An American Airlines plane on the runway at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 25, 2024.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images
American Airlines plans to offer Wi-Fi for free starting in January as more carriers opt for complimentary internet service for their loyalty program members, increasing pressure on holdouts.
The free Wi-Fi will be sponsored by AT&T and is available for members of American Airlines’ AAdvantage loyalty program, the airline said Tuesday.
American Airlines’ inflight Wi-Fi routinely tops $20 per flight. The carrier said that starting in January, the free service will be available on its planes outfitted with Intelsat and Viasat satellite Wi-Fi, which will account for about 90% of its fleet by next year. Some of American’s older Boeing wide-bodies won’t have the service for free but will still have Wi-Fi available.
American Airlines had been testing the service on certain routes. It is also planning to install high-speed internet service on 500 regional planes by the end of next year, the airline said.
Southwest Airlines, one of the outliers in the industry, has not said whether it is considering free Wi-Fi on board.
