In This Story
American Airlines (AAL-0.93%) wants to make sure your flights are smooth sailing — and have smooth streaming. The carrier plans to start offering free in-flight Wi-Fi in January 2026 for members of its AAdvantage loyalty program, the airline said Tuesday.
AT&T (T+1.94%) will sponsor the free Wi-Fi, which will be available across more than two million flights, on all American aircrafts equipped with high-speed ViaSat (VSAT+2.27%) and Intelsat satellite connectivity (roughly 90% of its fleet). The carrier’s widebody Boeing (BA+2.21%) planes, which use Panasonic internet, won’t be included in the “free Wi-Fi” deal but will have internet available for paying customers. These planes typically fly internationally.
American had been charging up to $29 for Wi-Fi for a single flight, but free, fast internet service has become a bit of an expectation for fliers.
JetBlue Airways (JBLU-0.27%) has offered complimentary Wi-Fi for years, and Delta Air Lines (DAL-1.15%) started offering the free service to its loyalty program members in 2023; United Airlines (UAL+0.27%) is moving to outfit its fleet with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite Wi-Fi, which is considered to have the best functionality in the sky, and will offer it for free for members of its loyalty program. Southwest Airlines (LUV-1.85%) continues to charge $8 for in-flight Wi-Fi per device and hasn’t announced any changes to that policy.
Currently, the majority of American’s narrowbody domestic fleet (such as its Boeing 737s and Airbus (EADSY+1.64%) A320s) doesn’t feature seatback screens, so passengers must stream entertainment on their personal devices.
American said in a press release that it had conducted a Wi-Fi test on select routes to gauge the strength of the service, “which surpassed performance expectations.”
Heather Garboden, the airline’s chief customer officer, said, “Our customers greatly value staying connected while in the air, whether communicating with friends, getting work done, checking in on social media or streaming their favorite subscription services. 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.”