Starting next year, American Airlines fliers will have access to a new in-flight amenity: free Wi-Fi.
The Dallas-based airline announced on Tuesday it would be partnering with AT&T to roll out complimentary Wi-Fi across the majority of its fleet, starting in 2026.
In January, the free Wi-Fi will be available on all of American’s planes that are equipped with Viasat and Intelsat high-speed satellite connectivity, which the carrier says is about 90 percent of its fleet.
In fact, once its service is up and running, American says it will have complimentary Wi-Fi “on more planes than any other domestic carrier,” and connectivity will be available on more than two million flights per year. That includes more than 500 regional jets, which the carrier says will be Wi-Fi capable by the end of 2025, in time for the launch early next year.
In order to score the free connectivity, passengers must be members of the airline’s AAdvantage loyalty program. Creating a loyalty account is free and takes only a couple of minutes.
“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,” Heather Garboden, American’s chief customer officer, said in a statement. “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.”
The airline says it has been testing its Wi-Fi service on select routes this year, and the connection’s strength has so far exceeded expectations.
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