American Airlines plans to roll out free inflight Wi-Fi across most of its fleet starting next year.
The carrier is partnering with AT&T to offer the service, which will be available exclusively to loyalty program members, making it the latest airline to target perks toward frequent flyers.
Starting in January 2026, American Airlines will offer complimentary inflight Wi-Fi exclusively to members of its AAdvantage loyalty program, which is free to join, covering more than 2 million flights annually, according to the carrier. The airline says this move will make Wi-Fi available on 90% of its fleet or “more planes than any other domestic carrier.”
AIRLINES SEE LOWER CUSTOMER DEMAND, CUT BACK FINANCIAL EXPECTATIONS
To support the rollout, American is working to equip over 500 regional aircraft with high-speed Wi-Fi by the end of 2025.
“This was a natural partnership in every aspect: two iconic Texas-based brands, known for innovation and connection,” Heather Garboden, American Airlines chief customer officer, said in a statement.
While Wi-Fi was available on American, it came at a cost. According to its website, customers can pay $10 per flight for access to the service, or they can get monthly or annual passes for up to two devices.
The monthly passes ranged from about $50 for one device to $60 for two. Annual passes were about $600 for one device or about $700 for two.
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES ANNOUNCES MAJOR CHANGE TO LONG-STANDING PASSENGER PERK
Detla Air Lines beat American to the punch, offering the free service with T-Mobile in 2023. Free Wi-Fi is now available on most of Delta’s domestic flights for SkyMiles members.
United Airlines passengers will be next with free in-flight Wi-Fi expected to launch in May through Elon Musk’s broadband satellite service, Starlink.
The FAA approved United’s first Starlink-equipped aircraft in March. Its first commercial flight has been scheduled for May, just eight months after striking the deal with the SpaceX subsidiary.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAL | AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC. | 9.85 | +0.27 | +2.82% |
| DAL | DELTA AIR LINES INC. | 40.82 | +0.50 | +1.24% |
| UAL | UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC. | 67.08 | +1.40 | +2.12% |
Starlink access will be free and available for all customers who have a MileagePlus membership, which is also free to sign-up.
Read the full article here
