American Airlines Partners With At&t To Announce Free In-flight Wi-fi
American Airlines is bringing free Wi-Fi to its fleet starting in 2026.
The Fort Worth-based carrier announced the upgrade Tuesday, saying it was partnering with fellow Texas-based company and telecommunications giant AT&T to offer the Wi-Fi feature, which will be available to the airline's AAdvantage loyalty members on over 2 million flights starting in January of next year.
American Airlines Boeing 777-200ER airplane at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in Germany, May 14, 2024.
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"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, American Airlines' chief customer officer, said in a statement, adding it was a "natural partnership" between the two companies.
The Wi-Fi capability will be offered on flights equipped with high-speed satellite connectivity from Viasat and Intelsat, or about 90% of the company's fleet, American said.
A person uses wifi on a plane.
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The carrier said it will also introduce high-speed Wi-Fi in over 500 regional planes by the end of this year.
AT&T said in a statement that the company was "proud" to partner with American on the Wi-Fi upgrade.
"People want to be connected. Everywhere. All the time. Whether it's staying in touch with those who matter most, following a favorite sports team or catching up on that show everyone is talking about, connectivity brings people a world of possibilities. By advancing connectivity, everything becomes more immediate and accessible anywhere they go," AT&T EVP and general manager of mass markets Jenifer Robertson said in a statement.
American already offers in-flight Wi-Fi on select domestic flights and some flights between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America at a starting cost of about $10.
Other domestic carriers including Delta, Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue already offer free Wi-Fi for their customers, while smaller carriers like Southwest, Spirit and United offer customers Wi-Fi for a fee.
Delta partnered with T-Mobile to introduce free Wi-Fi for all customers in 2023. JetBlue became the first carrier to offer free Wi-Fi on every flight back in 2013.
ABC News has reached out to American Airlines for comment.
