Lufthansa Group is adding free Starlink Wi-Fi to all 850 of its planes by 2029

Lufthansa Group is replacing its old onboard internet with Starlink, and it will be free. The group says all of its roughly 850 aircraft will have the new service by 2029, across every airline and every cabin. It shared the plan in its August 10 announcement.

The first flight with the new Wi-Fi took off on August 19, 2026, from Frankfurt to Rome. It used a Lufthansa Airbus A320neo.

How it works

The new service is called "Lufthansa Group Wi-Fi." It runs on Starlink, which uses satellites in low orbit. That allows much faster speeds than older inflight Wi-Fi. Lufthansa says it is often faster than internet at home or the office.

The airline says the service is good enough to:

• Stream video
• Work in the cloud
• Use other high-speed apps during the flight

Who gets it free

The Wi-Fi is free for:

• Members of Miles & More, the group's loyalty program
• Travel ID users

Lufthansa says this applies in every travel class. Joining Miles & More is free, so in practice most travelers can get online by signing up before they fly.

The Wi-Fi is sponsored by Mastercard. Mastercard also sponsored FlyNet, the internet service it replaces.

The rules on board

Lufthansa has set rules that apply to everyone using the Wi-Fi. It says they are based on passenger surveys. When you use it, you must:

• Always wear headphones when playing audio or video
• Not make voice or video calls
• Not live-stream from the plane

So the plane won't turn into a call center, but you can watch a show or join a meeting by chat.

Which airlines and when

Lufthansa is first. Next in line are aircraft from SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines. After them, the group says these airlines are preparing to add the service:

• ITA Airways
• Edelweiss
• Discover Airlines
• Air Dolomiti
• Lufthansa City Airlines
• Eurowings

The group says it is the largest airline group in Europe to equip its fleet with Starlink. It hasn't given a month-by-month plan for each airline. For now, whether your plane has it depends on the aircraft. That will be the case until the rollout ends in 2029.

How it compares

Free, fast Wi-Fi is quickly becoming standard on big airlines. United, Air Canada and others now offer free Wi-Fi to loyalty members on many planes. Starlink is also flying on some other European airlines. Lufthansa joining in matters because the group carries so many people across Europe and the Atlantic.

What it means at the airport

Faster Wi-Fi on board may change how you use your time before a flight. If you don't need to finish work in the lounge, you can keep going in the air.

Lufthansa's lounges are still the place to eat and shower before a long trip. At its Frankfurt hub, Senator members and Star Alliance Gold members can use the Senator Lounge (B), rated 4.6 out of 5 by our users. In Munich, the Senator Lounge (G) has six showers. In Zurich, the SWISS Business Lounge (E) is rated 4.8.

Note that since October 1, 2026, American Express Platinum and Centurion cards no longer give access to Lufthansa lounges. See every Lufthansa lounge on our Lufthansa page.