Wi-Fi will be free for American Airlines AAdvantage members from 2026, sponsored by AT&T. The fee-free service will be offered on all aircraft fitted with internet service from Intelsat or Viasat, including the regional jet fleet.
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.
– Heather Garboden, Chief Customer Officer, American Airlines
American shares that approximately 90% of its fleet is included in the program. This includes the 70-seat regional jets, which are in the process of being retrofit with Intelsat’s multi-orbit satellite solution, replacing the legacy terrestrial offering. That program is expected to complete before the end of 2025. The company does not plan to install services on its 50-seat regional jets.
It also does not include the bulk of the carrier’s long-haul aircraft. Those mostly fly today with the Panasonic Avionics solution on board; a small number of 787s have the Viasat kit installed.
American also claims it will operate the largest fleet of aircraft providing free Wi-Fi on board when the program takes effect. The numbers are all very close and it will depend on the specific aircraft activated and the timelines, as both Delta Air Lines (already active on the bulk of its fleet, and continuing to grow) and United Airlines (moving that direction with its Starlink deal) also promise free inflight internet service on board.
Free connectivity began in North America with JetBlue, which has been free since it launched. Ditto with Hawaiian Airlines and its Starlink deployment. Porter Air‘s growing E2 jet fleet also offers bundles Wi-Fi access in the fares. Air Canada is also moving in that direction, with North American routes starting on 1 May. WestJet is also transitioning to free Wi-Fi with Starlink.
All told, North America will soon see some 4,000 planes across eight airlines offering complimentary connectivity to passengers on board.
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