SES Teams Up with Google to Provide Streamlined Android Login, Expanding In-flight Connectivity Revenue Potential

Airline passengers increasingly expect an at-home connectivity experience when flying—fast, seamless access to high-quality Wi-Fi and entertainment from takeoff to landing. For airlines, meeting that expectation has become a competitive necessity tied to satisfaction, loyalty, and brand perception. 

At the same time, airlines have invested heavily in in-flight connectivity (IFC) hardware and network capabilities and are focused on improving returns through monetization, especially as passenger expectations shift toward free onboard Wi-Fi. The result is a familiar industry challenge: deliver a premium, easy-to-use experience while also driving measurable commercial performance.

To help airlines strike that balance, SES is collaborating with Google to streamline how Android users connect and engage with airline-branded onboard portals. The collaboration aims to strengthen portal engagement and create more consistent experiences for passengers using Android devices. 

According to Lars Bergstrom, Android Platform Director of Engineering, the work is aimed at improving connectivity at 35,000 feet by addressing common pain points passengers encounter when trying to get online.

“With SES multi-orbit in-flight connectivity reaching millions of passengers, we believe the experience at 35,000 feet should be as seamless as it is on the ground,” said Bergstrom. “By eliminating login and connection friction, we’re ensuring that whether travelers are streaming, gaming or working, they have immediate access to trusted features like seamless autofill and secure payments. We are thrilled to see SES leading the industry in adopting these improvements to deliver a more reliable and secure journey for Android users.”

Streamlining Connection to the Airline’s Digital Front Door

A superior in-flight connectivity experience starts the moment a passenger tries to connect. Historically, that first step has been a source of frustration, marked by portal launch delays, confusing redirects, and extra steps such as requiring travelers to remember passwords, manually enter URLs, or repeat connection prompts.

As an Early Access Partner, SES collaborated with Google to create a stronger bridge and smoother handoff between the SES multi-orbit satellite network and Android operating systems. On SES-equipped flights, when an Android device joins the network, the airline portal can now appear automatically in Android Custom Tab with full-fledged browser features, enabling passengers to start sessions and access entertainment with fewer steps and faster time-to-service.

During sessions, Android users can also benefit from familiar capabilities such as password and credit card autofill, reducing friction that can slow conversion and degrade satisfaction.

Keeping Passengers Engaged and Making It Easy to Return

For airlines, streamlining connection is only part of the equation. Keeping passengers engaged with the airline’s onboard portal, and making it easy to return after switching tasks, supports loyalty and monetization. Longer and more frequent portal visits can drive:

Loyalty program enrollment

Advertising and sponsorships

Retail and e-commerce conversion

Upgrades and premium entertainment

Personalized ancillary offers

To address this challenge, SES collaborated with Google to introduce Android Custom Tabs for Captive Portal Login, which helps passengers navigate to and from the airline’s portal more seamlessly during a connectivity session.

Unlike a traditional webview based login that can feel “gone” once a user moves on, Android Custom Tab keeps the portal open in the background like a persistent application. Passengers can swipe away, use other apps, and return to the portal at any point, similar to toggling from one app to another. The result is a smoother experience for travelers and a stronger branded touchpoint for airlines.

Aaron Goldberg, SES Director of Aviation Product Management, said the update reinforces airline ownership of the onboard experience while increasing the commercial potential of IFC.

“By working with Google to streamline Android access to the onboard portal, we’re making it faster for passengers to get online while keeping the airline’s branded experience—and commercial opportunities—front and center. It’s a practical step toward delivering ‘at-home’ simplicity at 35,000 feet.”

With the portal always within reach, airlines can deliver more timely, relevant offers—from onboard retail and premium content to targeted ad campaigns and third-party sponsorships—while keeping the airline brand present throughout the journey.

An Industry First with Broader Potential Beyond Aviation

Introducing Android Custom Tabs on SES-equipped aircraft is an IFC industry first and represents the first deployment of this “portal as an application-like experience” concept. Google has indicated it intends to extend similar capabilities to other environments where consumers use Wi-Fi access portals, including hotels, transportation hubs, and public venues.