Charged for data in Norway but never been to Norway, ever

[nousrname]

I have taken two separate trips to a country in South East Asia let’s say on Nov 1st and Dec 1st. Both were 12.5 hour flights from London Heathrow with Wi-fi on board but you have to purchase it, which I did not. I always ensure that my phone is on airplane mode before take off.

O2 is charging me data worth £44 and £33 each trip on Nov 1st and Dec 1st i.e. both days of departure. The system says I used the data in Norway. I have never been to Norway. The flight path is over Belgium/Germany/Austria. The times that the internet was used, the first might coincide with the plane landing in south east asia but the second time was when I was in Heathrow!!

An investigation has been launched. I just cannot understand what has happened here. I’d like to know if anyone else has had the same thing happen to them?

[Cleoriff]

Hi @nousrname

I think you should look at this guide on Aircraft and Cruise ship travel.

https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/How-to-Guides/Cruise-Liners-Aircraft-Charges/ba-p/1058892

When you are connecting to a Maritime or Aircraft Network, you are connecting to a satellite-based system network.

there are no Mobile masts in the middle or the sea or air,  but the networks you connect to is normally an extension of another network. Normally an EU one, so you may see Iceland appear on your bill for example. (but you were never near Iceland.)

Not sure how it happened if your phone was in Airplane mode...but if you wish to query it you need to contact customer services https://www.o2.co.uk/contactus

[nousrname]

Yes, exactly. I’m wondering how it happened in airplane mode. An investigation has been launched by O2 already. I use a Samsung phone, maybe it has some extra data settings you need to turn off.

I’d just like to know if this happened to anyone else.

[Cleoriff]

@nousrname

I have, in the past, seen posts where it has happened to other customers. though no-one said their phone was in Airplane mode.

O2 have to give you an explanation and hopefully a refund.

Best of luck and welcome to the forum

[MI5]

In order to use data it must be connected to the network. That is impossible if in airplane mode.
Only 2 possible answers:
1 you didn't use data.
2 you weren't in airplane mode.

[adamtemp64]

Could this be an mms data hole again ? 

[jonsie]

It's connected to the aircraft's network somehow as they all get their signal via a Norwegian signal from the satellite no matter the route they are flying. Somehow the phone has connected even in flight mode. The charges should be refunded but next time I would switch off mobile data completely or just switch the phone off before boarding. If you were checking anything sat waiting for take-off then maybe it's used the plane signal somehow. It's not right whatever has happened so hopefully the investigation will see where, if any data was used.

[Marjo]

Hi @nousrname, sorry to hear that you've had unwanted charges on your bill. Please do let us know how it goes with the investigation, in case you get any information that could be of help to others who might be wondering about the same thing. Good information and advice above from our other members around aircraft/cruise charges in general as well, thanks everyone! 

[nousrname]

Just an update - the investigation has been completed and all the money was returned to me as a “gesture of goodwill”. I didn’t get an explanation but there was some mention about being near a port or on a cruise ship. London Heathrow isn’t or or near either as far as I’m aware.

I genuinely don’t know what happened, I didn’t want to probe O2 in case they withdrew their goodwill gesture. I pay for two O2 contract phones and both were switched on airplane mode before each flight, my Samsung was charged data but the iPhone was not.

[nousrname]

*withdraw