KLM will make Wi-Fi free on long-haul flights from mid-2027, using Starlink

KLM will make Wi-Fi free on its long-haul flights. The Dutch airline says passengers on its intercontinental routes will get fast, unlimited internet at no charge starting in mid-2027, in every cabin from economy to World Business Class. The service runs on Starlink and will be rolled out in phases.

KLM announced the plan on Oct. 8 to mark its 107th anniversary, in a short release on its newsroom. It follows the free Wi-Fi KLM added to most of its European fleet earlier this year.

What you get

KLM says the connection will be good enough to send email, browse the web, play games and stream films and series. It calls the service fast and unlimited, so there is no data cap to watch and no tiered menu of paid plans to pick from.

The airline picked Starlink, which uses a large group of satellites in low orbit. KLM notes that coverage reaches over oceans and remote routes as well as over land. That matters on long flights to North America, Africa and Asia, where older satellite systems have been slow or patchy.

CEO Marjan Rintel framed the move as a reply to customer demand. "We are making a long-standing wish of our passengers a reality," she said in the release.

How to log in

The free service is tied to Flying Blue, the loyalty program KLM shares with Air France. You log in with your Flying Blue account to get online. If you are not a member, KLM says you can join before your flight or on board through the plane's Wi-Fi portal. Joining Flying Blue costs nothing, so in practice anyone willing to sign up will get free access. Elite status is not required.

That is the same model KLM uses on its European flights. It is also how most large airlines now handle free Wi-Fi: the internet is free, and the price is your email address.

What KLM has not said

The release is light on detail. KLM has not said:

• which aircraft types get Starlink first, or in what order
• when the whole long-haul fleet will be equipped
• whether there are any rules on voice or video calls
• what happens on long-haul flights before your plane is fitted

Until the rollout is finished, free Wi-Fi will depend on the aircraft, not the route. KLM says the service works "on equipped aircraft," so check your plane before you count on a full day of work in the air. KLM's new Airbus A350, which arrived in Amsterdam this month, comes with high-speed satellite Wi-Fi according to Airbus. KLM has not said whether that system will be the Starlink service described here.

How it compares

KLM is not first in Europe. Lufthansa Group said in August that it will put free Starlink Wi-Fi on all of its roughly 850 aircraft by 2029, free with a Miles & More or Travel ID account. Lufthansa bans voice and video calls on its service. KLM's release does not mention a similar rule.

The bigger gap is timing. KLM's long-haul Wi-Fi is still more than half a year away, and the rollout will take longer than that. Lufthansa's started flying in August. For travelers choosing between the two groups on routes across the Atlantic, Wi-Fi is unlikely to tip the balance in 2026. By 2027 it may.

What it means before you board

Faster Wi-Fi in the air changes how you use the lounge. If you can finish a deck or clear your inbox over the ocean, the time on the ground can go to a proper meal and a shower.

At KLM's Amsterdam hub, long-haul flights leave from the non-Schengen side. There, the KLM Crown Lounge 52 is the flagship, with 20 showers and a full bar, and it rates 4.5 with our users. On the Schengen side, KLM Crown Lounge 25 rates 4.6 and has two showers. Both sit under the KLM Crown Lounge rules: World Business Class passengers get in on their ticket, and Flying Blue elites and other SkyTeam elites get in when flying SkyTeam that day.

Our Amsterdam Schiphol page lists every lounge we track at the airport, and our KLM page covers the airline's lounges around the world.