Croatia Airlines’ incoming Airbus A220 fleet will feature on board Wi-Fi, as well as other product improvements, the carrier has confirmed. According to the “AvioRadar” portal, the company will install Wi-Fi across its two A220-100 and four A220-300 jets, which will be delivered early next year and throughout 2025. The carrier plans to eventually replace its entire fleet with the A220s, with a further six to be delivered in 2025 and 2026. Croatia Airlines’ A220 passengers will be able to enjoy broadband services on their Wi-Fi/WLAN enabled devices including smartphones, tablets, and laptops, allowing them to write emails, surf the Internet, and update social media while in-flight.
The carrier will feature its own digital content which will be available to passengers through the airline’s application, accessible while airborne. Travellers on board Croatia Airlines’ A220s will also enjoy an enhanced hard product. Its A220-100s will have the capacity to seat 127 passengers, while the A220-300s will welcome 148 customers in a two by three seat layout. Each seat will feature USB A and USB C ports, as well as smartphone and tablet holders. The aircraft’s spacious overhead compartments, the largest for a jet its size, will allow for every passenger to accommodate one roller bag. The airline’s CEO, Jasmin Bajić, recently noted, “We have been continually working on increasing the quality of our service”.
Croatia Airlines will be rolling out on board connectivity for the first time in its over thirty-years of operations with the arrival of the A220s. Within the former Yugoslavia, Air Serbia previously provided wireless in-flight Internet across on its narrow and wide-body Airbus fleet until 2020, when the service was quietly discontinued. The Serbian carrier introduced on board Wi-Fi in 2015 and also rolled out its streaming service entitled Elevate Play, which enabled passengers to watch movies, TV shows and listen to music albums through an application on their smart devices while flying the A319s and A320s. This service has also since been discontinued.
.gif)
Bravo OU!
ReplyDeleteSelo gori a baba se ceslja.
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.... The best one in months...
DeleteWow very good news
ReplyDeleteI would rather they improve their on-board catering for both Business and Economy class.
ReplyDeleteWas about to write the same. Their catering has deteriorated significantly since 2020, with former economy meals now being served in business.
Delete+1
DeleteThey just copied what Lufthansa does on its intra European flights..
DeleteDespite service levels deteriorating on Lufthansa, they don't serve business class passengers with a box in which there are pre packaged cookies.
DeleteHonestly, in-flight connectivity brings much more value to me than catering. Especially for flights under 3 hours, no on-board catering will beat the quality of food served at most airports.
DeletePrestigious upgrade. Well done, Hrvatska. Glad you will get rid of the Canadian turboprops soon.
ReplyDeleteAh, that famous cost of prestige...
DeleteYes, now they will get ( literally get) a failed Bombardier product that had sent the company to the grave - repackaged as Airbus. What a change indeed
DeleteThe Airbus A220 is an excellent game changing Aircraft. The fuel savings will be huge, the only problem has been the shortage of engine parts which will be rectified by early 2024.
DeleteFuel saving with 15 pax in winter on a 100-seater realy changes game. Towards bankrupcy.
DeleteMaybe they will focus on cargo LOL
DeleteNice one
ReplyDeleteIs it really necessary when most flights are an hour and a half long?
ReplyDeleteAn hour and a half where you're just stuck in a seat with nothing else to do? Seems like the perfect time to have internet access :)
DeleteMaybe read a magazine or book?
DeleteGood job OU!
ReplyDeleteYes the goodness just keeps coming doesn't it?
DeleteNice to finally see some innovation from this airline.
ReplyDeleteThis is great news about wifi and really sets the airline apart. Well done.
ReplyDeleteRip apart?
DeleteNobody is saying the word about prices?
ReplyDeleteThey probably don't know themselves yet, how much they'll charge! 🤣
DeleteWould be nice if it is free :D Norwegian used to offer free wi-fi before Covid. Not sure if they still do.
DeleteHow much did JU charge a few years ago?
DeleteIt was 4.90 euros for thirty-minute access (download limit 20 MB), 8.90 euros for sixty minute access (download limit 50 MB) and 13.90 euros for access throughout the duration of the flight (download limit 90 MB).
DeletePricing is usually set by the wifi provider.
DeleteWho cares when somebody else takes the tap
Deleteusb ports are a really handy feature. Pity more airlines don't install them in seats. It's not so difficult.
ReplyDeleteWould be nice if they installed power socket too.
DeleteYes, three phase outlet preferably. Maybe someone wants to mix some concrete during the flight
DeleteDon't want to be negative and it is nice that OU is looking to improve service but how much will this cost? OU will most probably tomorrow be releasing its financial results for 2022 and they are going to post a big loss again.
ReplyDeleteThey are a heavily subsidized business. How do you think they will be leasing these planes in the first place.
DeleteCongratulations! It's nice to see the company going forward.
ReplyDeleteDefine both :
DeleteForward and going
Before product, OU needs to update and expand its network. Operating to only 12 international destinations out of your home base is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteExactly. The priorities are completely off.
DeleteThere will be network expansion. Should be starting with 2023/24 winter season.
DeleteNetwork expansion in winter? Hope so.
DeleteI only see them introducing routes subsidized by local councils and cities. For example like Osijek-Munich was introduced in winter, which is paid by the county. Those types of routes.
DeleteYes, that will be the basis of the expansion.
DeleteWith huge 1pw.
DeleteWho will be the provider?
ReplyDeleteI really don't think they have come to that point yet.
DeleteProbably whoever is Lufthansa's provider.
DeleteI saw the other day that Air Baltic will be installing SpaceX's Starlink internet system on their A220s.
DeleteMost likely the same as Air Baltic. They will offer it for free. Starlink is very fast and will be able to offer online gaming, video streaming e.g. Netflix and other demanding uses. This may indicate longer flights are in the works once A220s arrive.
DeleteThat would be fantastic. I really hope the Middle East is on their radar.
DeleteBefore the Middle East, they should connect some key cities with Zagreb like Berlin, Stockholm and Madrid.
DeleteI definitely hope that their focus returns back to Zagreb. I can only seem them succeeding if they build a respectable year round hub in ZAG.
DeleteStockholm, Berlin and others used to be served by LCCs. Theier cost structure was too high. Croatia should male it work. When Easy could not make BEG work ex BER and JU can shows how great the cost structure is at JU. In the end Serbia is a poor country. And Croatia should have a great cost structure too to make BER work, even if FR or Easy cannot.
DeleteGood to see that A220s are breathing in some new life into the airline. Let's hope it also results in network expansion, frequency growth and better scheduling for transfer passengers.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope. I hope too to get lottery Eurojackpot, but......
DeleteShame JU no longer offers this service, especially on the A330, which I think is a mistake. They should have left it on the wide body at least.
ReplyDeleteAgree. I fly JFK-BEG around 3 times per year and I'm avoiding them for this reason since 2020.
DeleteThat's really crazy
DeleteWhy? Maybe the person needs it to work. Wifi is becoming an increasing requirement from many passengers, especially on long flights.
DeletePlease improve catering too!
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteThe small bottle of water was more than great... But, knowing these cheapskates it was just a question of time when that would have been abandoned.
DeleteQuestion, do you seats on Croatia Airlines' Dash 8s have recline? or they are fixed in a single position?
ReplyDelete*do seats
DeleteYes
DeleteThere is a generous recline.
DeleteWith all due respect, I don't see how this will be profitable for OU. Offering wifi makes sense if you have a big destination network with a lot of longer routes and also if you have a lot of passengers so you will eventually get a return on investment. But with OU's passenger numbers and flights which on average don't last longer than a bit over an hour, I doubt many passengers will be buying wifi. We will see.
ReplyDeleteFully agree. But I wish them luck nonetheless.
DeleteReturn on investment? Who cares about that...
DeleteThe provider does and its not the company that earns the money but the internet provider.
DeleteAnd 40% of flight time you can reach 3G ;)
DeleteUnexpected from OU.
ReplyDeleteThey reqlly don't know where to bang their head.
ReplyDelete?
DeleteWell if many public busses have free wifi I don't see why we shouldn't see it on planes.
ReplyDeleteYes, because having it at 35,000 feet is the same as having it on a bus.
DeleteLet's see how long this service will be provided. I give it a few years.
ReplyDeletePriorities....
ReplyDeleteGood to see some positive news from Croatia Airlines for a change.
ReplyDeleteWe will see how good it is in the long run.
DeleteHow much does it cost to install antenna on plane and pay provider on annual basis? Anyone know?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if we will see a new livery on the A220s too?
ReplyDeleteI really doubt it. They just refreshed the livery a few years ago. And they STILL haven't applied it to all their aircraft. As if they have a hundred of them and not 12-14.
DeleteIt would be nice if on one of their new A220s in 2 years time they paint the first OU livery as a retro tribute.
DeleteThat would be great
DeleteI'm interested to see Pozdrav's view on this :D
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm worried where is the Bravo Hrvatska guy.
DeletePozdrav will say the same he always says : In today's World and today's environment, it is good to have Internet access all the time, and just this move is OK. But they have at least dozen huge system problems which should be solved first, before cosmetical changes like wifi, catering or livery.
DeleteLet’s add to that a Bravo Hrvatska 🤣
DeleteDon't think this is the most important thing they should be focusing on at this point.
ReplyDeleteAny improvement is good and this is definitely an improvement.
DeleteIt was noted that A220 have new standards and equipment to fit better wi-fi systems, especially new ones. There were some issues but they took care of it some time ago as noted on the djaftekurafte blog.
ReplyDeleteGreat development for pax. Hope it won't lead to higher fares though.
ReplyDeleteNo fares will be the lowest on the planet. They will save so much fuel costs it will all be transferred to the costumer.
DeleteAnyone know how much wifi antenna installation on plane costs? Genuinely interested
ReplyDeleteDepending if it's retro fit or factory installed...
DeleteAbout time!
ReplyDeleteRare Croatia Airlines W.
ReplyDeleteBringing itself in line with other Lufthansa group airlines.
ReplyDeleteOf course. They need to provide the highest quality feeding possible. Who cares about the cost.
DeleteBravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteBreadcrumbs like this announcement are helping reverse engineer consulting guidance OU received. Unified fleet with brand new aircraft with large bins, usb-c ports, smartphone holders, overhead displays, free and fast gate-to-gate onboard wifi. It is clear how they want to differentiate.
ReplyDeleteWi-Fi internet, onboard movies are overrated. Almost dangerous for your mental health. Airlines should encourage their guests to meditate and relax on these flights, to have some free time from the noise garbage that comes from these electronic devices. Mr. Jasmin & Mr Marek should be leaders of innovative ways how to travel in the upcoming golden age. Societies will change drastically in the next 10 years and airlines should innovate to lead into new age. It is paradox and absurd that with all these new technologies it requires you to be 2 -3 hours at the airport depending if the flight is international, to wait 1 hour for the luggage to arrive at the carousel (it it arrives), to be on hold for many hours if you want to talk with Live customer service agent etc etc..
ReplyDelete+1000
DeleteCouldn't agree more, except for one small thing : Please don't place Mr. Jasmin and Mr. Marek in the same sentence, because they belong to two parallel Universes
DeleteYes, you are correct Pozdrav iz Rijeka. My bad, I re-read the article and I noticed Mr Jasmin introduced Wi-Fi and Mr Marek "quietly" (that is the word they used in the article :) ) removed Wi-Fi on all planes. So Mr.Marek is ahead of innovative curve. Thanks for the correction.
Delete"Airlines should encourage their guests to meditate and relax on these flights"
DeleteLike what? Practice yoga? Do a downward dog in the aisle?
People want choice - to sleep, read a book or eReader, play a game, do work, browse the net or watch a movie. I remember the days flying JAT DC-10 to Australia, there were two movie projections (you can't choose what to watch). It's a looong flight!
Anonymous22:02
ReplyDeleteThere is a word in Serbian language: "Tihovanje". You close your eyes and Tihujes. The longer the flight the better for you.
What movies? 99% of them are mind boggling themes.
Great comments here. I’d love to like/unlike or +/- comments.
ReplyDelete