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American Airlines announced today that it will be launching free AT&T Wi-Fi in January 2026 for AAdvantage members. This will be offered on all of American’s aircraft that are equipped with either Viasat or Intelsat connectivity. While this represents around 90% of the fleet, it does not include many of American’s widebody aircraft. American says that it will cover around two million flights next year.
American Airlines currently has the most expensive Wi-Fi of the US carriers. I know that when I fly domestically, it will always cost me $8 on Alaska, Southwest, or United Airlines. Delta is a bit of a mixed bag, but more often than not it’s free. JetBlue has been free, forever. When I fly American, I see rates that will make your eyes water…$15, $19, $35…it’s excessive and uncompetitive. American began doing a trial run with free Wi-Fi on three routes in February and will make this much more accessible in 2026. This trial helped American to determine bandwidth needs and make its decision to offer free Wi-Fi across the fleet (which it needed to do to stay competitive).
Heather Garboden, Chief Customer Officer at American Airlines, said:
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. 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.”
Jenifer Robertson, EVP & GM Mass Markets at AT&T, added:
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. We are proud to partner with American Airlines to connect people to what matters most to them — even in the sky.”
American is also on pace to outfit more than 500 regional aircraft with high-speed Wi-Fi by the end of 2025. It’s great to see the airline scrambling to make this a reality and going against comments made by American’s CEO Robert Isom earlier this year that the airline had no plans to offer free Wi-Fi.
Anthony’s Take: American is finally on track to be competitive with the other US carriers when it comes to fast, free Wi-Fi. We’ll need to wait until 2026, but that’s better than anything that has been announced by American to date.
(Featured Image Credit: American Airlines.)
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1 comment
American Airlines just announced free AT&T Wi-Fi for AAdvantage members starting January 2026! It’ll be available on about 90% of their fleet (Viasat or Intelsat equipped), covering around two million flights next year.
Heads up—many widebody planes aren’t included, so international travelers might miss out. Still, a big win for domestic flyers and a smart move to boost loyalty signups. Let’s just hope the speeds hold up!