I don’t dread a long-haul flight, in fact, I look forward to them.
It’s hours of time where I’m obliged to do nothing, except sit around, watch TV, and eat food hand-delivered to me. What’s not to love?
I’ve even been known to schedule flights during the day, so as not to waste a far-flung trip sleeping on a red-eye.
And perhaps the best part of it all: I’m offline.
There are no emails to reply to, or ‘quick’ bits of work I may as well finish while I’m waiting to reach my destination. I’m existing in one of the few internet-free spaces left in the world, and I’m thrilled about it.
Of course, I could pay for the privilege of WiFi, but the cost is disincentive enough, and I don’t fly First or Business enough (read: never) to get it for free.
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Except, times are changing. This week, Virgin Atlantic chief executive, Shai Weiss, said the airline plans to offer every passenger, no matter their travel class, with free, streaming-quality WiFi by 2027.
Using Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites, you’ll be live and online, even at £35,000ft.
It’s clearly an exciting prospect for Shai, we claimed ‘it’s going to be massive’, so we asked Metro readers whether they could settle the debate: will WiFi on board make the flying experience better? Or ruin a rare chance to disconnect?
Metro readers have their say
When asked, Metro readers were pretty keen on the idea of this Virgin ‘perk’.
In fact, reader Ben Coates said it was a ‘must’. He wrote: ‘To be able to scroll socials and stuff, maybe watch a bit of YouTube then… that is a must.
‘If I can get free WiFi on a bus or train using the same or similar tech, then why can’t I get on a plane and have the same service?’
Others agreed. Dee Nicolas wrote: ‘WIFi should be free!’, and Audrey Geary added: ‘Definitely free Wifi on all flights.’
And Saira Afzal said: ‘We don’t want to disconnect completely, would love WiFi.’
One nervous flier also said access to the internet could help with her anxiety. ‘For me it would be brilliant as I’m a very bad flier. This would help with a distraction.’
There was the odd lone voice who wasn’t so keen on the idea though. Lyn Lennox shared her views saying: ‘It’s noisy enough on planes without the ignoramuses making WiFi calls.’
The psychologist’s view
Metro readers might look forward to a time where they can fly and scroll, but it might not be the progress it seems.
According to psychologist Emma Kenny, this marks the ‘further erosion of our boundaries.’
Speaking to Metro, she explains: ‘In a post-WiFi-at-30,000-feet world, the expectation to be constantly reachable doesn’t stop at the gate.
‘Business travelers may feel pressure to stay productive; anxious passengers may find themselves doomscrolling instead of escaping; even leisure flyers might find the temptation to check in irresistible.
‘The plane used to be one of the last places we were allowed to be unavailable.’
And, this change reflects a broader cultural shift. ‘We’re seeing the the disappearance of “dead zones”,’ explains Emma. ‘These are the physical spaces where you simply can’t be reached.
‘This has psychological consequences: disconnection becomes a luxury, not a default. And the more ubiquitous connectivity becomes, the less we notice what we’ve lost moments of true stillness, boredom, reflection — the conditions that often spark creativity, calm, and clarity.
‘Of course, few people will boycott free inflight WiFi. Most of us will log on. But perhaps the moment it becomes universally available is also the moment we need to decide, consciously, when to stay offline.
‘Just because we can-connect everywhere doesn’t mean we always should.’
Emma adds that this announcement isn’t just about technology. She says: ‘It’s about attention, expectation, and how we carve out space for solitude in a world that increasingly offers none.’
The work expert’s view
While remote working has many plus points, we know it also blurs the boundaries between work and home, adding a pressure to be available at all times.
Future work specialist and executive coach, Harriet Minter, says that WiFi on board planes will likely add to this.
She tells Metro: ‘For people that work a lot, there’s that beautiful point where you step on a plane and realise you’re uncontactable. There’s that moment where you realise: “I’m actually on holiday now. I’m taking that space to have a bit of disconnect.”‘
‘I get why Virgin is doing this, they cater very much to a business crowd, they know that people want that connectivity.
‘It’s going to be popular, but I feel a bit sad that we’re losing that small moment in time when we can be separate from our work.’
Harriet also says it reflects a wider ‘hustle culture’.
‘This is a culture that we have created that says: and no point do we stop and rest. At no point do we stop and do nothing.
‘Actually, that’s not very good for us. As humans, we need to have space to rest.
‘I wonder if this move from Virgin Atlantic says more our inability to stop — or to be seen to be stopping — than it is about whether or not we need WiFi at all times.
‘I for one will not be turning on my WiFi when I’m on a flight. I think it will be a really good lesson for all of us in learning how to switch off.’
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