On a flight from Paris to Dubai aboard an aircraft with its own mobile network, the crew switches it on at cruising altitude and your phone finds a signal. You can answer messages in the air without touching the plane's Wi-Fi. On your home line, though, that network is not part of Roam Like at Home, and operators charge for it separately, often at high rates.
This guide explains how mobile data on a plane works, why some flights do not have it, how to keep your home line from roaming in the air, and how to pair an in-flight eSIM with a destination eSIM so you land connected.
Key facts for mobile data in the air
- Where it works: only on aircraft with an onboard mobile network, not on planes that offer Wi-Fi alone
- When it is on: switched on by the crew, usually at cruising altitude, only where permitted; generally not over the US
- Home line: not part of Roam Like at Home; billed separately, often at high rates
- Calls: the airline decides whether voice calls are allowed on board; the in-flight plan is for data
- On arrival: 112 in every EU country; 911 in the US, Canada and Mexico
Mobile data on a plane: how the onboard network works
Some aircraft carry a small mobile network of their own. Your phone sees it much like a network abroad, and the data travels to the ground by satellite. That link costs far more than data on the ground, so in-flight packs are small: messages, email and light browsing.
The plane's Wi-Fi is a separate service that you join in your Wi-Fi settings. The Telcomia in-flight plan uses the onboard mobile network, not the Wi-Fi. A phone in aeroplane mode cannot see any mobile network, so switch aeroplane mode off only when the crew says you may.
Why your flight may not have it
The network is not on from gate to gate. The crew switches it on during the flight, usually at cruising altitude, and only in airspace where it is permitted. It is generally not available over the United States, so on flights within the US, or once a flight enters US airspace, do not count on it.
Some aircraft have no onboard mobile network at all and offer Wi-Fi only. On those flights, the in-flight eSIM has nothing to connect to, so check with your airline before you buy a pack.
Keep your home line from roaming in the air
On your home SIM, an onboard network is outside Roam Like at Home, even on a flight between two EU countries. Before boarding, turn data roaming off for your home line. If you will not need your number in the air, you can turn the whole line off in the same settings and back on after landing.
Then set the in-flight eSIM as your line for mobile data, with data roaming on. To make a small pack last, pause automatic photo backups and app updates until you land.
Which plan fits your trip
On the plans page, the packs for the air are listed under In-Flight (Aviation): 100 MB for one day or for seven days, and 250 MB, 500 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB for seven days. All of them are sized for messages, email and light browsing, so pick a larger pack if you expect to use more in the air.
An in-flight pack does not replace a plan for your destination, such as a country plan, a zone plan or a plan by the gigabyte; the AI option can suggest one if you are unsure how much data you use. In each plan's details, the Activation line explains how the validity period is counted, next to the duration, the data and whether you may share the connection.
Before you leave
- Install both eSIMs at home on Wi-Fi: the in-flight pack and the plan for your destination.
- Turn data roaming on for the eSIM lines and off for your home line.
- Download maps, boarding passes and anything you want to watch before boarding.
- After landing, turn the in-flight line off, then switch on the destination eSIM and set it for mobile data.
- Keep both eSIMs until the trip is over: some can be installed only once.
Consular protection: help when you land
- 112 reaches emergency services in every EU country; in the United States, Canada and Mexico the number is 911.
- Before take-off, look up your destination in the Telcomia app: it shows which embassy or consulate is responsible for you, with address and phone.
- If you are an EU citizen landing in a country outside the EU where your country has no embassy or consulate, the embassy of any other EU country must help you on the same terms as its own nationals (Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU).
- The app keeps key emergency phrases ready to show on screen.
Questions travellers ask about mobile data on a plane
Can I use mobile data on a plane?
Yes, on aircraft with an onboard mobile network, once the crew has switched it on and where it is permitted. An in-flight eSIM gives you a prepaid pack; on your home line, the same network is billed separately.
Is in-flight data the same as plane Wi-Fi?
No. Wi-Fi is a separate service; the in-flight eSIM works only on the onboard mobile network.
Why doesn't it work on my flight?
The aircraft may have Wi-Fi only, the crew may not have switched the network on yet, or you may be in airspace where it is not permitted, such as over the United States. Also check that the in-flight eSIM is your data line, with data roaming on.
Will my home SIM charge me in the air?
It can. Onboard networks are not part of Roam Like at Home and are billed separately, often at high rates, so keep data roaming off on your home line.
The short version
Mobile data on a plane works only on aircraft with an onboard network, once the crew switches it on, and generally not over the United States. Keep data roaming off on your home line, use a small in-flight pack for messages, and install your destination eSIM before take-off so you land connected.
Related reads:
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