American Airlines has confirmed that it is finally bringing free inflight Wi-Fi to the majority of its fleet through a new partnership with AT&T, although passengers will need to be patient as the Fort Worth-based carrier is trailing this announcement more than eight months before the go-live date.
The airline has been under increasing pressure to introduce free inflight Wi-Fi for all passengers after Delta and United confirmed accelerated rollouts for free connectivity at 38,000 feet across their entire fleets.
For a number of years, American Airlines has offered free inflight Wi-Fi for US-based customers with a T-Mobile cellphone contract through its ‘In-Flight Connection On Us’ program, but this was limited to mobile devices and excluded anyone without a T-Mobile phone.
The switchover to the AT&T partnership will open up complimentary inflight Wi-Fi to all customers who are a member of the American Airlines AAdvantage frequent flyer program – which is free and easy to join.
Free Wi-Fi will be accessible on laptops and tablets, as well as other mobile devices and American Airlines says that live testing on its Wi-Fi-equipped planes has shown that the system can more than cope with demand from passengers.
“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,” the airline’s new chief customer officer Heather Garboden commented on Monday.
Garboden was brought in to revitalize American’s onboard product as the carrier tries to make itself more upmarket and better compete with Delta and United, who have been able to command higher ticket prices by appealing to well-heeled travelers seeking a premium experience.
It’s important to note that the partnership with AT&T only extends to aircraft that are equipped with Wi-Fi from one of two suppliers – either Viasat or Intelsat which both offer high-speed satellite connectivity.
These two suppliers account for Wi-Fi coverage on around 90% of American’s fleet but exclude some long-haul aircraft like the airline’s Boeing 777-300 fleet which are kitted out with a rival Wi-Fi system from Panasonic.
Last year, American Airlines rolled out free gate-to-gate Wi-Fi with an ad-supported option for Viasat-enabled narrowbody aircraft, and it’s not known whether the carrier also intends to make passengers view ads to access the extended free Wi-Fi offer from January 2026.
The arms race to offer free inflight Wi-Fi is well and truly on amongst the big three US carriers, with Delta getting a headstart after it switched on free Wi-Fi for SkyMiles loyalty club members across most of its mainline fleet of short-haul aircraft in partnership with T-Mobile in early 2023.
Meanwhile, United has rolled out its first regional aircraft with free high-speed Starlink internet and plans to have its entire regional fleet equipped with Starlink Wi-Fi by the end of the year.
By the end of 2025, United also plans to get its first mainline aircraft fitted out with Starlink, although the carrier has not announced a firm timeline for the rollout across its entire fleet.
