Club World London City: Onboard connectivity

OnAir allows you to use your mobile phone onboard the Club World London City flight, giving you access to email, text messages and the Internet.

OnAir is exclusive to British Airways on this route and is accessible once the aircraft has reached an altitude of 10,000 feet - normally around 10 minutes after take off.

You will require a mobile Internet account for this service and you will be billed through your network provider. Please check with your network provider to ensure that they have an agreement with OnAir and for your tariff.

* OnAir service available to T-Mobile USA users from Spring 2010.

'OnAir' is a provider of in-flight mobile communications services.  The system allows the use of mobile phones onboard our Club World London City Airbus 318 aircraft as it is fitted with the 'OnAir' miniature cell network and satellite link.

The OnAir system has been tested extensively and approved for use onboard by aircraft manufacturers, mobile network providers and airline customers.

Once the 'No Mobile' signs have been switched off, simply switch on your personal mobile phone and wait for a network connection - then use it just as you would on the ground. 

Using a mobile phone on board is the same as using it in another country.  You will need to use full international numbers to send texts by putting a '+' in front of the country code that you dial.

You can send and receive both text (SMS) messages and multi-media (MMS) messages.

If you have a smart phone, a laptop equipped with a GPRS card, data card, a dongle or similar device, you may also receive and send emails and access the Internet through GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) - though bandwidth may be limited.

Making or receiving voice calls will not be allowed on British Airways flights. This is out of consideration for other customers and also to maximise the onboard bandwidth for all users.  Therefore, use of Skype or Voice Over IP websites is not permitted onboard.  British Airways will limit the service to text, email and data mode.  

As a courtesy to other passengers, we would ask that you set your phone to silent or vibrate mode.

When the "No Mobile" signs are illuminated, the service is unavailable and your phone should be in 'flight mode' or switched off.

Normal restrictions apply for take off and landing regardless of whether the aircraft is fitted with OnAir - all electronic devices must still be switched off for take off, approach and landing.

If you use your mobile onboard, you will be invoiced by your mobile network provider, in the same way as other international roaming communications.

You will need to have a standard international roaming contract and your network provider must have an agreement with OnAir.

Rates are in line with those charged for international roaming and depend on your mobile service provider.

In the UK, the following network providers have agreements with OnAir:
Vodaphone, O2, Orange and T-Mobile.

In the USA, T-Mobile USA has an agreement with OnAir.

Mobile phones can only be used on British Airways Club World London City flights as the aircraft is fitted with the OnAir system. On all other aircraft, devices can be used only if the flight safe mode has been activated before take off. Normal restrictions apply for take off and landing regardless of whether the aircraft is fitted with OnAir - all electronic devices must be switched off.

OnAir has recently signed an agreement with T-Mobile USA however, the service will be unavailable until Spring 2010.

It means that the OnAir service will be unavailable until this time if you have a USA mobile service provider.

British Airways is working very closely with OnAir to ensure that the service is available as soon as possible and to extend the number of service providers in the USA.

If you would like further information, you should contact your mobile service provider.