American Airlines’ Free In-Flight Wi-Fi Coming Next Year

Playing catch-up with rival airlines, American Airlines is adding free Wi-Fi on some flights. Roughly 90% of its airplanes will have Wi-Fi starting early next year. The complimentary service will be available to American Airlines’ AAdvantage loyalty program members.  

American Airlines’ free Wi-Fi is being offered through a partnership with AT&T, which will help pay some of the costs needed to get the service up and running. The internet will be available on planes equipped with gear capable of connecting with Viasat and Intelsat satellites.

“We’ve been working diligently to outfit our aircraft with best-in-class high-speed Wi-Fi and together with AT&T are proud to offer those services at no cost to our most loyal customers,” said Heather Garboden, chief customer officer of American Airlines, in a press release. 

Before announcing the free Wi-Fi service, American had been testing the technology on a few select routes. The tests proved its viability and even outperformed expectations.

American currently charges for Wi-Fi on flights. Passengers must pay $10 for a single trip or $599 for an annual subscription.

American Airlines Isn’t the Only Airline With Free Wi-Fi

With an agreement with T-Mobile, Delta Air Lines gave passengers free Wi-Fi on many flights in 2023. Southwest gives free internet service to all passengers without any loyalty membership requirements, and JetBlue added free Wi-Fi over a decade ago.

United Airlines formed an alliance with SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink late last year and has just started offering complimentary internet on flights. Also partnered with Starlink for free in-flight internet are Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.

American seems to be late to the free Wi-Fi game, but it’s definitely not out. When the airline’s internet service is fully upgraded, it will significantly rival other carriers.

“We’ve been working quietly toward this goal for quite some time and once implemented, will be able to offer complimentary Wi-Fi on more planes than any other domestic carrier,” an American Airlines spokesperson told ABC News.

Reliable internet service on airplanes has been elusive over the years. While the technology has gotten better, slow speed and inconsistent connectivity have plagued the service.

The concept of in-flight Wi-Fi first emerged in 2003 when Boeing introduced a service dubbed Connexion. Yet, the airplane manufacturer dropped the idea three years later when the market for the service failed to develop.