rating of 4.12 out of five from users on Skytrax. In fact, 16 of the top 20 airlines are based in Asia. Asian airlines tend to keep a close eye on their competitors, so although Wi-Fi rollout across their fleets has been late, the pressure to maintain fast connectivity keeps them sharp.
“[T]he free Wi-Fi connectivity was very good,” agrees one Garuda customer on Skytrax. However, while Garuda’s Wi-Fi is free for first-class passengers, regular passengers grumble at having to pay a minimum of US$11.95 for access.
The worst in-flight Wi-Fi is also delivered by an Asian airline: Thai Lion Air has an average rating of just 1.00 on Skytrax. However, Europe has the most airlines in the bottom 20. Ten of the bottom 20 are from Europe, whereas both Asia and the Americas each have five.
The Airlines with the Best Wi-Fi Connectivity in America
U.S. airlines first installed in-flight Wi-Fi in 2008, led by American, Delta, and Virgin America. It quickly became the norm, with Niels Steenstrup, VP of marketing for airline Wi-Fi provider Aircell, the largest Internet service provider, noting that “[t]ravelers want to do in the air what they’ve become accustomed to do at any Starbucks.”
Apparently, American expectations remain high, since the highest rating any U.S. airline has for in-flight connectivity is 2.41 (Alaska Airlines). Of the three original airlines to carry Wi-Fi, Delta Air Lines is the highest ranked, as third best with just 2.32 out of five. “In flight WiFi worked flawlessly on A220 but was spotty on CRJ 900,” writes one engineering-minded Delta passenger.
Budget airline, Spirit is the lowest-rated U.S. airline for Wi-Fi, scoring 1.11. Some passengers complain at its additional cost, while one customer claims to have paid for Wi-Fi access only to find “they didn’t even have WIFI and wouldn’t let me use my credit for food or drinks on the flight.”
The Airports with the Best and Worst Wi-Fi Connectivity in the World
Ljubljana Airport in Slovenia’s capital city has an average user rating of 4.46 out of five for its public Wi-Fi. That makes it the best airport Wi-Fi in the world and first among seven European airports that make the top 20. Ljubljana Airport was renovated in 2021 and offers free Wi-Fi throughout: “Excellent to have unlimited free wifi without login required, always reliable right up to boarding tunnel,” raves one traveler.
However, there are also seven European airports among the world’s worst for Wi-Fi. Still, the lowest-rated three of all are in Africa: Sharm El Sheikh (1.04) and Hurghada (1.16) in Egypt, and Lagos Airport (1.18) in Nigeria. Egyptian internet is pretty slow even beyond the airports: one study ranked the country 146 out of 150 for internet speed. “Tried to access the free 15 minute wifi, which required an access code to be sent to my mobile, no access code sent,” complains one Sharm El Sheikh customer.
The Airports with the Best and Worst Wi-Fi Connectivity in North America
Eight out of the top ten North American airports for Wi-Fi are in the U.S., with Canada’s Vancouver and Calgary Airports also on board. Top-rated of all is Indianapolis Airport, which made the headlines in 2015 when the Wi-Fi was upgraded to 40 megabits per second (Mbps), making it the fastest in the country. This record is now held by Fort Lauderdale’s Hollywood International Airport Terminal 3 (157.6Mbps).
Only four of the continent’s ten worst airports for Wi-Fi are found in the bottom ten. The worst in North America is at Panama Tocumen Airport, the main international airport of Panama City, which has an average rating of just 1.54. “My pet peeve concerns the lack of actual FREE wifi,” says one reviewer. “Yes, one gets an hour (as I recall). After that, you have to buy the service, pathetic. Do not advertise on your website there is free wifi when in fact it is 1 hour and sub-standard quality.”
The Airports With the Best and Worst Wi-Fi Connectivity in Europe
Ljubljana Airport in Slovenia has Europe’s best airport Wi-Fi (see above). Two UK airports also make the top ten: Belfast City Airport (3.64) and Glasgow Prestwick Airport (3.50). Belfast has embraced digital technology through the early adoption of systems such as the AirChat omnichannel communication platform, which allows the airport to communicate personally with customers across the complex, reduce crowding at flight information boards and keep travelers informed wherever they are.
Together, Greece and Turkey are home to seven of the ten worst European airports for Wi-Fi. But France also has two, including Grenoble Airport, which is worst of all with an average rating of 1.19. The airport offers unlimited free Wi-Fi, but Grenoble Airport overall has an average rating of 1.00, and customers who have a bad general experience may be less forgiving of any issues that might arise when getting online.
The Airports With the Best and Worst Wi-Fi Connectivity in Asia
Hong Kong Airport (4.25) has Asia’s best Wi-Fi, with Tokyo airports taking second and third place. One reviewer at Hong Kong Airport “liked the busy and buzzing vibe and fast Wifi at the airport,” while another was happy to be “able to make a stable video call with my family back home.” Other reviewers note the speed of the connection and the ease of getting online using the airport’s service.
Four of Asia’s ten worst airports for Wi-Fi are in India, including the worst of all: Goa Airport, which has an average rating of 1.32. “The Prime Minister’s vision of Digital India has taken wings,” said Goa’s Chief Minister, Laxmikant Parsekar, when Tata Docomo first began delivering Wi-Fi to the airport in 2015. “We’ve seen a tremendous growth in adoption of public Wi-Fi services. We hope that these services are able to connect more users so that the true potential of internet can be realized for the benefit of the end user.” However, the free Wi-Fi service is available for limited periods and “was a joke,” according to one traveler just three years later.
The Airports with the Best and Worst Wi-Fi Connectivity in Oceania
Only two airports in this region that made our data threshold have a rating of more than 3.0 for Wi-Fi connectivity. Ahead by a significant margin is Christchurch Airport in New Zealand, with an average rating of 4.00. Nadi Airport (2.59) in Fiji is the fourth best, competing with the much larger Brisbane Airport (2.75) in Australia. The Karryon travel publication describes Nadi’s Wi-Fi as “free and fast.”
Gold Coast Airport in Bilinga, near Coolangatta in South East Queensland, is the continent’s worst airport for Wi-Fi, with an average rating of 2.0. The airport boasts free Wi-Fi and paid internet kiosks, but the Wi-Fi is “slow,” and even mobile reception is poor, according to reviewers. “Badly managed, understaffed, overcrowded and inefficient the Gold Coast deserves better. Even the wifi is still at dial up speeds,” says one.
The Airports with the Best and Worst Wi-Fi Connectivity in Africa
Africa’s top-rated airport Wi-Fi, at Mauritius Airport in Plaine Magnien, scores an average rating of just 3.27. It is the only airport in Mauritius. In addition to fast, free Wi-Fi, the airport provides internet-enabled workstations, which are free to use. Two South African airports, Cape Town and Johannesburg, are also among the top five of the 12 African airports with sufficient reviews for ranking.
The airports of Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada, both in Egypt, are Africa’s worst for Wi-Fi (see The Airports with the Best and Worst Wi-Fi Connectivity in the World, above). Third worst is Lagos Airport in Nigeria, with an average rating of 1.18. An expensive deal with provider Glo fell through in 2011, and the airport went for eight years without its own official public Wi-Fi. As a result, the Wi-Fi that could be tapped into during this period may have been insecure and slow.
How to Stay Safe When You Use Airport Wi-Fi
We’re vulnerable when we travel — tired, stressed, overloaded and far from home. So airports and stations have always been hubs for predatory criminals. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi age has ushered in a new wave of crooks. Some 43% of travelers have had their online security compromised while using public Wi-Fi.
Public Wi-Fi is particularly susceptible to hackers, for whom an airport makes a great place to find a victim — whether through hacking the official airport Wi-Fi or setting up their own phony “honeypot” Wi-Fi network to lure frustrated internet users. Before you log on to that open network, consider taking these precautions:
- Look twice before connecting. Avoid fake honeytrap networks by accessing the airport’s official network through its website.
- Surf like you’re being watched. Any public network is vulnerable, and if you accidentally join a fake one, a hacker may see everything you do. Use airport Wi-Fi “like someone is looking over your shoulder” by avoiding sites that require you to enter your login details, such as banks.
- Use a VPN. A Virtual Private Network is like a connection within a connection. Find a trusted one, and activate it in public to hide your activity from the Wi-Fi provider.
- Become a Wi-Fi hotspot. Depending on your mobile network and location, you may be able to turn your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot and connect your laptop or other device to it. Just be sure to set up a password so the whole airport doesn’t use it.
- Update your security software. Ensure your phone’s operating system is up to date and use trusted anti-malware software to protect against attacks.
“Just as a general rule of thumb, we always advise against using open free airport Wi-Fi connections or hotspots,” Darren Guccione — CEO and co-founder at Keeper Security — told Forbes. “At some airports, they’re prompting you to enter your payment credentials and transmit that information on a connection that is not secure.”
But when you’re overseas and can’t connect with your regular mobile network, circumstances sometimes force you to go online to resolve a transit issue. Whether you log on from necessity for a welcome diversion from the trials of air travel, think before you click — and, if you know you’ll need Wi-Fi on your journey, think about traveling via a highly-rated airport.
Methodology
We started by pulling all airport reviews from Airlinequality.com (Skytrax). We removed all airports that were not “international airports” based on Wikipedia’s list of international airports by country.
We isolated the specific “Wi-Fi connectivity” star ratings (out of five) from all reviews for each airport. We calculated the average star rating for each airport based on these figures and ranked them globally and by continent. We repeated the process for airlines and their cabin Wi-Fi connectivity.
Airlines and airports without at least 10 Wi-Fi ratings were filtered out.
The data on this study is correct as of February 2024.
