Does an eSIM work in airplane mode?
No. Airplane mode switches off the phone's mobile connection, and an eSIM is just another line on that connection, so it neither connects nor uses data until you turn airplane mode off. Wi-Fi is separate: you can switch it back on during the flight if the airline allows it, while the eSIM waits for a network on the ground.
Choose your eSIMWhat airplane mode actually switches off
Apple's description is short: airplane mode turns off all radios except Bluetooth, which means the mobile connection and Wi-Fi. Google says the same for Android: the first time you turn it on, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth go off along with the mobile network.
An eSIM has no radio of its own. It is a profile stored in the phone that uses the same mobile connection as a plastic SIM, and Apple notes that roaming with an eSIM works the same way as roaming with a physical SIM. So when the mobile side is off, every line goes quiet at once: your usual number and the travel eSIM alike. Nothing is connecting, nothing is downloading and, for a travel data plan, nothing is being counted.
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For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
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How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
Wi-Fi on board while the eSIM waits
Airplane mode does not lock Wi-Fi out. Apple says that if the airline allows it, you can still use Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with airplane mode on: open Control Center and tap them back on. On Android you can do the same, and Google notes that the phone remembers your choice, so the next time you turn on airplane mode, Wi-Fi stays as you left it. iPhone behaves the same way with what you switch on or off while in airplane mode.
This is the setting to use if the plane has Wi-Fi. Messages on WhatsApp or iMessage go over that connection with your usual account, the mobile lines stay silent, and the travel eSIM plays no part at all until you land. If the plane has no Wi-Fi, nothing you do with the eSIM changes that.
Whether you need airplane mode is up to the airline
Airplane mode is not a universal rule. In Europe, EASA allows airlines to let passengers keep their devices switched on without airplane mode, but only after each airline has gone through an assessment showing that the aircraft's systems are not affected, so the rules differ from one airline to another. In the United States, the FCC's rules prohibit using mobile phones while the aircraft is airborne.
In every case the instruction that counts is the one from the crew on your flight, and EASA puts it plainly: passengers must always follow the airline crew's instructions. If the crew asks for airplane mode, that is the setting, whatever the phone or the SIM.
Why your usual line is the one to watch
Some aircraft carry their own mobile network. The European Commission explains that the service runs on equipment inside the cabin, called a pico-cell, which connects to the ground mobile network typically through a satellite. If your phone is not in airplane mode, your usual line may connect to it.
That is where the cost risk is. The EU's Your Europe portal warns that when mobile services on a plane or ship are provided by satellite, EU roaming rules no longer apply and there are no price caps, and it recommends turning off roaming or using flight mode on board. The travel eSIM is not what to worry about here: it is meant for the ground networks of the country or countries it covers. Your usual SIM is the line that can run up a bill in the air.
After landing: the moment the eSIM connects
When the crew allows it, turn airplane mode off. The phone starts searching for local networks, and the first time the travel line registers on one and connects, the plan begins. For that to happen, the eSIM needs data roaming switched on and has to be the line chosen for mobile data; the pre-flight checklist covers both settings.
If a minute passes and there is still nothing, airplane mode itself is the first tool. Apple's advice for no service is to turn airplane mode on for at least 15 seconds and then off again, so the phone registers with the network afresh. If that does not do it, the remaining checks, in order, are in the no-service guide.
Does the eSIM plan count days during the flight?
No. A travel data plan starts at the first connection in the destination, and with airplane mode on the phone is not connecting to any mobile network.
Can I use WhatsApp in airplane mode?
Yes, if the plane has Wi-Fi and you switch Wi-Fi back on. WhatsApp keeps working with your usual number because it belongs to your account, not to the line carrying the data.
Will my travel eSIM connect to the plane's own mobile network?
Do not count on it. It is meant for the ground networks of the country or countries it covers, so for the air, use the plane's Wi-Fi.
Is it enough to turn off data roaming instead of using airplane mode?
It stops mobile data abroad, but it is not the same as airplane mode, which is what the crew asks for when they ask for it. Follow the crew's instructions on each flight.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
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