Airplane Wi-Fi: Here’s how in-flight connectivity (and cost) is changing

• Use of some chat apps is now free on three of the four major US airlines.
• In-flight Wi-Fi on domestic flights has dropped to a flat fee of less than $10 among major airlines.
• This communication relies on satellites in geostationary orbit, which cannot communicate with aircraft flying too close to the poles.

Americans return to the sky in large numbers – and many of them will find that in-flight Wi-Fi has changed quite a bit since they last flew in the air.

Three of the top four U.S. airlines now use some chat apps for free, and the cost of connecting on domestic flights has dropped to a fixed amount of less than $10. Here’s how much you can pay these four operators for Internet access from a chair in the sky: