All you need to know about Virgin Australia Inflight Wi-Fi: Routes, how to connect, and more

Eight in ten passengers believe wifi is vital for the onboard travel experience¹. Accessing a reliable wifi service during a flight keeps you connected so you can email, message, stream, and post on social media — all from your seat at 35,000 feet.

This blog will explore everything you need to know about Virgin wifi on planes, including what to expect on domestic and international flights, and advice about how to connect to Virgin’s service after boarding. We will also touch a bit on Wise, a handy companion that helps you save on conversion rates and fees while spending abroad.

Which Virgin flights have wifi?

Virgin wifi is now available on most flights. The airline is currently retrofitting its existing fleet after partnering with Intelsat to deliver a newly branded, Wifi Onboard service to passengers². It means nearly all domestic and international routes offer onboard wifi, though Virgin states that it’s “unable to guarantee” that every flight will have it.

Virgin started work on bringing wifi to aircrafts not yet equipped with it in December 2023. It stated at the time that it would take 18 to 24 months to complete the rollout³.

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Does Virgin have wifi on international flights?

Virgin offers inflight wifi on the majority of international flights. Virgin Australia currently flies to 10 international destinations including Bali, Doha, Fiji, Paris, London, and Queenstown⁴.

Wifi will be available on most of these flights, though you will need to check beforehand for full clarity on the connectivity and entertainment options.

Virgin says all of its new MAX aircraft will have wifi as standard. Virgin’s MAX-8 fleet is set to fly to several short-haul overseas destinations including Bali, Fiji, and Samoa³.

Does Virgin have wifi on domestic flights?

Virgin is nearing the end of a project to upgrade its domestic fleet using Intelstat’s 2Ku tech to bring onboard wifi to routes across Australia².

Virgin currently serves 33 destinations in Australia⁴. The majority of flights will have wifi connectivity.

However, Virgin’s recent wifi rollout skipped three older aircraft: the Fokker 100, Airbus A320, and Boeing B737-700². These planes are used for regional flights in Australia. If you have a flight booked on one of these aircraft, you won’t be able to access a wifi service.

How much does Virgin Australia wifi cost?

Unlike other rival airlines such as Qantas, Virgin in flight wifi isn’t free for all passengers. You will have to purchase a ‘pass’ after you board the plane to connect to the internet².

Virgin currently offers two wifi onboard passes: 30 minute and full flight.

Virgin doesn’t list the official prices on its website, but the full flight typically offers better value, especially if you are travelling to a long-haul destination. The shorter, 30 minute pass is useful if you need to check emails, messages, and other notifications quickly.

Is there any free complimentary access for Virgin Australia wifi?

Virgin Australia does offer free, complimentary wifi access. However, you will need to be one of the following to connect without paying during your flight²:

Virgin Australia Beyond member - This “secret” loyalty program is by invitation only and exclusive to the airline’s most valued guests⁵.
Velocity Platinum guest - Frequent flyers on the highest status tier of Virgin’s airline rewards program⁶.
Business Class guest - Passengers who have booked a seat in business class.

How do you pay for Virgin Australia wifi?

When purchasing one of the two passes during a flight, you must pay using an eligible credit card. Virgin accepts payments for Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover cards. However, it explicitly states that it doesn’t accept any cash payments for the wifi service².

You must be on board to connect and pay for inflight wifi as you’ll need to access the ‘entertainment portal’.

How to connect to Virgin inflight wifi

You can connect to Virgin wifi on the plane in a few simple steps. You’ll need to have both flight mode and wifi switched on to access WiFi Onboard.

1. Turn on ‘flight mode’ on your device and browse the available wifi networks
2. Select ‘VirginAustralia’ from the list
3. Choose an internet pass in the entertainment portal
4. Agree to terms and conditions and complete the payment
5. Start browsing

If you can’t connect to the entertainment portal, you can navigate to ‘wifi.virginaustralia.com’ directly from your browser to purchase an internet pass. You can also select ‘Help’ on the same page to chat with a WiFi Onboard rep during the flight².

Flying somewhere? Bring Wise with you to save on foreign transaction fees

Once you’ve figured out your in-flight connectivity, don’t overlook the best way to manage your spending at your destination. Meet Wise - the most international debit card.

Open a Wise account online or in the Wise app, add money in AUD right from your bank account, and switch to any of the supported 40+ currencies with the mid-market exchange rate. That can mean you save significantly compared to using your bank, as you’ll avoid foreign transaction fees and rest assured you’re getting one of the fairest exchange rates out there along with low, transparent fees. You’ll also be able to get a linked Wise card to use for contactless payments, add your card to a wallet like Apple Pay, or make ATM withdrawals when you need cash.

No matter where you’re headed, take Wise with you, and save up to 7x when you spend internationally.

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