On Tuesday, American Airlines declared that they would introduce complimentary high-speed internet across their entire fleet beginning in 2026.
The free Wi-Fi, provided in collaboration with AT&T, will be accessible on aircraft fitted with high-speed satellite connections through either Intelsat or Viasat systems, covering approximately 90 percent of the airline’s fleet.
The airline is currently upgrading its regional jets—such as the Embraer E175 and Bombardier CRJ-900 models used for shorter trips typically connecting major hubs with smaller towns—with high-speed Wi-Fi technology. By the close of 2025, over 500 aircraft within their American Eagle fleet should be fitted out with this feature, representing most of these airplanes. The company claims they aim to offer free high-speed internet onboard more frequently than any other U.S.-based carrier once the complimentary service launches in January 2026, eventually covering more than two million flights annually.
"Our clients highly appreciate maintaining connectivity even when flying, be it for communication with friends, accomplishing tasks related to work, keeping up with social media updates, or enjoying their preferred subscription-based content," stated Heather Garboden, who assumed her role as the chief customer officer at American Airlines in February.
The extensive deployment follows afterward as mentioned about Americans. We tested ad-free Wi-Fi on a select few flights during 2022. The airline stated that the test exceeded performance expectations.
There is a minor caveat: Passengers need to register. American's AAdvantage loyalty program To get free Wi-Fi access. Additionally, American Airlines won’t provide complimentary Wi-Fi on aircraft lacking the necessary equipment, such as certain older wide-body planes.
A revolution in Wi-Fi up above
The American Airlines is the final major U.S. carrier to introduce extensive complimentary Wi-Fi services, a feature that has rapidly turned into an essential amenity in the aviation sector as travelers increasingly prioritize maintaining connectivity during flights now more than ever before.
Among the "big three" U.S. carriers—American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines—Delta took the initial step by introducing complimentary Wi-Fi service across its mainline domestic flights beginning in February 2023. The company plans to extend this offering throughout its entire network by the conclusion of 2024. the airline reported Over 700 of its aircraft have been fitted to offer complimentary internet access. The service will commence this month on long-haul transatlantic international routes and will be available on flights to South America later this spring. Similar to American Airlines, Delta provides Wi-Fi at no cost exclusively to members of the airline’s loyalty program. SkyMiles loyalty program .
In September, United announced The aim is to provide complimentary high-speed Starlink WiFi throughout their fleet. They intend to deploy this service on their regional aircraft by the end of the year, followed by implementation on their mainline jets thereafter. Ultimately, United aims to equip their complete fleet with Starlink. Similarly, they plan to offer the complimentary WiFi exclusively to their passengers. MileagePlus members .
Hawaiian Airlines offers a complimentary Wi-Fi service as well. In partnership with Starlink for its Airbus A330 and A321neo aircraft, this particular airline was the pioneer in providing swift, complimentary Wi-Fi service. JetBlue, starting in 2013 , and the airline now provides this service on all of its airplanes. Following American's announcement, Southwest remains the biggest U.S. carrier yet to reveal plans for offering complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi across its fleet.
America’s latest proposal for complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi is particularly appealing due to the additional benefits it offers. The airline has been imposing the highest charges for staying connected. —and the consistency of its connection has often fallen short. The company doesn’t intend to install screen monitors on the backs of seats across most of its fleet for in-flight entertainment purposes. This suggests that American Airlines is counting on passengers using their own devices like smartphones, tablets, or laptops as primary sources of amusement during trips, assuming reliable and swift internet access becomes standard. Nevertheless, providing complimentary Wi-Fi might only mark the beginning of various enhancements aimed at improving customer experience; this was evident when the airline announced potential modifications back in February. established a fresh customer experience group headed by Garboden.
Currently, the competition is heating up among major airlines to provide the most superior and quickest connectivity services in-flight, which is excellent for travelers who value staying linked throughout their flight. However, this might be somewhat disappointing for those who enjoy detaching from technology mid-air or have grown accustomed to enjoying pre-installed content on individual screens.
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