Why PlaneFi?
Most Wi-Fi listings are generated, not researched. Here's how to tell the difference — and the standard we hold ourselves to.
How the database is built
- 1
Establish the real fleet.
Every airline starts with its actual fleet: we establish the current aircraft, tail by tail, from at least two independent sources — registry data, fleet trackers, and the airline's own fleet information. Operators are kept accurate: wet-leased and sister-carrier aircraft are attributed to the airline that actually flies them.
- 2
Research each subfleet.
Wi-Fi fitment usually follows the subfleet — an aircraft type and delivery batch — so that's how we research it. Sources in order of weight: the airline's own pages, connectivity-provider announcements, and reputable aviation trade press. Every claim needs at least two independent sources; when sources disagree, we don't publish a guess.
- 3
Publish per aircraft, with the source.
Each aircraft gets a dated report that cites where the claim comes from — Wikipedia-style. Provider names are normalized so you always see the same canonical names.
- 4
Hold what can't be verified.
When an airline is mid-rollout and no source can say which specific aircraft are equipped, we hold that fleet back rather than mark it all “yes”. We'd rather show less than show something wrong.
- 5
Re-check on a cycle.
Every status carries a verification date. Fleets are re-reviewed on a schedule and when news breaks, and rollouts are tracked through their stages — announced, installing, live.
- 6
Corrected by real flights.
Traveler reports are labeled separately from research, and the newest information wins. A single flight report can correct an entire subfleet's assumption — and has.
How to tell a reliable Wi-Fi source from a generated one
In-flight Wi-Fi data is messy, and a growing number of sites paper over that with confident-sounding pages generated by AI from press releases — no checking, no curation. A few things worth testing, wherever you read it:
- Is it per aircraft, or per airline? — "This airline has Wi-Fi" is nearly useless when half the fleet doesn't. Look for status tied to a specific aircraft.
- Does it show its sources and a verification date? — If there's no source and no "verified" date, treat it as a guess.
- Does it admit uncertainty? — Rollouts take years. A page claiming "100% equipped" the day a program is announced is telling you nobody checked.
- Is it internally consistent? — Generated pages routinely contradict themselves — one fleet size in the intro, another in the table. A curated source doesn't.
PlaneFi vs. typical Wi-Fi listing sites
| What matters | PlaneFi | Typical Wi-Fi listing sites |
|---|---|---|
| Granularity | Per aircraft (tail number) | Per airline / per route |
| How it's made | Systematic research, at least two sources per claim | AI-generated from press releases |
| Sources shown | Yes — cited and dated on every status | Rarely |
| Says when status is uncertain | Yes — unconfirmed data is held back | Usually claims certainty |
| Internally consistent | One researched figure | Often self-contradicting |
| Data format | Structured, free, open | Ad-driven prose |
That's the standard we hold ourselves to — it's why we track by tail number, cite a source on every status, and say so when we don't know.
Want the full picture of how the database is built? See How PlaneFi works.
Ready to check your flight?
Look up any airplane or contribute your own Wi-Fi report.