Months after saying free inflight internet was on the way – and years after its competitors did the same – American Airlines began offering free onboard Wi-Fi on Tuesday.
It's been a long time coming. And it's great news for loyal American flyers who routinely pay $20 or more for just an hour or two of Wi-Fi even as Delta and then United began offering high-speed internet for free.
Free onboard Wi-Fi on American will rapidly roll out to the airline's entire narrowbody fleet as well as most regional jets – covering most domestic flights as well as some shorter international journeys. The airline says complimentary Wi-Fi will be available on “nearly every American Airlines flight” by early spring – including widebody jets flying long-haul international routes.
Much like Delta and United reserve complimentary Wi-Fi for members of their frequent flyer program, travelers will be required to sign in with an American AAdvantage account in order to get online for free. American is “partnering” with AT&T for its free Wi-Fi, but that's really just an advertising partnership.
“Free high-speed Wi-Fi isn’t just a perk — it’s essential for today’s travelers,” Heather Garboden, American's chief customer officers, said in a statement. “That’s why we’re proud to begin rolling out this new offering, sponsored by AT&T, across the majority of our fleet. Once roll out is completed, every AAdvantage® member can stay connected, stream and share almost anywhere their journey takes them for free.”
While American flyers will no doubt love getting online for free rather than forking over $20 or more per flight, American is undoubtedly late to the free Wi-Fi game.
After years of promising free Wi-Fi was on the way, Delta became the first of the “Big Four” U.S. carriers to offer flyers free online access in early 2023, although it has taken longer than anticipated to expand this service across its entire fleet. Meanwhile, United partnered up with Starlink for its own free connectivity, which began rolling out last year. And, of course, there's JetBlue, which beat them all to the punch by offering free gate-to-gate Wi-Fi for over a decade ago.
American had hinted that free Wi-Fi was on the way to its fleet for almost two years, including some extremely limited testing last year. But as airlines focus on “premium travel” and compete for customers who are accustomed to getting online for free anywhere, airlines big and small are increasingly focusing on improving inflight connectivity.
Bottom Line
Free Wi-Fi is officially flying for American Airlines.
Starting Tuesday, American flipped the switch for complimentary connectivity on its flights – especially domestically. That should rapidly expand across the airline's fleet through the winter and into the spring.
