Unlocking free WiFi on British Airways (saxrag.com)

Article summary

The author discovered that British Airways offers free WiFi for messaging services to members of their loyalty program, but found a way to bypass the restrictions and access the full internet by exploiting the Server Name Indication (SNI) protocol. The author set up an HTTPS proxy with a self-signed certificate and used the SNI of a whitelisted domain to trick the airline's system into allowing access to the internet. The author successfully tested this method on a flight and was able to browse the internet, including accessing websites that were not whitelisted. The method relies on the airline's system only checking the SNI and not verifying the certificate or the actual traffic.

Main themes

• WiFi restrictions
• SNI protocol
• HTTPS proxy
• Airline internet access
• Network security
• Censorship circumvention

What commenters say

• Some airlines and ISPs use SNI to block or restrict access to certain websites, but this can be bypassed using techniques like domain fronting or HTTPS proxying.
• The use of SNI to block websites is not foolproof and can be evaded by malicious actors, making it an unreliable method for censorship or security purposes.
• Airlines and cruise lines charge high prices for internet access, but the cost of providing the service is likely lower than what is charged to customers, suggesting that the prices are inflated for profit.
• Some commenters believe that airlines and cruise lines may intentionally leave back doors or vulnerabilities in their systems to allow tech-savvy customers to access the internet, while others think that the restrictions are in place to encourage customers to pay for premium services.
• The use of Starlink and other satellite internet services on cruise ships and airlines can provide faster and more reliable internet access, but the cost of installation and maintenance may be high, and the prices charged to customers may not reflect the actual cost of the service.
• Some commenters have successfully used similar techniques to bypass internet restrictions on cruise ships and airlines, while others have found that the restrictions are more effective and difficult to evade.